Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Lopez.
Hi Carlos, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m Carlos Lopez. I am a Colombian actor. I am 42 years old; I started my studies in performing arts 20 years ago in Colombia. I have always worked on community projects, and I am passionate about feeling that with my work, I can change society a little, educate, and transform lives. I arrived in Memphis three years ago and worked with Cazateatro for two years. When I arrived in Memphis, I thought my career as an actor and director would end, but I didn’t want to give up; I didn’t want to abandon my dream; I had to try and persist. So I started researching, asking what theater companies are in Memphis and who works with the Latino community. So, talking with friends, I found Cazateatro. I asked a good friend to help me contact the director, and a few days later, they called me for an audition. I couldn’t believe it; I would have a chance here in Memphis! And I wasn’t going to waste it. Cazateatro opened its doors, and I put all my effort and work into showing my professionalism and demonstrating that I could be an excellent element to the group. Since then, I have collaborated and acted in more than seven theater productions here in Memphis and participated in different public events at the national level carrying characters that represent Latin and Memphis culture. Dorimar Ferrer and Mónica Sánchez believed in me and allowed me to stay with them, join forces, and continue doing this job that we love so much called theatre, work for the community, and bring a little hope and joy to our viewers.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In general, if it has been a smooth road, I like to see things positively, and I have been very fortunate to meet wonderful people at every step. Like everyone, I had significant and extreme challenges, especially when I arrived in a country where I did not know much about the culture and quirks. When you can count the number of friends and acquaintances you have on the fingers of one hand and move to a city where your primary language is not spoken, everything could seem chaotic and challenging in those conditions. Still, it all depends on how you want to approach it. The biggest challenge for me and the artists who migrate is to find a group or a space where we can create; we artists go into crisis because we need to survive, so we need to spend time on other jobs and the time for the Art and create are limited; we need to face the obligation to work and not to make. When I understood my mission as an artist, the Arts gave me the key to overcoming the challenges.
“To fly over every obstacle is to discover a horizon without borders.” – Anonymous.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Academia Superior de Artes de Bogotá Colombia graduate with a master’s degree in performing arts. I have been dedicated to theater and acting for 25 years, participating in more than fifty theater shows and some television productions in Colombia and working in several short films and commercials. I feel very proud and grateful to be part of the Cazateatro team here in Memphis. Only some people who leave their country have the opportunity to continue their profession and especially their dreams. With the help of Cazateatro, I have had the fortune of doing more than five theater productions in Memphis and going to different theater festivals in the United States, from which we have won several recognitions for our bilingual works. I have starred in two of the productions of Cazateatro, I did the dramaturgical cooperation of the play “DE AQUI Y DE ALLA” that we premiered at the Halloran Center for Performing Arts & Education in 2023, and I directed the comedy “COMPARTIDOS.” This has been my story, my adventure, the path I have traveled, with the conviction that discipline, passion, and total dedication are the only ways to stay standing in this quixotada called theater.
Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have little experience in this topic because I have not had a direct mentor. However, some people have supported me a lot in each process, and I have understood that it is necessary to be open to communication and research. If you are constantly communicating, searching, and asking, you will find what you want and be able to organize the information and contacts.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/carloslopezpardo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlos_lopez_pardo/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-a-lopez-a642732a1
- Other: armandolopezp81@gmail.com
Image Credits
Angel Ortez
