Partner Event: Last Request

Last Request presents the story of a corpse discovered in the lobby of a pre-war Bronx apartment building in the 1950s.

Written approximately two years before his death in 2004, the play is a rare theatrical work by the Poet Laureate of the 1960s Puerto Rican revolutionary organization, the Young Lords. Last Request presents the story of a corpse discovered in the lobby of a pre-war Bronx apartment building in the 1950s by a young couple, an old couple, and a blind couple. Their reactions to his possessions trigger escalating chaos and revelations about their personal lives, becoming an exploration of morality, greed, dignity, and survival in mid-century urban life.

Known for elevating street language, working-class experience, and collective memory in his poetry, Pedro Pietri was a foundational figure in the Nuyorican poetry movement. Presented at Teatro LATEA, a location that sustained experimental bilingual performance throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the production locates Pietri’s rarely staged theatrical work within the same cultural context that originally shaped his artistic voice. The play is directed by Juan Valenzuela, a México-born director, playwright, actor, short story writer, and performer who has been active in the downtown New York scene since the 1970s. He has directed several plays by Pedro Pietri and has served as space manager at the Yippie Museum. His plays include “Love, Ambition & Destiny.”

This play will be presented alongside an exhibition by artist Miguel Trelles, curated by Alejandro Torres, titled Nuyorican Splendor II. This exhibition brings together portraits and “garabatos” inspired by Trelles’ encounters with iconic Nuyorican writers.

This production and exhibit promises to immerse viewers and attendees in the energy of the Nuyorican movement through the works of Pedro Pietri and the many people he inspired. The show runs from April 9th to 26th.