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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