The New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) organization collaborated with the Foundry Theater to provide a theater performance on immigrant workers at the Queens Museum of Art to more than 75 show attendees.
The play, “Mira al Horizonte” (“Look at the Horizon”), dealt with the lives of recently arrived immigrant workers in New York City, debuted on Sunday, May 8 and was performed by members of NICE.
The performance allowed the community members to develop their expression, such as Maria Luisa Frettel, member and performer of NICE, who delivered a monologue on the different work roles she has held as an immigrant worker.
“Through this work, I purposefully explore the vastness of my work life,” Frettel said.
According to NICE, its organization has been dedicated to building power amongst newly arrived immigrant workers in Western Queens – including a theater program to help immigrant workers share their stories.
“We got a lot of positive responses from our community and now we are thinking about taking the performance further,” said Valeria Treves, executive director of NICE. “I think this play allows people to get a more intimate and personal feeling of immigrant workers, to learn more about their hopes and aspiration.”
NICE indicated that for seven months director Lisa Rothe and actor Carlo Alban helped its immigrant community members develop their personal stories.
“Through ongoing exercises and conversations in the theater program our community members analyzed their experiences and struggles as immigrant workers,” said Adriana Escandon, community organizer for NICE. “With the artist, they found a creative space that helped them to gain strength and hope in their daily lives as immigrant workers.”
For more information on NICE please visit www.nynice.org, the Foundry Theater at www.thefoundrytheatre.org, or Queens Museum of Art at www.queensmuseum.org.
