WHO ARE WE?
According to the US Census Bureau, Puerto Ricans make up the second-largest Latino group in Colorado. Flamboyán seeks to make Denver a home for Boricua storytelling that crosses genres and multimedia platforms and pushes artists to tell stories that defy expectations, taking risks in terms of style and themes and creating new narratives.
Denver has a history of Chicano theatre, which has deep roots going back to the state's founding and has made tremendous progress since the rise of the Chicano movement in the 1960s. As demographics in Denver and Colorado as a whole have become more diverse, other Latino people need a place to make their voices heard and their stories told. Flamboyán seeks to fill that gap by highlighting Puerto Rican stories that offer a different perspective of the Latino experience that aligns with the island's distinct history and relationship to the US. In this way, we can unite the Puerto Rican community and educate Coloradans of all backgrounds about our experiences and culture.
Meet Jon Marcantoni, Founder of Flamboyán Theatre
While he grew up acting in community and regional theater on the East Coast, from 2009-2019, Mr. Marcantoni built his career in the literary world, working his way up from editor to editor-in-chief to Publisher and founder of La Casita Grande Editores, roles in which he represented two dozen authors in six different countries. He also oversaw the anthology There is No Cholera in Zimbabwe, which included writers from 14 countries focusing on raising awareness of environmental exploitation, political corruption, organized crime, human trafficking, femicide, and other pressing issues facing the world today. During this time, he wrote for Latino Rebels, Across the Margin, PANK Magazine, Número Cinq, and Minor Literatures, among others. He is also the author of five books, one of which, Kings of 7th Avenue, won the award for Best Southeastern Fiction at the 2017 Independent Book Awards. His first Spanish novel, Tristiana, was presented at the Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana in 2018. His 2012 novel The Feast of San Sebastian was translated and published in Spain by Araña Editorial. He has been featured on NPR's Frontera series, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, LA Times, Jazz y Letras (Argentina), El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico), El Post Antillano (Puerto Rico), Claridad (Puerto Rico) and Tragos de Literatura (Costa Rica).
Mr. Marcantoni's play Puerto Rican Nocturne made its world premiere at The Bug Theatre in Denver's Northside neighborhood in August 2022. The production was a testament to his ability to connect with his audience, with 60% of attendees being Puerto Ricans. For many, it was their first theatrical experience in Denver, and they were moved by the show's focus on their history.