Playwright Paolo Pereira to speak at UMD

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture will host the second presentation of the "Contemporary Portuguese-American Literature: Readings and Discussions" series with playwright Paulo A. Pereira, at 4 p.m. Feb. 24. The lecture will take place in the Browsing Area of the University Library (Parking Lot 13). Mr. Pereira was born and raised in New Bedford. He graduated from Bishop Stang High School and earned a degree in theater arts and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT, he was involved in numerous productions, on- and off-campus, as an actor, a director, a producer, and a playwright. "Amarelo," his first full-length play, opened in New York City in 1998. More recently, Paulo co-produced the first-ever MIT Theater Arts Alumni production, and "Amarelo" was performed at UMD, produced by Culture*Park and sponsored by the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture. For the last nine years, Paulo has worked as a customer support engineer and manager for Teloquent Communications in Billerica. Paulo, his wife Leah, and their daughter Alexandrina reside in Merrimack, N.H. The "Contemporary Portuguese-American Literature: Readings and Discussions" Series is sponsored, in part, by the Fall River Herald News, The Standard-Times, O Jornal, and Portuguese Times. For more information on this event and on the "Contemporary Portuguese-American Literature: Readings and Discussions" series, visit the Center's Web site (www.portstudies.umassd. edu) or call the Center at (508) 999-8255.

City Native Shares Playwright Secrets

By Joao Ferreira, Standard-Times staff writer

DARTMOUTH - When playwright Paulo A. Pereira started to write "Amarelo," he thought about centering the play on a character not unlike himself: a first generation Portuguese-American. "As I built the stories of the characters I realized the real story, the fascinating story was one generation back," Mr. Pereira said after a talk yesterday at UMass Dartmouth. "It was just a richer story to tell." Mr. Pereira, a New Bedford native, was the second speaker at the UMass series, "Contemporary Portuguese-American Literature: Readings and Discussions." The Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture sponsored the event. Mr. Pereira said that when he was a child, it was easy to understand the reasons his Azorean-born parents had come to the United States. He became less sure as he grew older. "Nothing is black and white. It's always shades of gray," he said. "It's a more difficult decision than you think." That's the experience Mr. Pereira portrays in "Amarelo," a tale of a passionate Azorean woman named Conceicao who struggles to achieve her dreams through the unexpected joys and sorrows of her life. Mr. Pereira said that while Conceicao's tale brings up very specific aspects about the Azorean and Portuguese culture, such as the peculiar concept of "saudade" or yearning, it was also written to have universal appeal. "The story applies to everyone, of course," he said. "Amarelo" was performed at UMass Dartmouth, produced by Culture Park, last year and also was performed in New York. During his talk, Mr. Pereira, a customer support engineer and manager for Teloquent Communications in Billerica, said theater shouldn't necessarily reflect reality. "A transcript of a conversation in a dorm room would be a really, really bad play," Mr. Pereira told a small audience in the UMass library. "You're not trying to re-create reality. You're telling a story." Mr. Pereira also said writing the play is only the first step in the process of becoming a playwright. "You have to see the words come out of human lips, not just in your head," he said. Mr. Pereira said he's not working on anything else at the moment. "I really have a lot to write about, I just have to find the time," he said. "You can't think about it. You've got to do it."

Playwright to speak Tuesday

DARTMOUTH - Playwright Paulo A. Pereira will come to UMass Dartmouth Tuesday for the second in a series of events with contemporary Portuguese-American writers. Mr. Pereira, a New Bedford native, earned a degree in theater arts and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT, he was involved in numerous productions, on and off campus, as an actor, director, producer and playwright. "Amarelo," his first full-length play, opened in New York City in 1998. Mr. Pereira will be at the UMass Dartmouth Library browsing area (use Parking Lot 13), at 4 p.m. The event is part of the "Contemporary Portuguese-American Literature: Readings and Discussions" series at UMass. The Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture is organizing the series. The Standard-Times is a series sponsor. For more information about this and future events, visit www.portstudies.umassd.edu/activities.htm or call (508) 999-8255