"UNMUTED" The Play Interview: Relatability & Visibility

"UNMUTED" The Play Interview: Relatability & Visibility

In this interview, the origins, the challenges, and the conversations that took place during the production of "UNMUTED" are discussed with the play's playwright, Alvaro Saar Rios, the digital content manager for FirstStage, Antonio Davis, Allie Snyder who played Student #1, Ryon Davis who played Student #7, Anna Skidis Vargas, the plays director, and Deborah Wicks La Puma, the play's composer lyricist. With topics such as relatability, crowd sourcing for lyrics using social media, the highlighting of resiliency of students and others, and the challenges of cultural inclusivity that produced English and Spanish to be incorporated and expressed in a fun and creative manner, these individuals take the listener through the process and goals of producing a play during a pandemic, a play which targets not only children who feel the struggles of virtual learning but also adults who feel similarly. In this interview, acknowledgement of shared experiences, hope, community, and visibility are some of the takeaways these interviewees hoped to highlight with the play, “UNMUTED” which streams virtually until May 30th, 2021.

FirstStage

April 30th, 2021

Lori Martello

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=464659071260350&ref=watch_permalink