Candido Tirado

To listen to a piece of wise words from a decent man, please follow the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/juan-suarez-70/candido-2

One of the most interesting and captivating experiences of my college career. I was worried about my interactions with Candido, as I had no idea what to expect from him. I was only hoping to not have an awkward situation in which there was just silent and no content or substance to my interview questions.

However, Candido showed to be very engaged throughout the interview, which actually lasted an hour and thirty minutes. More than an interview it ended up being a conversation in which before seeing a Nuyorican playwright I saw a transparent human being who followed his passion with dedication. It was shocking to hear that most of Candido’s work happened not at a famous theater school but at the jails of New York City where he thought teenagers who are considered criminals by the law about the basics and foundations of the art of playwriting.

Candido obviously did not count with the best smart room with a projector or the most educated students in the world. He actually counts with a jail to which over time he got accustomed to the smell of pee and poop and the teenagers who at times even wanted to fight him as he conducted his lectures.  Additionally, Candido utilized his job as a teacher in the jails of New York City to help teenagers and to assist with understanding their behavior as Candido mentioned to also be like one of them as he grew up on the streets. It was interesting to explore how one of Candido’s most interesting play came from hearing a story over and over again in jail about three teenagers who became best friends as they were competing to sell drugs and become gangsters. However, towards the end, jealousy and envy take over as one of the teenagers kills the other to obtain his costumers to increase his drug sales.

In conclusion, out of Candido’s interview I did not only learned about the traditions and history of Nuyorican theater but I also learned that Puerto Rican theater welcomes to incorporate plays which derived from the most simplistic form of life events without discriminating individuals by their color, socioeconomic status or even criminal record.