Residencies
2025
Raíces em Harmonia (Roots in Harmony): Exploring Latin American Spirit and Expression is a gathering of spirits, a call to connect across borders, and a celebration of Latin American expression in its most raw, radiant, and resonant forms. Created by Matías De La Flor and Marina Pires, this initiative brings together international artists in the heart of Manhattan to explore themes of passion and belonging.
While in residence, Matías, Marina and their associates will be developing three exciting projects:
Mirrors, a haunting and heart-filled new two-hander with original music that examines love, reflection, and breaking generational curses
an innovative approach to Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding, staged as an intimate dinner party
EXI(S)T, a new musical about young adults from different countries (China, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Nigeria and Iran) resisting deportation in the basement of a church
Presentations to the public will be scheduled in fall 2025.
About the artists:
MATÍAS DE LA FLOR is a Peruvian trilingual actor, singer and theatre maker based in New York City. His theatrical focus is creating bridges through cultures; exploring the manifestations of language not just on the tongue, but in the body, soul and mind. Onstage in New York City, he’s been seen in Lincoln Center Theatre’s Tony Nominated Revival of Camelot. He is an original member of the ensemble, and covered the role of Sir Lancelot Du Lac. Also in the City, he was the associate director for Moisés Kaufman, on his workshop of Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard. As a writer & director, his new musical Romeo y Julieta; Limeño was produced by Jackie Alexander for the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The show was later given a full reading with a cast of bilingual actor/singers in New York City. Exploring new works will be paramount in this residency. As a teaching artist, he has an intimate private studio where he works on acting & audition technique, voice, and industry development. He also works with A Class Act NYC, teaching workshops and directing showcases. In regional theatre, Matías has been seen in Les Misérables (The Muny), and Jesus Christ Superstar (FlatRock). He is an avid chef, poet, filmmaker, and connector of community, and holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts; The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Drama.
MARINA PIRES is a trilingual Brasileira living in NYC. She’s excited to be joining New Perspectives Theatre Company this season for a co-residency alongside Matías De La Flor, titled “Raíces em Harmonia: Exploring Latin American Spirit and Expression.” She was seen most recently in the Helen Hayes Award Nominated production of “Nine” at The Kennedy Center directed choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton”), and on Broadway in “How to Dance in Ohio.” She has toured the U.S. nationally in “On Your Feet! The Story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan”, performed with Phish at Madison Square Garden, and sung on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s/Sony Pictures Animation: “VIVO!” She’s also written and performed original music with her indie-folk band, The Heartstrings Project, at iconic NY venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Joe’s Pub, Lincoln Center, 54 Below. Their music was up for consideration at the 64th Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album of the Year & Best American Roots Song. They performed at Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Virtual 50th Anniversary of Tea for the Tillerman with Dave Matthews Band, Haim & more. They’ve also been Deepak Chopra's Monthly Featured Artist Pick on Spotify. In addition to performing and writing, Marina is a teaching artist with organizations like TheatreWorks USA, where she was commissioned to compose original music for a panel discussion with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut in space! She is also a teaching artist with CoLab Theater Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing individuals with developmental disabilities a creative and social outlet through theater arts. In her spare time, Marina loves to write poems on an old typewriter, throw dinner parties for her friends, and takes long walks with her dog, River.
2007-present
Banana Boat Productions was established in 1998 to bring plays that speak to Caribbean culture as a multicolored and rich palette of expressions, experiences, and lifestyles and which present its reality as it has settled into other global locations. They are also committed to making these plays accessible to general audiences and able to counteract negative stereotypes or perceptions of this dynamic culture.
NPTC has provided space and general management support to BBP since 2007, starting with our co-production of The Ritual, a play by Trinidadian writer Zeno Obi Constance. Two more productions of this play, including one for the 40th Anniversary of its premiere, have made it a signature piece for both companies. Other co-productions involved pairings of short plays under a specific theme (Crossing Boundaries, Dueling Voices, Truths & Accommodations, Women in Transition) and full-length offerings (Mamma Decemba, The Key Game). Banana Boat also offers regular readings of plays from the English-speaking islands that include talk-backs to further connect with audiences from the Caribbean Diaspora and bring context to general audiences.