Natan Rodrigues Ferreira: Taking to the stage to broaden access to bilingual community theater

"Even though people usually praise the dramatic performances, I tend to believe that comedies are even harder to play," Ferreira said. "It's been a fun experience learning to trust the gags, learning to trust the lines, the script and the director's view, and not play the comedy itself."

Produced by Rhode Island Latino Arts and Trinity Rep, the Teatro en el Verano production follows the Calderon family siblings as they return to Rhode Island after years in New York City and urge their mother to reveal the identity of their father. The bilingual play celebrates Hispanic and Latino culture and nods to Brazilian heritage with opening music from "A Grande Família" ("Big Family"), a popular Brazilian sitcom.

"For every single scene, I work to understand my objective in that scene, my obstacle, and my strategy to pass by my obstacle," said Ferreira, who is from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and moved to the United States to attend Brown. Ferreira said he draws inspiration from actors like Bryan Cranston in "Malcolm in the Middle," and he uses research to glean insights for his own art.