Office Doors: A Day With Julio-César Sauceda

8 A.M. >> A HUMAN PRODUCTION

I have two dogs, Bubulubu and Si-Si, so I take care of them in the morning. Following that, the theater staff has a quick, 20-minute meeting designed as a check-in. During COVID, it was difficult to maintain our focus on transparency and inclusivity among our multigenerational staff and stay connected. So we brainstormed ways to connect and say, “Hey, I’m working on this. I’d like some collaboration.” It’s an opportunity to check in without it being long and drawn out. From there, we determine whether we need a larger meeting.

Our team’s philosophy and approach are not common. The leadership staff makes collective decisions built on accountability and focused on transparency. We assume the best intentions by all our staff, which gives us the ability to move forward while learning. We mess up. We are human. We focus on dismantling the idea of constant perfectionism because we want to get to a place where we invite people to be with us instead of requiring them to be here. Many of us come from communities where we do something based on human trust. It’s a collective intention we’ve agreed on, so now we’re all going to do our part to move forward. It is a challenge and takes a lot of time and patience.

10 A.M. >> EDITING THE SCRIPT

We dedicate a one- to two-hour block of time every other day to department-specific meetings. If we’re collaborating with a school through an on-site residency, we determine which artists will work on it, the plan for developing the curriculum and the focus in collaborating with the school. It’s about digging into theater, learning about the theater process, theater-making and story building. It can also use theater tools to engage in issues we’re having in schools, such as emotional development.

We give them empathy-building and self-reflection tools to facilitate conversation around these subjects. We’re pushing for things that have weight to them. Children are experiencing what we experience, and they process it differently. I think theater offers them a way to communicate and says, “I’m not alone. I’m a part of this community, and this is how I heal.”

12:15 P.M. >> YOUTH IN THE LEADING ROLE

Our school programming is based on centering young people’s voices and the issues affecting them in schools. It’s a different approach to doing teaching artists’ work or theater in schools. Much of this work typically focuses on valuable skills such as acting, directing and creating theater.

But when we’re thinking about inclusivity, access and representation, you enter with those lenses. You start from wherever people are, and that is where we build from. It’s attractive to schools and has worked well for us. Right now, we mainly work in Maricopa County but have the capacity to work elsewhere. Some of our other productions and community programs exist throughout the state. There was a magical moment one day last year before the pandemic, where programs launched simultaneously in Phoenix, Douglas and Flagstaff with our artists all over the state. One of the founding features of our organization is not being confined to a traditional space. It’s about picking a location that holds an energy of some sort that enhances the performance.

1:30 P.M. >> THE SHOW MUST GO ON

We usually have some form of production meeting or rehearsal with our young people, either in-person or online. While we prefer to meet in person, we try to meet our community where they’re at, once again centering the most vulnerable and those with the least access. As an organization, we are incredibly proud that we are even able to create work right now.

We’re finishing a collaboration with Glendale Community College called the Glendale Film Project and also have “Light Rail Plays,” which is our most publicized production. This year, we are taking a different approach to the live performances on a platform or train that we’ve done in the past. Unfortunately, that approach didn’t feel safe to our community yet. Instead, we landed on doing a first-of-its-kind film production in collaboration with Valley Metro and the City of Tempe. We are leaning into film by using filmmaking practices in storytelling, as opposed to using theater. The film focuses on five characters who are not just surviving but thriving in a pandemic and looks at the light-rail ridership and how those interactions have been shaped during this time. We are moving forward and offering a sense of optimism as things start to feel like there is traction again.

5:30 P.M. >> A DAY’S CURTAIN CALL

I go home, unwind and connect with my family. I am currently a student at ASU working toward my master’s of fine arts, so I’m writing a lot right now because summer is the primary time where I can write for fun. A facet of Rising Youth Theatre is centering on the human connections we have, whether family, friends or communities. This year has been challenging, and our community was hit hard. It has shaped how we’re going to move forward, and I say that because I think there’s a very human part of moving forward we are focusing on. Just being able to have that unwinding time is essential.

To learn more, go to risingyouththeatre.org.