La Gente: The Latinx Theatre Design Network

La Gente: The Latinx Theatre Design Network is a national network of Latinx Theatrical Designers, Technicians and Stage Managers. Originally named the Latina/o/x Theatre Designers page, the group was created by Scenic Designer Regina García in conversation with other industry practitioners about the isolation and disenfranchisement felt by many when working in the Live Entertainment field. As individual designers and technicians, we noticed that we were regularly hired to work on productions where we were the only BIPOC creative on the team and our participation then tokenized. The FB page and the proliferation of virtual meeting platforms spurred geographically dispersed Latinx designers to connect and unpack these issues.

As a result of the spring events of 2020, the group and its membership rebranded in June of 2020 and created a list of action items that reenergized its membership from an otherwise challenging quarantine. With a membership of 240 theater designers, technicians and stage managers, both students and professionals, with varied residency status and spread widely across the country, La Gente (pronounced: HEHN-teh, which means “The People”) looks to increase visibility, engagement and advocacy for our current Latinx community and young people joining our field.

La Gente: The Latinx Theatre Design Network is a collective with a non-hierarchical leadership structure, with fifteen organizing members championing targeted initiatives in all three areas of focus. All work done by these organizing members is done on a volunteer basis. Everyone is welcomed to participate in these conversations as membership to La Gente is open to everyone.

Fiscally Sponsered by Pregones/PRTT