Olga Sanchez Oral History Interview, June 29, 2015

Partial Transcript: ...artistic director. How long have you been here, Olga?
Since July of 2003.

Segment Synopsis: Olga Sanchez shares about her role as Artistic Director of Milagro for the past 12 years. She specifically mentions her work as an actor, director, writer, and educator.

Keywords: Broken Promises; Los Portenos; Los Portenos Writers Group; Spanish speaking actors; Theater Muertos; actor; artistic director; degree in theater; director; educator; high school; playwriting; summer camp; teaching; writer

Partial Transcript: Do you have a particular play that you acted or participated in that you'd call your favorite?

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez reflects on the three performances with Milagro in which she acted: Mariela in the Desert, Oedipus El Rey, and Learn to be Latina. She talks about the challenges an joys of each performance and the preparation that goes into each role.

Keywords: Boradway; Chicago; Learn to be Latina; Mariela in the Desert; Oedipus El Rey; actor; adaptation; challenging; favorite play; hip-hop dance; off-book; preparation; rehersal; rights; role; sock puppet

Partial Transcript: Can you talk about key people here at Milagro that are important to you and the time you've spent here?

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez lists many important members of the Milagro team and refers to them as a family.

Keywords: Ajai Terrazas Tripathi; Dañel Malán; Eric Lines; Estella Robinson; José González; Juliet Burre; Sara Fitzsimmons; Tim Krauss; contribution; family; team

Partial Transcript: Each of the people I interviewed this morning, they were from outside the community, and their comments were, the things that stuck with them was the generosity of the theater.

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez reflects on the reciprocal generosity of Milagro and the Community it serves in creating a product that many people didn't know they were missing. She also discusses the population growth in the Latino community and the subsequent growth in talent and resources of Milagro as an organization.

Keywords: Arts and Culture; Chicago; Latino community; Latino identified organization; Los Angeles; New York; changes; cycle of giving; generosity; growth in population; leadership; minority community; opportunity; support; talent; training; visibility

Partial Transcript: This morning one of the men I talked to really had a good deal to say about how this theater has impacted the neighborhood and the local community. Can you talk about that?

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez talks about Milagro's relationship with their neighborhood, the Central East Side Industrial District, and the community that has developed among "creatives' there. She talks about how the community is coming together to discuss new rezoning and building and interacting with the Portland City Council.

Keywords: Arts and Culture; Center Space; Central East Side Industrial District; City Council; Creatives; Milagro Bailar Llores; Planning and Sustainability Commission; accesible; coalition; communication; dance program; facility; good neighbors; rezoning; transformation

Partial Transcript: How about the future for Milagro? Where do you see Milagro going?

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez hopes that Milagro uses it's community support and increasing National visibility to become a Hub of Latino Theater. She sees the potential for Milagro to be a nurturing artistic home for Latino Arts and to support other future projects. She says she will be leaving Milagro to start a PhD at University of Oregon soon.

Keywords: Hub for Latino Theater; Pacific Northwest Latino Theater Movement; PhD in Theater Arts; Seattle; University of Oregon; capacity; cultural seed; eSe Teatro; generative work; graduate school; identity of the North West; national visibility; originality; support; unique

Partial Transcript: You know, the theater is named for a miracle. What's the miracle here?

Segment Synopsis: Sanchez says it is incredible that such a small demographic community thrives as a living art form that does not just focus on the past but on creating new art as well. She reflects on her time with Milagro and expresses gratitude for how much she has learned.

Keywords: Latino Arts and Culture; Portland; extended community; extent of learning; grateful; heritage; new art; roots of work; thrives; time of growth; tradition; welcoming