BFA acting grad AJ Simmons is making Canadian history as part of the cast of the country’s largest Latinx stage production.
A UWindsor acting grad reports she was “thrilled and honoured” to hit the stage in the world premiere of Carmen Aguirre’s play Anywhere But Here, which blends dark comedy and magical realism to tell a story about the universal quest for home.
“This show is making Canadian theatre history: an all-Latinx cast and creative core team of Latinx artists from across the Americas and the largest mainstage production of a Latinx story in Canadian history,” says AJ Simmons (BFA 2013). “It is truly an honour and privilege to be a part of bringing this ground-breaking play to life.”
The show, produced by the Electric Theatre Company at the Vancouver Playhouse as part of the Push International Arts Festival, opened Feb. 6 and will run through Feb. 15.
Simmons heads a cast of nine which travels across multiple timelines and space — from Trump’s America to 1970s Chile. She notes that for her, the journey started while still a student in the School of Dramatic Art:
“This is such an incredible full-circle experience to be a part of, after getting introduced to Carmen’s work and meeting her for the first time when I was in my fourth year investigating the thesis I wrote exploring the role of Latina Canadian theatre practitioners.”