My name is Lo Villarreal-Black (He/She/They). I am 29 years old and I am from Janesville, WI. I am a Queer-Latine individual and Musical Theatre is my art form. During the day, I work as the HIV Prevention Coordinator for OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center in Madison, WI. I am also a part-time professional Drag Queen by the name of Lola Rome. Within the community, I currently sit on the Board of Directors for the Diversity Action Team, Janesville Pride, and Pride Theatre Productions.
Growing up, I was in community theatre and school shows throughout Rock County. I then went on to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Although my time there was cut short, I grew a lot and was still committed to performing. I adjusted the focus of my art form to Drag and took a break from theatre. Almost 7 years later, Family Services of Southern Wisconsin announced auditions for an ALL LGBTQ+ Cast and Crew of RENT in 2022. It was an opportunity I could not pass up, thus experiencing the Queer community in Janesville in a way I had not before. Fast forward to today, I have been involved in over 20 different productions on and off stage ranging from school/community productions to professional opportunities. I have held the titles of Performer, Director, Choreographer, and Costume Designer throughout my theatre career and sometimes up to three of these titles at once. I eat, sleep, and breathe theatre and do my best to do more than just showcase my art form, but to use it to express myself and uplift my communities.
My proudest moments in theatre have been right here in Rock County. I have been a part of 4 seasons of Pride Theatre Productions as a performer and director. I have also taken on the role of Co-Director for Milton Middle School in the School District of Milton, doubling the size of the program both financially and in the size of student involvement. This year, I brought a total of 55 BBIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color) together for a majority BBIPOC Cast and Crew of Sister Act. I was able to bring BBIPOC organizations and performance groups from all over Rock County together to be a part of this production in order to highlight the incredible Black and Brown talent that we have in our county.
Musical Theatre has been a journey of growth, understanding, and advocacy. Janesville’s history towards Queer/BBIPOC individuals is nowhere near okay. Being a former sundown town, Queer and BBIPOC individuals have had to fight for a seat at the table in every capacity, including theatre. I have continued to fight for my communities through our art and spreading opportunities to those around me who are under represented. I have had very little breaks in my career and that is mainly because I will not stop until we are equally represented on stage.
This grant is funding my next Queer/BBIPOC musical. This past summer, I directed Hairspray with Pride Theatre Productions. As a Queer/BBIPOC individual, I know what it feels like to be othered within the theatre world. I am always hesitant to audition for shows where the Board of Directors for the organization and/or the production teams lacked Black and Brown individuals. I knew we needed to reevaluate the production team in order to get a positive and inclusive environment for BBIPOC artists. With four of our production team members identifying as BBIPOC, I knew we would be able to fill the audition room with the folks we needed in order to put on an amazing production of Hairspray. We were able to cast the show easily and it went on to be one of Pride Theatre Productions most popular shows.
This past January, I put on a majority-BBIPOC cast and crew of Sister Act at the Janesville Performing Arts Center. I presented this project to the Janesville Performing Arts Center back in May of 2023 through a proposal. Within that, I broke down why an All BBIPOC production would be enriching for the community, a list of potential shows that would be worth reimaging through a BBIPOC lens, and a list of production team and cast members that pledged to do the musical if it were to come to fruition. The team at JPAC agreed to produce the show with me pioneering the project in their 2024-2025 season. Not only did I direct the production, I was also the Costume Designer and played the role of Curtis Jackson.
I selected Sister Act as our show because Sister Act is rooted in BBIPOC history. The music and choreography were all inspired by BBIPOC artists, the intent of text in the show was easily modifiable to fit Black and Brown dialect, and I was able to highlight our community and the cast’s individual identities within the show. I had a full BBIPOC production team, and 13 of the 16 cast members of the show also identified as BBIPOC. In addition to highlighting our cast and crew, I also brought in pre-show acts made up of BBIPOC performance groups from Rock County including Gospel Choirs, Step Teams, and Majorettes. The Drag Queen role was also played by a different BBIPOC Drag artist each night and we had a BBIPOC child play our Pope in the finale. Overall, I was able to pioneer a showcase of 55 BBIPOC individuals on stage. Sister Act was the best selling adult-focused show JPAC has had in years.
My BBIPOC productions continue to bring joy and representation to our community. In an area where BBIPOC folks are not always welcome. The funds from this grant continue the work of highlighting a community that is underrepresented in the arts.
