Northside actor lives a playful life in the world of theater
Alex Barreto Hathaway, center, play the cousin of Romeo in Teatro del Pueblo's Love in a Time of Hate, a reimagination of Romeo and Juliet with a Latinx twist. Photo by David Pierini
William Shakespeare must have known that we in the 21st century would still be corrupted by power, in waring feuds amongst ourselves and stricken with all-consuming love.
Romeo and Juliet ended in tragedy in the 1590s. Yet, they’ve lived through the centuries in countless adaptations, from high school stages to a breath-taking Bollywood musical. Shakespeare speaks through dancing street gangs on Broadway (Westside Story), a cute animation featuring garden gnomes (Gnomeo and Juliet) and in the martial arts masterpiece Romeo Must Die.
The historic Minneapolis company Teatro del Pueblo recently staged a modern Latinx twist on the tale in Love in a Time of Hate. Northside resident Alex Barreto Hathaway played the role of Romeo’s cousin, Benvolio, who tries to dissuade him from his obsessive pursuit of Juliet.
During the June performances, audiences heard traditional rhythmic lines of Shakespeare’s England, combined with modern-day language in English and Spanish. Centuries-old soliloquy meets today's spoken word poetry.
Barreto Hathaway said you don’t have to be well-versed in the Shakespearean language to understand a scene's message. When delivering Shakespeare to a modern audience, he says it’s important to look directly into the eyes of audience members.
“The way I was taught Shakespeare is that it was for the people,” he said. “It is written to engage the audience. So, I would say to people come with an open heart. If an actor is feeling this big emotion and looks at people, if they don’t understand a word, they understand you because you are connecting with them.”
The cast of Love in a Time of Hate in rehearsal in May. Photo by David Pierini
Barreto Hathaway, who lives with his wife and two children near North Commons Park, graduated with a theater arts degree from the University of Minnesota and moved to Minneapolis to join the vibrant theater scene.
He said he feels fortunate to earn a living in theater arts. When he is not rehearsing for a performance with one of the many small theater groups in the Twin Cities, Barreto Hathaway is directing, designing sets, teaching workshops across the country or, like this summer, coaching at a youth theater camp at the Guthrie Theater.
That Barreto Hathaway would be part of a predominantly Latinx cast performing Shakespeare through a cultural lens might not have been imaginable to him growing up in rural Wisconsin.
Barreto Hathaway was born in Puerto Rico and was naturally accustomed to the island's bright colors, music and cultural expression.
At 11, his father moved the family to rural Wisconsin where he was from. Right away, Barreto Hathaway observed a reserved, monocultural community that quickly noticed he was from there.
His new classmates heard his accent and were immediately curious. He picked him the nickname Fez, Wilmer Valderrama’s character from that 70s show who played a foreign exchange student.
Maybe it was a term of endearment. Looking back, Barreto Hathaway said he laughed at it, but years later, he understood that it signaled to him that he was different and may not fit in.
“(The nickname) was in good fun and I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll be your little foreign friend. Whatever it takes,” he said. “So, I think instead of just letting it burn and restart, maybe it gave me that resiliency for when sometimes things don’t work out.
“In middle school I got in a lot of trouble. But something shifted in high school. I started to do theater and, suddenly, I was succeeding.”
Living in a small community forced him to embrace his true self. He said he loved wearing bright colors and even some of his theater costumes to school, and his friends loved it.
Baretto Hathaway studied hard to refine his craft but was fortunate to have acting coaches who encouraged him to bend expectations and bring playfulness to the work. Photo by David Pierini
The resilient part of his character served him well. When a director told him he had a terrible voice, he joined the choir to learn how to sing. Aware he did not exactly fit in, he didn’t try. The stage was a place of acceptance, where he could be himself and, most importantly, have fun.
He needed to leave Wisconsin if he was going to make a life in the theater. He chose Minneapolis, not just because of the U’s theater program but because it had as many theaters and theater groups per capita as New York City.
Baretto Hathaway studied hard to refine his craft but was fortunate to have acting coaches who encouraged him to bend expectations and bring playfulness to the work.
“You still have to be disciplined,” he said. “You got to know your lines. You know the beats of acting. Do your prep work, and be able to calm yourself. Things are so quick. But you want to play. You have to investigate their energy. I want to look (the other actor) in the eyes and need to be looked at. If you’re doing a scene by yourself, you’re working twice as hard. It’s like playing tennis and running to the other side to hit the ball. You have to hit, you offer, and then you see how they receive it.”
He wrote his thesis on street theater after spending time studying in Brazil. His interest in physical theater and original works has led him to work with groups like Open Eye, Mixed Precipitation, Exposed Brick, HUGE, Sod House, Children’s Theatre and the Guthrie.
He has earned residencies, starred in an award-winning short film, and co-founded the Latinx improv group LATINS ON ICE. His next project takes him to Utah, where he will build life-sized dinosaurs on ATVs for a theater company.
“Alex is one of the most generous actors I know,” said Isaac Quiroga, Teatro del Pueblo’s production and program director. He was also a member of the Love in a Time of Hate cast. ”He comes prepared, committed then brings this level of play to his role. He’s just so open and willing to try different things. He makes the actors feel comfortable around him because he brings them along in scene and into the spirit of what’s happening.”
The theater and Baretto Hathway’s playfulness and improv training offer life lessons on dealing with an off day or work that falls short of perfect.
“We all fail,” he said. “We make mistakes on our feet. If you love it, it doesn’t hurt. Get back up.”