Mover and Shaker: Justin Lucero, Artistic Director, Theatre Latté Da

Article by Becky Fillinger, Photos provided

Theatre Latté Da has a new Artistic Director, Justin Lucero, and he is ready to push the theater into tomorrow!  We talked to him about his background, vision for engaged audiences, partnerships with arts organizations and where we might find him out and about in the Twin Cities. If you haven’t visited Theater Latté Da in a while, now’s the time to buy some tickets to meet this local luminary – as he says, he’s interested in "radically welcoming."

Justin LuceroQ:  What types of productions or themes are you particularly passionate about and hope to explore during your tenure at Theater Latté Da?

A:  My favorite thing about any live theater experience is the inclusion and activation of an audience community. “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show” is never in my vocabulary, as I always prefer an audience to “Lean forward, engage, and participate.” In theater, an audience is the final ingredient. A co-creator. And when it comes to musical theater specifically, which is Theater Latté Da’s expression of choice, that activation is even more palpable because of its heightened nature. My personal aesthetic is work that taps into that even more blatantly. I love productions that are ever-reminding an audience that what is being presented is…well…fake! Work that is hypertheatrical and metatheatrical excites me and energizes me. That kind of approach has become my calling card. And the Ritz Theater space where Theatre Latté Da performs is an ideal laboratory for such work, because its size and idiosyncrasies demand extra creativity and transparency.

Q:  How do you plan to engage with and support the local arts community in Minneapolis and the broader theater community nationally?

A:  Theatre Latté Da has actually declared its commitment to local artists and performers as a part of its strategic plan. I’m very much looking forward to embedding myself quickly and deeply in the arts community, first as a supporter and attendee. I’m a voracious consumer of theatre and I’ve already gotten a slew of tickets to many of our peer organizations’ shows. Furthermore, the TLD Board of Directors has graciously and generously begun to identify community partners and local arts leaders for me to be introduced to, and they’ve set up a number of meetings and gatherings for me to do so in my first few months. These one-on-ones will ensure that authentic relationships are formed, and will help me get a sense of what the greater arts community’s goals and concerns are, and how I might be able to contribute and co-lead.

Nationally, I have a wide network of colleagues from around the regional theater and drama conservatory scenes. I’m a board-level member of the inaugural Next Generation Taskforce with the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre. I was a tenure-track professor of Directing at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, a leader in theatre training. And I’ve been named this year as one of the “leaders who will help move opera forward for years to come” by OPERA America. These networks continue to provide me perspective and resources to bring to Theatre Latté Da as we expand our goals and further embed ourselves into the national conversation. Theatre Latté Da already has a deep commitment to the development of new musical theater work, and I look forward to helping continue that vital tradition. This valiant work champions new voices and viewpoints leading to the next generation of work that will grace the nation’s future stages.

Q:  Are there any specific changes or innovations you would like to bring to Theater Latté Da to enhance its impact and reach?

A:  I’m very eager to learn the ropes and continue the trajectory of what my predecessor, Peter Rothstein, built. Once I fully understand the organization and community, I can then begin to inject some new ideas and approaches thoughtfully and intentionally. If I’m honest, it’s the work, mission, and values that Theatre Latté Da currently center on that prompted me to apply in the first place, because it all felt like a perfect fit.  TLD’s goals and values, particularly in the realm of equity, diversity, inclusion and antiracism, align so neatly with my own. I’m interested in reaching new audiences and developing opportunities for working artists. I’m interested in inviting our supporters into the process. I’m interested in being radically welcoming.

Q:  Can you describe your vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion within Theater Latté Da's productions and operations? 

A:  Much of my work as a director, producer and educator has been in the area of DEI. I was a core member of the team that developed the first-of-its-kind degree requirement in Anti-Racist and Equitable Practices in Theatre for drama students, and was the chair of the national search for the first-of-its-kind professorship in AREPT. It is my core belief that performing artists are culture-builders; and that’s a huge responsibility. Theatre Latté Da has a tradition of radically reimagining the inherited repertoire of musicals and opera which, to me, demands a deep analysis, reckoning, and a committed identity-conscientiousness in order to succeed. My vision is to lead by example, which includes continually learning and expanding and evolving myself.

Q:  Do you have strategies or ideas for expanding the theater's audience and attracting new theatergoers?

A:  I look forward to learning more about what ideas Theatre Latté Da and other local theater companies have already pursued to attract new theatregoers. In my experience, audiences who have been let in on the process of making theater develop a deeper interest and investment, so I look forward to incorporating ways for people to peek behind the curtain and interact with the talented villages of folks who are the ones responsible for building what ends up on stage. I’m also an educator at heart, so I can see TLD offering training and workshop opportunities for people interested in developing the craft of theater.

Q:  What upcoming projects or productions are you particularly excited about? 

A:  The whole of the 26th season of Theatre Latté Da excites me, and I’m so grateful that a marvelous slate of shows and guest directors was put into place before I came on board. But if I really had to point to a single title, I’m really psyched about The Color Purple. It was a formative book for me growing up and the musical adaptation is heart-wrenching. This Oscar season should also catapult the musical and its rich score into the Zeitgeist, hopefully intriguing many new audiences to see it performed live. It also happens to be a co-production with a peer institution, Geva Theatre in New York, which means I’ve arrived at just the right moment to witness how such a partnership works and how such partnership can hopefully continue.  Co-productions, co-commissions, and touring are most certainly on the table for expanding our reach and ambitions.

Q:  What might we find you doing on a day you're not working on theatrical projects?

A:  I’m an avid contemporary film buff, so you might find me sitting in a cinema watching an Oscar flick. I really love international cuisine, so I like to try new-to-me restaurants pretty often. I also might be known for having, perhaps, a few too many articles of clothing, so if I’m not catching a movie or dining somewhere exotic, perhaps I’m raiding a department store sale! I also really love to travel and to visit my family back home in El Paso as often as possible.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  I’m not as active with social media as I used to be, nor do I keep up my personal website regularly enough, but subscribing to the Theatre Latté Da newsletter and following our social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram) would definitely keep people informed about what I’m up to. Or maybe you’ll bump into me at a show, a movie, or a restaurant!

-  -  -  -  - 

Side note - Theater Latté Da is accepting applications through January 15, 2024, for its NEXT Generation Commission, an opportunity for BIPOC and women artists that supports the creation and development of new musical theater projects. In addition to the $20,000 commission awarded to the individual artist or creative team, the project will receive creative and developmental support over an 18-month period, including two developmental workshops totaling a minimum of 50 hours. Artists interested in applying for the NEXT Generation Commission should visit www.latteda.org/next generation-commission for complete submission details.