COMPANY HISTORY

In its inaugural season, Theatre C’s commission of dancer and choreographer Jesse Zaritt to create a dance-theatre piece for the soloNOVA Arts Festival, presented by the terraNOVA Collective. The production was extended and won three New York Innovative Theatre Awards: Best Choreography/Movement, Best Solo-Performer, and Best Performance Art Production. Elia Kourlas for The New York Times writes “Virile and flamboyant … [Zaritt's] long line is magnified to powerful effect" 

Following the successful production of BINDING, Theatre C collaborated with ReVision Theatre to associate produce a revival of Pete Townshend’s The Who’s TOMMY presented in the old Carousel House in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  Peter Filichia for The Star-Ledger writes

“a winning production...eye-arresting...excellent” Theatre C’s production of Kyoung H. Park’s disOriented, which integrated a mixture of traditional and modern Korean fan dance, was directed by Carlos Armesto and with choreography by Elisabetta Spuria. The production received The Princess Grace Foundation’s coveted Special Project Grant.  Weston Clay of Theatre Is Easy calls disOriented “Compelling ... Complex ... Clever.” 

After receiving a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant, Theatre C commissioned immersive performance artists Calla Videt and the Kuperman Brothers to create a free audio adventure, Please Do [Not] Disturb, which maxed out reservations and extended its limited run by popular demand on the streets of NYC. 

Following the extended run of Please Do [Not] Disturb, Theatre C developed the immersive productions of Martian Chronicles with Miami University of Ohio. Theatre C presented On the Eve at Joe’s Pub as a benefit concert for Theatre C.  Theatre C partnered with Long Island City Artists with writers EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn in an immersive musical workshop of Cotton Candy and Cocaine.

In Spring 2018, Theatre C formed Retro Factory to create Retro Factory: 1983, a queer, immersive dance party for pride. 1983 was on of TimeOut NY, AMNY, and Metro’s top ten weekend events.  The event was so successful; we immediately began planning to re-launch the party later in the year. Meanwhile, Theatre C produced a workshop of the musical Heading East, starring BD Wong at Playwrights Horizons. 

The following season was Theatre C’s most varied. It started off with Vinegar Tom, produced with Rutgers Theatre Company, in association with Theatre C. Following this, Theatre C partnered with Parsnip Ship and the Long Island City Artists at Plaxall Gallery to produce Farmed, by Trevor Bachman.  Farmed was inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Finally, Retro Factory produced two new immersive Party events. First we produced a more intimate Retro Factory: Revisit 1983. Following this, Retro Factory teamed up with Daniel Nardicio Productions and the LIC artists once again for the all out spectacular spectacular - Retro Factory: Voulez-Vous? An Homage to the Moulin Rouge, another top ten weekend event from Time Out NY, AM New York and Metro. 

This upcoming season is our biggest yet! We start off with Retro Factory’s newest extravaganza, Retro Factory: Le Freak- A queer throwback to a Night at Studio 54 where you can experience a place of complete abandon and realize our wildest fantasies. We follow this with Odd Man Out, in collaboration with Teatro Ciego. Odd Man Out is a story in darkness. It is an immersive experience meant to challenge you, engage your senses, test your limits, and ultimately use the darkness to bring you new light.Performed by six actors entirely in the dark, Odd Man Out relies on immersive sound design, a delicate choreography and the innovative use of smell and touch to create the landscape of its world. Finally Retro Factory will be producing another TBA interactive party event in 2020! Join us as we continue to move audiences and open minds by creating vibrant theatre that mixes the seemingly un-mixable.

STAFF

Carlos Armesto | Founding Artistic Director
Carlos has worked as a director and producer on festivals, plays, musicals, concerts, and events around the country. Carlos was an Associate Curator at the inaugural Pittsburg International Festival of Firsts, an Associate Artistic Director at The Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) and Co-Director for the EST/Sloan Project. He is also a recipient of the Bill Foeller Fellowship at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and a Princess Grace Fellowship. Through Theatre C, he has created over 50 theatrical works. Notable credits include THE WHO'S TOMMY (Best Director, Star Ledger's NJ Tonys 2010), BINDING (Best Choreography, Solo Performance and Performance Art Piece - Innovative Theatre Awards 2010), Echoes of Etta at Joe's Pub (MAC Award for Outstanding Cabaret Act 2014), and HEADING EAST (with BD Wong). He has directed and consulted for several university programs, including Rutgers Theater Company, NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and the Dramatic Writing Program, Fordham University, and the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Currently under development: COTTON CANDY & COCAINE, ODD MAN OUT, (with Teatro Ciego of Argentina), DIMES, and THE RITE. He is also Creative Director for Theatre C's LGBTQ+ Party Series RETRO FACTORY. MFA Directing Carnegie Mellon. BS Chemical Engineering & Theatre MIT. SDC.

Lola Lopez Guardone | Associate Producer
Lola  was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and then born again when choosing NYC as her new home. In Argentina she worked with Sergio Lombardo Productions for many years creating brand experiences, large scale theatrical productions, small educational projects in schools as well as freelance creative design for digital, TV and Film. Since moving to NYC she applied all that creativity to make her a unique tool in the work force. With no budget whatsoever, she created online and live campaigns for her bar tending and fitness jobs, her own theater productions. When given a bit of a budget, Lola worked with MTG experiential creating brand experiences for companies like Smirnoff, Open Society Foundations, Women's March, to just name a few. In 2016 and 2017 she was part of the design team behind the Museum of Drug Policy and it's touring version currently making it's way around the world. In 2021 Lola became an Associate Artistic Producer for both Pitch Black Immersive Experience and Theatre C. She also signed as a Creative Services Consultant for the Vuturo Group.

Lucila Brindisi | Director of Communications
With a Degree in communications and a master in Cultural Management Lucila is also a producer, choreographer and dancer. During this past five years she has had the opportunity to live in countries such as Spain, France, England, Chile, Argentina and the US working in different productions such us musicals, TV , Film, concert dance and music videos. Currently base in New York she is part of the creative and production teams of Infernal the musical, PITCHBLACK IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES, Tromb Shows (argentina) and Theatre C. She is a jury member of the Mobile Dance Film Festival in NY, and choreographer for several singers. In South America she choreographed and produced for FENIX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, TEATRO MAIPO, FIA FORMULA E and DADDY YANKEE. She is passionate about the arts and entertainment industry and loves to be part of innovative and engaging projects.

Henry Hanson | Associate Producer
Henry is a director and stage manager. He has worked with companies such as the Adirondack Theatre Festival, Florida Studio Theatre, the Kansas City Fringe Festival, and Home Grown Theatre Company. He has also worked in Broadway ticketing as a Fulfillment Specialist for TodayTix, and as a Teaching Artist for Elmwood Day Camp. Outside of theatre, he is an audiobook narrator, with books narrated for Crossroads Press, Next Chapter Audio, and Lands Atlantic Publishing.

Anita Picazo | Social Media Manager
Anita is a graphic designer with a degree in Advertising. Passionate about dance and musical theater she has participated in innumerable productions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a dancer and actress . She teaches dance to teenagers and kids. As a graphic designer and community manager she works for various theater companies and brands creating their campaigns , visual identities and content. Every single one of her creations is unique and original.