Doctor Javier Ávila Brings Tremendous Emotional Range in Teatro Esperanza Premier of His One-Man Show: The Trouble With My Name
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Philadelphia, PA – October 7, 2019.
The Trouble with My Name
Saturday, October 12, 2019, 7:30pm
Teatro Esperanza
4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia PA 19140
Free parking available in the Bristol Street lot.
This high-octane, poignant, and hilarious one-man show is a tour-de-force autobiographical journey. The Trouble with My Name examines the issues of language, race, and social justice in an eye-opening performance by Doctor Javier Ávila, a man moving between cultures. The result is a fascinating perspective of American Latinos who struggle to dispel misconceptions about their identity while looking to claim their place in the world.
In an emotional performance, Dr. Ávila engages the audience as he tells the story of his life and reads poetry that illustrates what it means to be an American of the future. The Trouble with My Name breaks barriers and embraces the diversity of a rich and colorful nation. The message transcends the boundaries of race, ethnicity, and geography. It is a show not to be missed.
More information at https://www.javieravila.net/videos
Doctor Javier Ávila
Biography
Doctor Javier Ávila’s distinguished career began in the Caribbean, where he taught English at the University of Puerto Rico for eight years. As an author and professor, he became an inspiration to those who encountered him and his work. After moving to Pennsylvania to work at Northampton Community College, he continued his extraordinary work with youth and in 2015, won the Pennsylvania Professor of the Year Award sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
In addition to his accomplishments in academia, Dr. Ávila is a renowned poet and novelist whose literary excellence has received international recognition. His bestselling novel Different became an award-winning motion picture entitled Miente, which was screened in over a dozen countries. His poetry books The Symmetry of Time and The Dead Man’s Position earned him prestigious awards by the Pen Club and The Puerto Rico Institute of Culture. Other books—Broken Glass on the Carpet, The Professor in Ruins, and The Oldest Profession—cemented his reputation as a celebrated writer. Dr. Ávila’s books have been part of university curricula for years. He frequently visits colleges to discuss his work, motivating students to become better readers and writers. Audiences praise Dr. Ávila’s recent work for being a powerful voice for Latinos in the U.S.
Conversation and Audience Q&A immediately following the performance
Tickets $10 Adults
Free admission for students 18 and under.
Tickets & Season Information are available at: TeatroEsperanza.us
Teatro Esperanza is Esperanza’s venue for Latin arts and culture in the heart of Hunting Park, North Philadelphia. All performances at Teatro Esperanza are located inside Esperanza’s main building at 4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia PA 19140. Free parking available in the Bristol Street lot.
For more information or press passes please contact Joy Huertas at (215) 324-0746 ext. 480 or jhuertas@esperanza.us .
Download official press release here: The Trouble With My Name_PR
About Esperanza. Esperanza is a national community-based social benefit organization founded in 1986 by Rev. Luis Cortés and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Beginning with a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, Rev. Cortés is now sought by national and international leaders alike on issues of economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a small operation to a $40 million organization with more than 450 employees. Follow us on social media @esperanza_us on Twitter and Instagram, EsperanzaUSA on Facebook and Esperanza US on YouTube.
About Teatro Esperanza.
Guided by Esperanza’s core values of faith, integrity, and excellence, Esperanza Arts Center is the center for Latino performing arts in the Philadelphia region, spotlighting the rich spectrum of traditions from Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as other cultures from around the world, creating positive transformational experiences for students, families, and attendees of all ages through the arts. For more information visit www.esperanzaartscenter.us
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