TORCHED! speaks to the now legendary era of the Bronx fires during the 1970s, lifting stories of survival to lay bare the infamies of the arson-for-profit business. Alternating from past to present and pulsing to salsa and hip hop sounds, the show is part investigative theater and part poetic fiction – delivered by Pregones/PRTT’s Latinx ensemble cast of ten actors/musicians. Conceived and directed by Pregones/PRTT Artistic Director, Rosalba Rolón, with original music by Pregones/PRTT Musical Director, Desmar Guevara, this new work foregrounds human stories often swept under the rug.
“TORCHED! pays tribute to real people who fought back, who continue to want to set the record straight, who continue to research, give testimony, and unmask ugly truths behind the fires. With this production, we join the generations of Bronx artists and activists shining light on this period of our history. TORCHED! invites audiences to tap into living networks of popular resistance, storytelling, music, and triumph,” says director Rosalba Rolón, a US Artists Fellow and Doris Duke Artists Award recipient who serves as Pregones/PRTT’s Artistic Director.
Rolón developed TORCHED! over five years and consulted with historians, theater makers, scholars, and activists who jointly helped lay the groundwork for TORCHED!. “Everything came to a head during the long and thankfully productive months of pandemic when a revolving roster of ensemble artists helped give the production its current musical form, says Rolón. “They all share in its triumphs. TORCHED! is so much about reclaiming a shared history and about giving credit where credit is due.”
TORCHED! is Pregones/PRTT’s first fully staged in-person production since 2020, and everyone is thrilled to greet a live audience again!
Performed in English and Spanish with titles.
Duration: 85 minutes. No Intermission.