News

Led by Principal Investigators, Christine Dunford and Young Richard Kim, The Luis Alfaro Residency Project (LARP), funded through the University of Illinois Presidential Initiative: Expanding the Impact of the Arts and the Humanities, brought renowned playwright, MacArthur fellow, and USC associate professor of dramatic writing to the University of Illinois campuses during the spring ’22 semester. See the interactive website that showcases the series of events in the Luis Alfaro Residency Project with an ethnographic project by Xiomara Cornejo.

Learn about the four-event series.
Speaking my Mind: A series of storytelling workshops that addressed the question of why people, especially in communities of color, do not seek out mental health services.

Sister Campus Visits: Luis and members of the LARP team visited UIUC and UIS, where he led creative writing workshops for students and community residents and participated in public conversation events for the wider campus and community.

Classroom visits, lectures, and workshops: Luis was a guest lecturer in two of Dr. Young Kim's courses, one session with students in his Greek Mythology course, and two sessions in his Greek Tragedy course. He was also a guest discussant in the Dance, Theater, and Performance Studies working group, as well as a guest lecturer in two sessions of Associate Professor Bonnie Metzgar’s writing course.

A Conversation with Two Great Latinx Authors: Luis Alfaro and Luis Alberto Urrea
Celebrated playwright Luis Alfaro and acclaimed novelist and short story writer Luis Alberto Urrea will have an intimate discussion on identity, the writing process, and how their Mexican heritage and family guide their creations.

A public conversation between Luis and Luis Alberto Urrea (Professor of English, UIC), facilitated by Dr. Lisa Freeman (Head, Department of English, UIC)