Estela "Piqui" Scarlata (March 23, 1942 – August 3, 2023) was an Argentine set designer and playwright. She cofounded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts with Carmen Zapata and Margarita Galban in 1972.Urquijo-Ruiz, R. E. (2010). Staging the self, staging empowerment: An overview of Latina theater and performance. In N. E. Cantú & M. E. Fránquiz (Ed.), Inside the Latin@ experience: A Latin@ studies reader (pp. 160). Palgrave Macmillan. https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117&context=mll_faculty She also worked for the Los Angeles Theatre Academy as a costume and set designer until 2019."Meet our staff!", edited by Alexandrea Owens-Flores, Los Angeles Theatre Academy, www.losangelestheatreacademy.org/lata-staff.
Early life Estela "Piqui" Scarlata was born in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 23, 1942. Her family has Italian, Hungarian, Spanish, and Brazilian heritage. She moved to Los Angeles, California in 1965.Scarlata, Estela. "Voces del Teatro: An Oral History of Latinx Theatre in Modern Los Angeles (1960s to Present).” Interview by Liane Schirmer. Vimeo, uploaded by Latinx Theatre Alliance—Los Angeles, 30 July 2022, Scarlata.Estela.VDTFinal.PhaseTwo.2022 (vimeo.com).
Career Scarlata began her career as an art restorer in Santa Monica before becoming a set designer at Teatro 6 Actores, a 99-seat theatre in Hollywood, California. In the early 1970s, Scarlata became one of the first women to work as a carpenter at CBS Channel 2.Ibid.
In 1972, Scarlata co-founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) with Managing Producer Carmen Zapata and Artistic Director Margarita Galban, and served as its Production Manager/Technical Director and Set Designer-in-Residence. She continued to work with BFA, which was housed in the decommissioned Lincoln Heights Jail, for 37 years, during which time she designed sets for between 150 and 200 plays.Ibid.
Scarlata has authored several plays. In 1975, she worked with dramatist C. Bernard Jackson to translate her play La Factoria into Wanted: Experienced Operators, a musical about undocumented sweatshop workers.Warfield, Polly. "Theatre/Teatro in Grassroots Musical." Drama-Logue Theatre Reviews, 2 Apr. 1981, Backstage ed. In the late 1980s, Scarlata also wrote a number of children's plays, including Rainbow Red, The Wiseman of Chichen Itza, and Young Moctezuma, some of which toured LAUSD schools.Ibid. In 2008, she wrote Memorias del Tango, a musical about her family in Argentina.
Scarlata also served as Festival Coordinator for Reader's Theatre, a program she began at BFA in 1984 and ran until 2008, which featured a series of plays with audience discussion and feedback.Kuhn, Sarah. "BFA's New Works Festival Engages the Audience." Backstage, 5 Nov. 2019, www.backstage.com/magazine/article/bfas-new-works-festival-engages-audience-35166/.
From 2011 to 2019, Scarlata worked as set and costume designer for the Los Angeles Theatre Academy (LATA). She also wrote and adapted several plays for the program.Ibid.
Awards Scarlata won the Drama-Logue Award for Artistic Achievement in Set Design for Doña Rosita La Soltera, shared with David Barber, in 1980,Melville, Lee. "3rd Annual Theatre Awards for Outstanding Achievement." The Hollywood Drama Logue, 10–16 Jan. 1980, vol. xi-no.2 ed., p. 1+. The House of Bernarda Alba in 1997Gottlieb, Shirle. "21st Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre." Drama-Logue, 1–7 Jan. 1997, vol. xxix-no.1 ed., p. 1+. and 1998, and The Misfortunes of a House in 1998.Gottlieb, Shirle. "Drama-Logue Awards." Drama-Logue, 22–28 Jan. 1998, vol. xxix-no.4 ed., p. 1+. In 1999, Scarlata was knighted by his majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, and received the Official Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic for her commitment to preserving the Hispanic language and culture through performing arts.Ibid.
Theatre productions Title Venue Year(s) Notes Los signos del zodiaco Golden Gate Theatre 1972 El Quelite Golden Gate Theatre 1973 Wanted: Experienced Operators Inner City Cultural Center, Fresno Convention Center, Al J. Williams Theatre, several venues 1975Play cowritten by Estela Scarlata. Doña Rosita la solteraBilingual Foundation of the Arts19801980 Drama-Logue Award for Artistic Achievement in Set Design shared with David Barber. Rainbow Red Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, several LAUSD schools 1980–1986 Written by Estela Scarlata. The Wiseman of Chichen Itza Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, several LAUSD schools 1988–1990 Written by Estela Scarlata. Young Moctezuma Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, several LAUSD schools 1989 Written by Estela Scarlata.La CelestinaBilingual Foundation of the Arts1992 The House of the Spirits/La Casa de los Espiritus Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1996 The House of Bernarda Alba Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1997–2007 1997 and 1998 Drama-Logue Award for Artistic Achievement in Set Design.The Misfortunes of a HouseBilingual Foundation of the Arts19981998 Drama-Logue Award for Artistic Achievement in Set Design. Our Lady of the Tortilla Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1998 Parade of Strange Images Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1998 Too Many Tamales Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1999–2007 Maria La O Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1999–2007 Witless Lady/La Dama Boba Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1999 Guantanamera Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1999 Blood Wedding Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 1999 Rosalba y los Llaveros Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2000 In collaboration with Danza Floricanto and Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department La Venganza de Don Mendo Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2001 Salon Mexico Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2001–2005 Lorca y Las Mujeres Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2002 El Alcalde de Zalamea Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2002 Juventud, divino tesoro/Divine Treasure of Youth Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2002 Los Clasicos Enredos Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2003 Don Juan Tenorio Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2003 Fiesta del Dia de los Muertos Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 Reader's Theatre Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 Estela Scarlata served as Festival Coordinator for this event. Zarzuelas Under The Stars Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 Fiesta del Dia de los Muertos Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 Solamente Una Vez/You Belong to my Heart Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2003–2004 Don Quixote: The Last Adventure Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 Fiesta del Dia de los Muertos Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2004 New Works Festival Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2005 La Zapatera Prodigiosa/The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2005 Yerma Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2006 Sucedio en la Habana/It Happened in Havana Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2006 Un Domingo en la Alameda/A Sunday in the Alameda Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2006 Las Leandras Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 Erendira Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 La Jaula de las Locas Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 La Verbena de San Antonio Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 Memorias del Tango Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 Play written by Estela Scarlata. El Fieston de las Calaveras Bilingual Foundation of the Arts 2008 El Bicentenario de la Independencia y centenario de la Revolucion de Mexico Elysian Park Amphitheatre2010The ImmigrantElysian Park Amphitheatre2010–2019Play written by Estela Scarlata.Too Many SkeletonsElysian Park Amphitheatre2010–2019Play adapted from La Difunta Familia DiazLATA ChoirElysian Park Amphitheatre, homes of disabled residents of Solano Canyon2010–2019Costumes designed and built by Estela Scarlata.The Lion Sleeps TonightElysian Park Amphitheatre2010–2019Play adaptation of the songThe Lion Sleeps Tonight by Estela Scarlata. Don Quijote de la ManchaElysian Park Amphitheatre, Studio Theatre Playhouse2010–2019Adaptation by Estela Scarlata.La Leyenda del MaizElysian Park Amphitheatre2010–2019Adaptation by Estela Scarlata.Sounds of MusicElysian Park Amphitheatre2010–2019Play adaptation of film musical Sounds of Music by Estela Scarlata.
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