Movin' On Up

The Tricklock Company looks more and more like a giant fish stuffed into a tiny bowl. I'm not talking about the troupe's use of our little Burque as a home base when they're not trotting across the globe performing original plays and searching for new acts for their yearly Revolutions International Theatre Festival. I'm talking about that strip-mall theater Tricklock has used for years near Washington and Central—a cool little space, sure, but when I say “little” what I really mean is pint-size. The Alibi's bathroom is almost as big as the performance area.

In that sense, I doubt any Tricklock members burst into tears when they recently learned that their landlord was booting their butts out on the streets. They'd outgrown the place years ago. Braising—a collaboration with Chicago playwright Idris Goodwin which debuts on Feb. 17—will be their final performance in the theater.

Boo-freakin'-hoo. To make matters even sweeter, at the exact same time the Tricklockers were learning of this not-so-sorry fate, UNM was busy courting them to become the university's theater company in residence.

“Most of us graduated from UNM's Department of Theatre and Dance,” says Joe Perrachio, Tricklock's artistic director, “and the university really likes what we do. We're in discussions right now. … Thankfully, every conversation we've had about this proposal has revolved around us keeping complete creative control over what we do. Quite frankly, we wouldn't be having these discussions if that weren't the case.”

Rep. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) is sponsoring a bill this Legislative Session that will earmark $300,000 to make this proposal a reality. According to Stewart, the funds would support the residency for two years, hopefully paying for salaries for the company's members along with materials and other associated costs.

“They're cutting-edge, young, talented and exciting,” says Stewart. “And they're already heavily involved in education. … The residency would allow them to teach acting and writing, while continuing to produce their own plays.”

Perrachio is pleased that the bill seems to have a fair amount of legislative support. “Jerry Ortiz y Pino is supporting it on the senate side,” he says, “and Cisco McSorley, Dede Feldman and many others seem to think it's a great idea, too.”

Unfortunately, the current Legislative Session ends on Feb. 16 at noon, and the docket is packed. Stewart is worried there won't be adequate time to push her bill through.

With this in mind, now is the time to start making some noise with your state senators and representatives. Can't remember who represents you in the Roundhouse? Go to legis.state.nm.us/lcs/ and click on “find your legislator.” (You might need to whip out your voter registration card to ascertain which districts you live in.)

Get on it, dirtbags. This proposal is good for our city. It's good for Tricklock. And it's good for your damaged soul.