Holiday greetings, my spirited duende duders! Hope your December so far has been full of magic and merrymaking. It’s hard to cut through all the seasonal chaos, but I think this wondrously stimulating and partially holiday-themed episode with my beloved storytelling goddess and epically fun, soulful partner in loving and conjuring the moony and mythic - award-winning actress, theatre educator and director Sabina Zúñiga Varela! - can melt away a bit of the stress-frost that may be on our hearts right now. She is a master manifester of the visceral and revelatory in the way we tell stories and activate creativity for the greater communal good, so I knew this convo would be rich with provocative, meaningful reflection. We discuss her uniquely metaphysical definition of duende, the harrowing nature of experiencing fully in-the-moment duende as an all-in performer - specifically in her journey performing playwriting icon Luis Alfaro’s Ancient Greek adaptations, and her deep love for the enthralling scope of duendes within Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a tale she feels is an underrecognized social justice reckoning. And Sabina’s stories are always so fascinatingly insightful - we learn why elk blood can be turquoise, how humans can be turned into diamonds, and the best way for a Pisces to “de-role”, among many other fun facts and histories.

She gifts us a few sublime recitations - such a treat! - and we share our examples of duende holiday scents - hers harboring a nefarious origin :) We play a holiday-themed version of Duende This-or-That, and tackle one of the most divisive pronunciations in the western theatre canon. Please weigh in if you feel compelled to do so! :) Merry merry, my duende-discussing friends! Have the most magical holiday season <3

Sabina's blog detailing her experience in Dallas Theater Center's 2014 production of "A Christmas Carol" -

https://sabinazunigavarela.wordpress.com/2014/12/

Have a great duend-ay! :)
Follow @duendediscussions on IG for episode updates and fun, interactive duende discussing!

Hi Duende Duders! Hope your spooky season has been spooking along spectacularly! I'm absolutely thrilled to bring you Episode 3 - my duende-of-Halloween episode - a horrortastic convo with my favorite art anarchist - playwright, screenwriter and novelist Alexis Roblan! Ali is a masterful adventurer of the mystical and mind-bending, so it's no wonder our talk of duende is full of spiritual, psychological and emotional revelations. We discuss how confronting panic and one's personal duende head-on - through the writing and experiencing of theatre/horror art, as well as in real life - can be a vigorous catharsis and necessary shake-up for the mind and soul. She breaks down why posters of A24 horror movies decorate the walls of her apartment, and we connect over how being raised Catholic formed our present relationships to the paranormal. We overly thoroughly navigate an intensely complex taste test journey of the duende of candy corn, and a Halloween session of "Which Has More Duende?" brings up strong opinions on how to fully immerse oneself into the duende of Knott's Scary Farm. And omg towards the end of the interview we debate over whether or not literal duendes actually exist and it may have caused an energetic interruption!! Perhaps a duende infiltration??? So just be ready for that...visitation :) Happy Halloweeeeeeen!!

Have a great duend-ay! :)
Follow @duendediscussions on IG for episode updates and fun, interactive duende discussing!

Hi Duende Duders! Happy start to spooky season! For Episode 2 I discuss all things duende with my most hilarious genius friend from theatre school in Chicago - fearless visionary director and experimenter/embracer of the taboo/curator of incredible design teams, chef of duende delicious culinary art, and Pat Benatar's most devoted fan - Chris Garcia Peak! We drink our blood duende drinks and delve into how Chris experiences duende like a possession (!), how he's harnessed duende for his brilliant, boundary-pushing arts company Cock and Bull, the duende of cooking and eating Mexican cuisine, which movie artist duos have FULL DUENDE, and his controversial opinion on which rock icon's version of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" has the most duende. Check it out! Follow @cpeakgarcia, and @cockandbul on Instagram :)

Have a great duend-ay! :)
Follow @duendediscussions on IG for episode updates and fun, interactive duende discussing!