Federico Restrepo
Federico Restrepo was born in Bogotá,
Colombia. He began his training of mime and ballet as a young
boy with Priscila Welton and Miroslav Kura. His first professional
theatre work was dancing with the Ballet National de Colombia
in 1983. He came to New York in 1985 and studied at the Merce
Cunningham School and danced with the Empty Hands Company headed
by Cho Koo—Hyun and Yoshiko Chuma’s School of Hard
Knocks. Since 1985 he has developed a puppetry style which
incorporates design and dance. He is the founder and artistic
director of Dance/Puppet Theatre Company, Loco7, formerly known
as Puppets and Drummers. His
goal as a director has been to design the set and puppets as
an extension of the dancer’s body. The spectacle is an
ever changing environment, transforming and moving through
out the space. His subject matter is very much, the soul of
Colombia mixed with his experiences of living in New York City.
His intense love and passion for the history of the Americas
and his journeys in New York are a constant source for all
his work. Loco7 troupe represented Colombia in the third Iberia-American
Theater Festival with his La MaMa born piece of the same name.
He has premiered, designed, performed and directed eight original
pieces at La MaMa ETC in New York City, with subsequent tours
through out the world. Bokan,
the Bad Hearted (2004) presented at The Annex Theatre,
takes the audience 2000 years back to the mythological world
of the Amazon Jungle. Mythology of the Yurupari poems inspired
the tale of the change of power from matriarchy to patriarchy.
9
Windows (2002) presented at the Spolotina Festival,
Italy, La MaMa ETC, Teatro Leonardus creates conceptual images
of the “immigrant displaced”. It deals with a
Colombian immigrant in New York who has strange dreams, which
affect his view of the world. Colores (1998)which
reflects upon the history of Colombia between 1492 to 1833
in particular, dealing with the evolution of the Mestizo
people of Colombia, digging up their history and the many
different colors of their skins, which was performed in the
International Festival of Puppet Theatre presented by the
Jim Henson Foundation. Aguirre,
the Spiral of the Warrior (1996), which performed
in Teatro dell’
Angelo, in Rome, based on the legend of the Spanish conquistador
who, in 1562, rebelled against Spain to create his own empire.
Thematically, it set out to explore one of the most intriguing
and least-explored New World phenomena: The “Americanization” of
the European man and his ways of thinking. Cosecha (1990),
dealing with the lives of Colombian refugee farmers and their
involvement with the Colombian civil war of 1947, a war which
subsequently lead to “guerilla warfare” and drug
harvests, Loco7 (1989),
a multi-media odyssey through the subways of NY with giant
puppet subways, and two other Gotham fantasies: Locombia (1986), Carrera (1988).
In addition he premiered in Bogotá, Colombia, Piratas
de papel (1994) and Mobil
urbano (1986).
He has appeared at La MaMa ETC as a member of the Great Jones
Repertory Company in Ellen Stewart’s Perseus, Antigone, Mythos
Oedipus, Dionysus Fillus Dei, Monk and The
Hangman's Daughter, Seven Against Thebes and Draupadi.
He is a resident puppet designer, choreographer, performer
and director of La MaMa ETC.
In addition he has designed lights for over twenty-five professional
productions in New York as well as abroad. Recent work includes: Trojan
Women, (Poland/Austria Tour), Bokan,
the Bad Hearted (La MaMa ETC), Driving
on the Left Side (Barrow Group Theatre - Off-Broadway,
New York), Place Poems (La MaMa ETC), Cucaracha (New York).
Since 2003 Mr. Restrepo has been a teaching artist for New
York City Public Schools. He is involved with an outreach program
founded by Stephanie Eley-Yahjian, Partnering Artists Children
Teachers. He teaches puppet and mask design and construction
to children in second, third, forth and fifth grades.
