The Royal Mexican Players
January 2004. In an attempt to increase Latino representation in Houston’s theatre scene, Alvaro Saar Rios, Michelle Lopez-Rios, Ezequiel Guerra Jr., Eva De La Cruz, Lupe Mendez and Chris Rivera formed The Royal Mexican Players.
Dubbing themselves “Houston’s brownest performance troupe,” the all Latino performance troupe made their professional debut with The Royal Mexican Players present The Crazy Mexican Show at the cultural arts center M.E.C.A.(Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts) in the Spring of 2004.
After a successful debut, The RMP’s were invited to perform at Clarkson University in New York and at the 1st Annual TeatroFEST held at the historic Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio, TX. (TeatroFEST brought together Texas-based Latino solo performance artists and theater companies to celebrate the Latino voice in American theater.)
Spring 2006. The Royal Mexican Players solidified their position in the Houston’s theatre scene with their second show--A Trip Through the Mind of a ‘Crazy’ Mexican. Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios, the show was presented at TBH (Talento Bilingue de Houston) to sold-out audiences.
In the Summer of 2006, The RMP’s relocated to Milwaukee, WI and established themselves in the local theater scene by collaborating with various theaters, universities and cultural centers including UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Bad Soviet Habits, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts and The United Community Center.
TeatroFEST 2005
Productions:
One Hot Texican Summer (or the summer I found out I was Mexican) was written and performed by Alvaro Saar Rios. Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios. This one-man show follows a young boy as he experiences a summer of unforgettable memories.
Photos Inside Milwaukee Review Milwaukee Program Houston Program
Bienvenidos a Milwaukee, Welcome to Milwaukee was created and performed by Alvaro Saar Rios and Michelle Lopez-Rios. This performance was funded by Milwaukee Repertory Education Department and United Community Center in conjunction with the "Caras Vemos: Corazones no Sabemos" exhibit. This two person show follows the stories of Latinos and other immigrants in Milwaukee.
Nuestra Voz, Nuestra Historia, Our Voice, Our Story was devised with a group of Latina/o students and community members through workshops with Michelle Lopez-Rios and Alvaro Saar Rios. The workshops and productions were funded through a grant form the Roberto Hernandez Center.
Trip Through the Mind of a Crazy Mexican was written by Alvaro Saar Rios. Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios. The fictional "El Crazy Mex" visits stories from his childhood and examines his Mexican roots.
The Crazy Mexican Show was written and directed by Alvaro Saar Rios. Told through sketch comedy, this play explores Mexican-American culture.
Press:
Onmilwaukee.com Feature Article on One Hot Texican Summer
Houston Chronicle Feature Article on Trip through the Mind of a Crazy Mexican
Journal Sentinel article on Milwaukee Hispanic Community with mention of Nuestra Voz
For more information visit www.royalmexicans.com