Patricia Sandoval and Latina Writers, Larry Hott and filmmaking V25feb17

Patricia Sandoval, professor of communications at Holyoke Community College, produced and directed the heart-filling and bursting multimedia event “Latinas con Pluma,” a Spanish-English bilingual performance of poems, plays and essays by famed and distinguished writers from Springfield-based Magdalena Gómez to Chicago-based Sandra Cisneros and beloved friend, the late playwirght Dolores Prida; and music by congueras por excelencia Julissa Rodríguez and Iréne Shaikly, plus a photo exhibit curated by Waleska Santiago of some of the city’s grandmothers with text about their influence in their lives provided by their adult grandchildren, plus fabulous food from Mexico to Puerto Rico. Julissa Colón, Ticina Cotto, Jocelyn López, Caila Lourdes Ver, Alora Machuca, Priscilla Page, Jovan Roman and Nathalie Vicencio declaimed as if they were the authors of every word. A magical night at the Leslie Phillips Theater at HCC. Then filmmaker Larry Hott sounds the warning about what federal cuts in the arts could mean; essentially, silencing the diversity of arts and voices that contribute to the cultural enrichment of the United States, such as “Latinas con Pluma” and extraordinary documentaries.