Elizabeth Marrero
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Marrero is a Puerto Rican
performance
artist, comedian
, and drag king
who is best known as Macha, the "papi chulo drag king," a character she created in 1999. Her solo and collaborative work is characterized by her open exploration of lesbian
and Puerto Rican issues in a working-class or ghetto
environment and by her links to stand-up comedy
. She was born and currently lives in the Bronx
, New York
.
, dance
r/choreographer
Arthur Aviles
, performing the role of Maeva in over a dozen dance pieces since 1991, including Arturella (1996) and Maéva de Oz (1997). In 2003 she reappeared in Aviles's signature piece Arturella at Dance Theater Workshop
in New York City
. In 2001 she premiered her first one-woman show, Machataso: A One Woman Cho’ as part of the BAAD! ASS WOMEN festival, which had a three week, sold-out, extended run at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) in Hunts Point
. In this performance, Marrero presents five different characters
, including the matriarch
and slightly alcoholic
Petronelia, the B-boy MC
DJ
Guilly-Guiso-Jugo, the hip hop
supermarket cashier Wakateema Shaquasha de la Rodriguez, and Macha, a suave Latino crooner
that loves women. Since then Marrero has premiered a number of subsequent one-woman shows. For BAAD!'s “Out Like That” festival in June 2006, Marrero produced and performed their first ever drag king extravaganza. Marrero has also performed at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater and other major clubs in New York City as well as internationally.
, sexuality
, personal growth and personal responsibility." Lauren W. Hasten offers an extensive interview with Marrero in her essay Gender Pretenders: A Drag King Ethnography, which is available online, where she discusses her drag king work.
from the Bronx Council on the Arts in 2003. She also received a Tanne Foundation Award in 2006.
Puerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
artist, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, and drag king
Drag king
Drag kings are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of their performance. A typical drag king routine may incorporate dancing and singing, live as in the Momma's Boyz of San Francisco's performances or lip-synching...
who is best known as Macha, the "papi chulo drag king," a character she created in 1999. Her solo and collaborative work is characterized by her open exploration of lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and Puerto Rican issues in a working-class or ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
environment and by her links to stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
. She was born and currently lives in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Performance career
Marrero began her performance career with her first cousinCousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r/choreographer
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
Arthur Aviles
Arthur Aviles
Arthur Aviles is an American Bessie Award-winning dancer and choreographer of Puerto Rican descent. Aviles was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Long Island and the Bronx. He graduated from Bard College, a liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. After graduating from Bard, he...
, performing the role of Maeva in over a dozen dance pieces since 1991, including Arturella (1996) and Maéva de Oz (1997). In 2003 she reappeared in Aviles's signature piece Arturella at Dance Theater Workshop
Dance Theater Workshop
Dance Theater Workshop, colloquially known as DTW, is a New York City performance space and service organization for dance companies. Located as 219 West 19th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, DTW was founded in 1965 by Jeff Duncan, Art Bauman and...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 2001 she premiered her first one-woman show, Machataso: A One Woman Cho’ as part of the BAAD! ASS WOMEN festival, which had a three week, sold-out, extended run at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) in Hunts Point
Hunts Point, Bronx
Hunts Point is a low-income neighborhood located on a peninsula in the South Bronx in New York City. It is the location of one of the largest food distribution facilities in the world. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries are the Bruckner Expressway to the west and...
. In this performance, Marrero presents five different characters
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, including the matriarch
Matriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
and slightly alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
Petronelia, the B-boy MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Guilly-Guiso-Jugo, the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
supermarket cashier Wakateema Shaquasha de la Rodriguez, and Macha, a suave Latino crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
that loves women. Since then Marrero has premiered a number of subsequent one-woman shows. For BAAD!'s “Out Like That” festival in June 2006, Marrero produced and performed their first ever drag king extravaganza. Marrero has also performed at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater and other major clubs in New York City as well as internationally.
Drag King Performances
According to Robert Waddell, in her work as a drag king, Marrero "tackles issues of religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, personal growth and personal responsibility." Lauren W. Hasten offers an extensive interview with Marrero in her essay Gender Pretenders: A Drag King Ethnography, which is available online, where she discusses her drag king work.
Solo Performances
- Machataso: A One Woman Cho’ (2001)
- Macha Does Vegas (2002)
- Petronelia’s Finca (2003)
- Petronelia: Her Broadway Cho’ (2004)
- The Macha Monologues (2005)
- Santa Macha (2006/2007)
- HBO's Habla Ya I & II (2008)
- Retro Petro (2008/2009)
Awards
Marrero received a BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) AwardBronx Recognizes Its Own Award
The Bronx Recognizes Its Own Award honors Bronx artists in a number of categories. It is given yearly by the Bronx Council on the Arts. Winners must be residents of the Bronx and are expected to do community service for a local arts organization as part of the award...
from the Bronx Council on the Arts in 2003. She also received a Tanne Foundation Award in 2006.
See also
- ComedyComedyComedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
- HumourHumourHumour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
- List of comedians
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people
- Puerto Ricans in the United StatesPuerto Ricans in the United StatesStateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...