The Plan - Our extensive itinerary!

Voices from Ecuador
Detailed Itinerary


Quick Glance:
Quito: 4/30 - 5/9 (intro., development, language immersion course)
Otavalo: 5/9 - 5/10 (observation, market)
Ibarra: 5/11 (transit break)
Esmeraldas: 5/12 - 5/19 (workshops, theatre festival)
Tigua: 5/20 - 5/25 (workshops)
Quito: 5/26 - 5/27 (transit break)
La Selva/El Pilche Community: 5/28 - 5/30 (workshops, hygiene play, Dr. visit, toothbrushes)
Coca (or Quito): 5/31 (transit break)
Galapagos: 6/1 - 6/5 (observation, relaxation, decompression)
Quito: 6/6 - 6/22 (major rehearsals, workshops, artist workshops, festival)
NYC shows: 6/23 – 7/6




Schedule:
4/30 - DEPART from JFK at 11:45am (transfer in Miami, 3 hour layover)
ARRIVE in Quito at 8:45pm
5/1 - FREE DAY – Holiday “Labor Day”
Get over any jet lag in Quito
Get to know the city, sight see
Meet with Carolina and Wolf (time and place to be determined)
Jesse and Mary: meeting with Wolf to discuss Tigua.
5/2 – Holiday “Labor Day” - TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS, Confirm activities, Attend a show
5/3 - THEATRE IN QUITO
Jesse and Mary: meeting with Patio de Comedias Theatre and Ana at 12:30pm to work out some details. (Confirm workshop dates for when we return to Quito.
Confirm rehearsal space. Arrange time to meet with “workshoppers,” challenge them to develop something while we are away)
Develop new contacts with the theatre community.
Attend Ana’s show.
5/4 – mass optional, WORKSHOP: development. REHEARSE: first impressions.
5/5 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes, JEREMY’S BIRTHDAY!! Party in the Mariscal!
Note: The Language immersion classes include two dance classes and one cooking class. Dates and Times TBA.
5/6 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes
5/7 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes
5/8 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes
5/9 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes, TRAVEL DAY to Otavalo.



OTAVALO
GOAL: Soak in the atmosphere, Accomplish your observation task, buy a souvenir
Expectations: 2 - 2.5 hour bus ride from Quito
Accomodation: Hostal Ishka

Schedule:
5/9 – LANGUAGE Immersion Classes, TRAVEL DAY to Otavalo (date repeated). See the Animals unloaded. The town is very busy for these days.
5/10 – TASK/SIGHTSEEING DAY. Visit the Indian market and discover the local people’s skill at weaving. A vast range of belts, tapestries, ponchos and other clothing items are available to purchase.





IBARRA
GOAL: Save time and energy getting to Esmeraldas.
Expectations: 35 minute bus ride from Otavalo
Accommodation: Hostal El Retorno - A cheery little place with pint size bed and tvs.

TIPS: If we can figure out the bus schedule in Otavalo, we can travel from Otavalo to Ibarra to Esmeraldas in one day. Therefore extending our time in Otavalo, but perhaps we won’t want to. Ibarra is famous for it’s wood carvings.

Schedule:
5/11 – IN-TRANSIT DAY. Relax or Explore the new terrain.




ESMERALDAS
GOAL: Develop contacts in the community for future arts work. See the festival. Workshop.
Venue: TBD. Navy Base Possibility
Accommodation: Mrs. Cruz is working on something, but if that falls through we will stay at the Hostal Miraflores.
Expectations: Setting up workshops in Esmeraldas, arranging for lodging

TIPS: Go to as much theatre as possible and talk with the local artists and workshop with the students. Make the workshops happen.

Schedule:
5/12 – TRAVEL DAY, 9 hour bus ride,
5/13 – WORKSHOP. THEATRE FESTIVAL.
5/14 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP. THEATRE FESTIVAL.
5/15 – REHEARSE. THEATRE FESTIVAL.
5/16 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP/FIESTA. THEATRE FESTIVAL.
5/17 – FREE DAY.
5/18 – FREE DAY.
5/19 – REHEARSE.



TIGUA
GOAL: Workshop. Learn from local artists.
Venue: TBD.
Accommodation: TBD. Possible homestay.
Alternatives:
HOSTAL LLULLU LLAMA http://www.llullullama.com/.

