American Heartbeat - The Musical
by Martha Velez, PhD
Martha Velez, PhD, is the Founder and Artistic Director of the ProComm Theatre Troupe. She wrote the award-winning play, Power of the Powerless, which focuses on the social issue of immigration, soldiers suffering from PTSD and struggling with economic uncertainty. Velez was the recipient of the Los Angeles, Write On Women's Award for Acting and Playwriting. She has now adapted this play into the musical play, AMERICAN HEARTBEAT. Velez continues to use her voice, as a singer and as a playwright, for good will and social change.
In 2013 Martha felt inspiration from her earlier work to make a new play based on her original, Power of the Powerless. American Heartbeat is the result - a bold play mixing drama, humor and a strong narrative with a musical theme. It takes place in 1992 Los Angeles, but, has a striking relevance today. She used songs from her albums and adapted them for this production- threading the music throughout the play to drive the story. AMERICAN HEARTBEAT, the musical play, is a socially responsible story, set in the Recession of 1992, that puts a face on an unemployed American Viet Nam Vet sharing the same dilemma with a Mexican immigrant. These are two men from opposite worlds who change each other's lives.
This powerful MUSICAL asks - what is indestructible between people? Honor? Laughter? Heart? Love? Its 1992, JARVIS, a Viet Nam Marine Vet with PTSD, meets MARCO, an illegal immigrant, a hopeful spirit. Jarvis, once the work site boss, now competes with illegals for the same jobs. They fight, laugh, pray, sing! Wives come in dreams. Boom! They dance and love them up! Is it magic or truth? A strange WOMAN shields a crime. Was it committed? Can these men save each other’s lives? You’ll think, laugh, cry, and revel in beautiful rockin’ music and SEE inside the lives of invisible HEROS!!!
Written, Composed and Directed by Martha Velez PhD
In 2013 Martha felt inspiration from her earlier work to make a new play based on her original, Power of the Powerless. American Heartbeat is the result - a bold play mixing drama, humor and a strong narrative with a musical theme. It takes place in 1992 Los Angeles, but, has a striking relevance today. She used songs from her albums and adapted them for this production- threading the music throughout the play to drive the story. AMERICAN HEARTBEAT, the musical play, is a socially responsible story, set in the Recession of 1992, that puts a face on an unemployed American Viet Nam Vet sharing the same dilemma with a Mexican immigrant. These are two men from opposite worlds who change each other's lives.
This powerful MUSICAL asks - what is indestructible between people? Honor? Laughter? Heart? Love? Its 1992, JARVIS, a Viet Nam Marine Vet with PTSD, meets MARCO, an illegal immigrant, a hopeful spirit. Jarvis, once the work site boss, now competes with illegals for the same jobs. They fight, laugh, pray, sing! Wives come in dreams. Boom! They dance and love them up! Is it magic or truth? A strange WOMAN shields a crime. Was it committed? Can these men save each other’s lives? You’ll think, laugh, cry, and revel in beautiful rockin’ music and SEE inside the lives of invisible HEROS!!!
Written, Composed and Directed by Martha Velez PhD
