We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adrian Gaston Garcia (AGG). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with AGG below.
AGG, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
In 2022, I collaborated with Gabriel Mata, a local DMV choreographer to produce Joteria: Our Untold Stories… Inspired by the traditional Mexican bingo game, Joteria brings to life a new set of characters, (re)imagined based on our experiences. Each character tells a story that is accompanied by some form of movement, with the purpose of making queer Latine culture seen and heard on stage. Joteria premiered as a sold out show at the Atlas Center for Performing Arts 2022 INTERSECTIONS Festival and also had six runs at the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a queer Latine storyteller whose mission is to create and share narratives that build community. I hail from the Windy City and have been in the district for the past 12 years. I fuel my creativity via the performing arts, specifically theater, improv, and spoken word poetry. My work is largely based on my experiences and the intersectionality of my identities. It is a shout out to all the queer brown boys who are learning to / healing from past traumas and who choose joy as their form of resistance.
My poetry has been featured at a variety of venues and shows, including BloomBars DC, Busboys and Poets, Homo Stanzas, The Nail Salon, and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.
Recently, I was a featured artist at this year’s District of Pride showcase hosted by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ affairs. I was also one of the featured storytellers for Story District’s 2023 LGBTQ+ Pride special: Out/Spoken, a celebration highlighting queer voices and stories.
I enjoy being in community, which means that I have a ton of hobbies. I am a Summer 2023 Resident of DC Mayor’s 202Creates Initiative. I serve as the Vice Chairman of Operations for Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Incorporated Mid-Atlantic Alumni Network and am a proud member of Los Bookis, a DC based gay Latine book club. I am currently a student at the Studio Acting Conservatory and a graduate from the Washington Improv Theater. I am also part of the Spanish Sin Pena 2023 Academy.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As mentioned, my mission is to create and share narratives that build community. My work is a love letter to my younger self who taught present day me to embrace the magic of my femininity and celebrate the power of my softness through stories.
Using poetry and theater, my work navigates the in-betweenness and the intersections of my identities. It experiences the world through a queer Mexican American lens. It voices the complicated relationship we have with our past, family, and understanding of love.
My work also travels the in-betweenness of real life and imagination. I am intentional about not trying to build community solely through trauma bonding. By using humor and real life experiences, I not only discuss the challenges of being queer and Latine but also the beautiful gifts both cultures offer. I make sure that my people see their whole selves represented in my art and do not editor try to make it palpable to a white cisgender audience.
My work, above all else, centers the importance of joy in queer brown lives. As a person who grew up in a poor and traditional machismo influenced family, I love to not only live in my fantasy but also share it. It is my gift to the world, a reminder that I am enough.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Balance the hustle with rest and self-care. Always prioritize healing and know that art is therapeutic but not therapy. Growing up, my dad would take me and my brother to work with him at the family restaurant located in Little Village (Chicago). We would spend all our weekends, holidays, and vacations at the restaurant.
He wanted to instill in us the value and pay off of hard work. Even as the restaurant grew and business bloomed, he made sure we stayed humble and busy with work. I applied that mind set to my studies and my hobbies. I would only feel satisfied when I felt completely exhausted with any project / work day, it was my way of knowing that I was giving my all regardless of the damage it was bringing to my body, mental health, and relationships. I operated at a 100 for many years thinking that this was what I was supposed to be doing.
There are days when I hit a wall and cannot write or finish a project. Even the simplest of tasks can feel overwhelming. I try my best to work backwards from deadlines to set myself up for success. I try to stay away from my past practices (best work happens when I am crunched for time) because it is not worth the trauma I put myself through.
Also, sleep in / rest when you can and DO NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT! Normalize that practice so we are no longer defined by our work / how hard we work. Instead, start to measure your life by how happy / joyful you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/adriangaston.garcia
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriangaston.garcia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriangaston.garcia
- Youtube: @adriangastongarcia5876
Image Credits
Joteria: Our Untold Stories… illustrations by Kyle Marcus Bryant Joteria: Our Untold Stories… at MN Fringe Festival 2022 photographed by Alex Wohlhueter Studio Acting Conservatory Out / Spoken 2023 – photographed by Margot Buff Fiesta Latina 2022 – photographed by Mikail Faalasli