David Zayas & Paul Calderon speak to Victor about los Caballeros Divinos ... by : Victor Padilla
DIVINE HORSEMEN
" In the rundown Caballeros Divinos social club in Spanish Harlem a petty criminal , a down-andout dreamer and a washed up ex-major league baseball player lay out an outrageous scheme to get rich quick . When their plan comes to fruition , greed and individual conflicts and desires lead them all to a tragic end ."
Written and Directed by Paul Calderon . Co-Directed by Catherine Calderon . Cast : Willie- Paul Calderon , Iffy- David Zayas , Benny- Robert Lee Leng , Raffi- David Deblinger , Jojo / The Kid- Sebastian Mitre " Baz "
Victor Padilla : Were going to talk about the Divine Horsemen and many things I definitely want to al about that and promote it on our online magazine . So tell us how you guys started , you guys started this like way back ? What year was it that you actually started or go the idea to do the Divine Horseman ? Paul Calderon : 1995
Victor Padilla : 1995 wow , and what was the inspiration behind it ? Paul Calderon : uh we needed a play to open the season with hah , we didn ’ t have one haha
Victor Padilla : So whose idea was it , both of you guys got together and created it or ? David Zayas : No , I was really just starting out I hadn ’ t really done much when and Paul wrote this I wasn ’ t going to be in it . I was going to be the stage manager of it , that had to be 1995 , but circumstances happened that the actor that was playing the role of Iffy which I ’ m playing now , he couldn ’ t do it , so I jumped in and it was a really great experience .
Victor Padilla : Well back then and then now , kind of like a recap Paul Calderon : Well back then again I was working on a novel and my wife was the artistic director of the theatre company at the time and I said listen you need a play to open the season with , you don ’ t have one , turn those ideas that you are working on in the novel into a play and I wrote it like in a couple of weeks and lucky for me I had great talent behind me , you know David was able to step in to take over a very challenging role , we had John Ortiz , Phillip Seymore Hoffman , and you know , we had a great experience we did a workshop and the response was great , and then shortly after it was auctioned off , it just didn ’ t go the way that I envisioned it , because all of a sudden the Latino characters were turned into something else , I took the rights back and shelved it . Then this past year David and my wife coerced me into bringing it back . Victor Padilla : That ’ s cool , so David , tell us where your from and a little bit of your family history David Zayas : Well my parents were born in Puerto Rico and I was born in the Bronx and raised in the Bronx and yea i grew up by southern blvd over there , and when I got older we moved to the Soundview section of the Bronx .
I come from a really strong influence Puerto Rican background , still am , still living in the Bronx , I ’ m living in the ghetto right now , things are going good got into acting late in life , joined the air force when I was 18 , came back became a cop for NY for 15 years , then started acting .
Victor Padilla : So playing police parts is easier for you for or is it weird ? David Zayas : None of it is easy really , you know certain things come
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