Contact: Wolf Ramio
Company: Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Website: http://www.wolframio.com/
Expectations: Accomplished Actor, Acting Professor at University San Francisco de Quito. Skilled in the use of masks. Recently discovered contact who we will hopefully be working with, within the indigenous community (traditional Quichua Community with a uniquie blend of Catholicism and traditional beliefs) of Tigua.


TIPS: Make it happen. Tigua is known for it’s paintings of traditional life on sheepskins. Be sure to purchase one as a souvenir.

Schedule:
5/20 – TRAVEL DAY
5/21 – REHEARSE, WORKSHOP
5/22 – WORKSHOP
5/23 – FREE DAY. It’s my brother Timmy’s birthday and he is surprisingly in Ecuador!
5/24 – REHEARSE, WORKSHOP
5/25 – REHEARSE “hygiene” sketch, WORKSHOP/FIESTA



QUITO
GOAL: Save time and energy getting to La Selva.

TIPS: Sleep well.

Schedule:
5/26 – TRAVEL DAY. Leave the Andes for Quito. Get a good night’s sleep.
5/27 – TRAVEL NIGHT. Free day. Take a night bus to Coca on Transesmeraldas at 9:30 pm.



LA SELVA/EL PILCHE (amazon)
GOAL: perform a hygiene sketch, hand out toothpaste and toothbrushes, have a doctor give the kids a check-up and workshop with the children and their parents
Accommodation: La Selva Jungle Lodge
Venue: The Local School in El Pilche. A big classroom, a library, community area, soccer fields, and playground will be made available for our purposes. (Workshop with 100 children and 40 parents)

Website: www.laselvajunglelodge.com
Note: They work in the community in collaboration with WMN Foundation (WMN = “ Wanapaay Maqui Numi” which is a Kichwa name that means “Helping hand of the forest”)
Expectations: Provide lodging, food, transport, translators, venue, and community. La Selva meals are pretty complete, although you have cofee, tea and water all day. Extra snacks are not included. They have a bar, drinks there are not included.

TIPS: The people in this community will be quite SHY, but the children should be more than eager to participate. ALL WILL BE READY TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING WE PRESENT!

Schedule:
5/28 – TRAVEL DAY. Get off the night bus around 6am. Get Breakfast and rest. Meet a LA SELVA Representative at Hotel La Mision at 11:15 am. Take a fast canoe to La Selva Lodge. Settle in at La Selva Jungle Lodge, shower and nap. There is an excursion planned in the afternoon with a native guide to learn more about rainforest with an optional excursion at night.
5/29 – Meet with local communities, PERFORM “hygiene” sketch, GIVE Toothbrushes to the elders of the community, ASSIST MEDICAL CHECK-UPS, WORKSHOP with the kids and adults.
5/30 – REHEARSE. There is an excursion planned in the afternoon with a native guide to learn more about rainforest with an optional excursion at night.



QUITO
GOAL: Get through this tough travel day, so that you can get to the galapagos.


TIPS: Sleep whenever possible. If the budget allows, we will fly and arrive in Quito at 12:30pm.

Schedule:
5/31 – TRAVEL DAY. Take the canoes back to Coca. Arrive in Coca around 10:00 am, get lunch and take the bus to Quito at 2:30 pm. Arrive in Quito at 10:00 pm. Taxi to our rooms.


GALAPAGOS
GOAL: Take in the beauty, reflect, decompress, chill


Schedule:
6/1 – TRAVEL DAY. Fly to Isla Baltra airport. Ferry to Isla Santa Cruz. You could stop by the harbor and watch the pelicans as you head to the Darwin research institute to see the huge turtles!

HOTEL SANTA CRUZ. US. Tell the bus driver where you are going and s/he can drop you off in front of this hotel.

The Hotel Santa Cruz is very popular with backpackers and national tourists. Even though it is a bit far from the boardwalk (in Puerto Ayora standards) and accommodations are basic, the Hotel Santa Cruz is the cheapest and most family-oriented in town. It is owned and operated by Cristobal and Angela Erazo, a kind, laid-back elderly couple, who can share with you some interesting historical anecdotes of the Islands. There are eight rooms--2 singles, 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 quadruple--with private bathrooms, tepid-water showers (translation: no hot water), and portable fans. It is a safe and relatively comfortable option for travelers on a fixed budget.


6/2 – SIGHTSEEING DAY. Isla Santa Cruz. REHEARSE on Tortuga bay with white sand, turquoise water, and iguanas. You could also visit LAS GRIETAS. Apparently, it’s a beautiful lake with these special rocks. Alternatively, you could take a boat trip to Floreana Island. Dolphins. Snorkeling. Visit a colony of sea lions.

HOTEL SANTA CRUZ. Information above.

6/3 – SIGHTSEEING DAY. Ferry to Isla Isabella. Here there are a huge diversity of animals. Be sure to visit the flamingos. You could go horse back riding to Sierra Negra the second biggest volcano in diameter in the world or Hike to the top of Chico Volcano, an active crater from which you can see the whole Island. The crater lake of EL ESTELO is also beautiful and worth taking a look at. But you may decide that you’d rather go snorkeling under the mangroves at CONCHA BERLA. However, it is cold.


6/4 – SIGHTSEEING DAY. Isla Isabella. Today, you could visit the CENTRO DE CRIANZA TORTUGAS. It is breeding center for the giant turtles and you can see many baby turtles here. You could also visit MURO DE LAS LAGRIMAS, a wall 6KM from town. Not so spectacular in and of itself, but it is an interesting journey with great spots along the way. Alternatively you could go on a tour of Tintoreras Island for US$10, it’s home of the white-tipped reef shark and you can also snorkel with sea lions.

HOTEL SULA SULA. Information Above.

6/5 – SIGHTSEEING DAY. Ferry to Isla San Cristobal. You can snorkel, visit “Loberia”, the place where most of the sea lions gather, and watch the sun set at LAS TIJERETAS (30 minute walk) or at PLAYA MAN. The setting sun in both locations are breathtaking. You could also go to the INTERPRETATION CENTER and discover the history of Galapagos from both the viewpoint of society and nature. Visit the beautiful crater lake, EL JUNCO.

SAN FRANCISCO HOSTEL
This a simple family run hostel on San Cristobal Island, it caters to budget travellers. All rooms have basic facilities with private bathroom and shower. It is located on the main street of town by the oceanfront walk. Steps away from local operators, scuba diving shops and stores.


QUITO
GOAL: Continue to develop contacts in the arts community, Workshop/Collaborate with local artists, Take Rehearsals to another level, Finish Workshops strong.


TIPS: At this point rehearsal needs to be top priority. We will be performing this piece very soon. Begin debriefing about what's next after getting home, the next steps for DAT. Have a chat about the total experience, the good, the bad, the ugly.

Schedule:
6/6 – TRAVEL DAY. Can take a ferry (5 or 6am) directly from San Cristobal to the airport.
6/7 – FREE DAY.
6/8 – REHEARSE.
6/9 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP with STREET LIGHT CIRCUS KIDS
6/10 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP with STREET LIGHT CIRCUS KIDS
6/11 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP/FIESTA with STREET LIGHT CIRCUS KIDS
6/12 – REHEARSE.
6/13 – REHEARSE.
6/14 – FREE DAY.
6/15 – FREE DAY.
6/16 – REHEARSE.
6/17 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP with THEATRE COMMUNITY
6/18 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP with THEATRE COMMUNITY
6/19 – REHEARSE. WORKSHOP/FIESTA with THEATRE COMMUNITY
6/20 – OPEN REHEARSAL. We will invite a few new friends to come see a run of the show.
6/21 – FREE DAY, pick up any last minute prop or set pieces and souvenirs. PACK!
6/22 – FIESTA DE SAN JUAN, enjoy the festivities!


THE NYC PRODUCTION

TRAVEL DAY
6/23 - DEPART Quito at 6:35am (transfer in Miami, 4 hour layover)
ARRIVE in JFK at 6:27pm.


OFF
6/24

Expectations: Relax, unpack


RED ROOM THEATRE
85 E. 4th St., New York, NY 10003

FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL/TECH REHEARSAL
6/25
Venue: Red Room Theatre
Expectations: Rehearse trouble spots/Tech. Run/Final Dress – Chipotle card provided.

WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCES
6/26 @ 8:00pm
Venue: Red Room Theatre
Expectations: Standing Ovation – Chipotle card provided.

6/27 @ 8:00pm
Venue: Red Room Theatre
Expectations: Standing Ovation.

6/28 @ 8:00
Venue: Red Room Theatre
Expectations: Standing Ovation.


TEATRO IATI
64 E. 4th St., New York, NY 10003

TECH REHEARSAL
7/3
Venue: Teatro IATI
Expectations: Tech. Run Through.

7/5
Venue: Teatro IATI
Expectations: Standing Ovation.

7/6
Venue: Teatro IATI
Expectations: Standing Ovation.