EL SALVADOR , MARCH 2009 . Paul Flores , Marshall ’ 95 , has come to Soyapango , San Salvador , to research his latest play by speaking with members of the Mara-18 , a transnational street gang . Though he comes at the commission of several U . S . nonprofit organizations , and on the word of Alex Sanchez , a highly regarded gang member turned resource advocate , still , there is skepticism .
“ They sat me in a room ,” says Flores . “ They closed all the doors and all the windows , drew all the blinds . They made a circle of chairs , about 18 of them , and they put me in the center . And they began to interrogate me about why I wanted to interview them .”
It wasn ’ t the first time an outsider had come to learn about the harsh reality of gang life in El Salvador . The members had already been the subject of La Vida Loca , an acclaimed documentary that made its creator , Christian Poveda , a notable name on the film festival circuit . Yet the documentary ’ s subjects were all but forgotten ; they didn ’ t even receive a copy of the film .
“ They were upset ,” says Flores . “ They told me , ‘ We ’ ve been sent people like you before . Documentarians , photographers — they take pictures of our tattoos , they record us in our neighborhoods , then take it back and put us in galleries and festivals . They get famous while we die .’
“ So they asked me , ‘ What are you going to do different , Paul ?’ And I told them I had no intention of getting famous . I explained I was there to tell the story they wanted people to know about . I asked them , ‘ What would you like to see told about you ?’”
Their answers live at the heart of PLACAS : The Most Dangerous Tattoo , the result of Flores ’ research into the lives of gang members , the plight of their families and even the perspective of their therapists . Flores spent years interviewing gang members throughout California and El Salvador — not exactly your typical method of artistic research . But Flores is not your typical artist . And for someone who came to the arts among UC San Diego ’ s climate of social activism in the ’ 90s , his commitment to cultural authenticity comes as no surprise .
Flores attended UC San Diego from 1993 to 1995 as a literature / writing major , first arriving to the university while still playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs organization . A Chula Vista , Calif ., native , he was thrilled at the opportunity to attend a major university so close to his hometown . It was his second year at UC San Diego when Flores decided to quit baseball in order to invest himself in writing . He attributes such a life-changing decision to the influence of lecturers Melvyn Frielicher and Victor Hernandez-Cruz , as well as his former professor and celebrated author , Quincy Troupe .
“ I always knew Paul was a talented poet , even right when I first met him ,” says Troupe . “ The most important piece of advice I give to my students is to stay true to where you ’ re from , drawing on your own experiences and ultimately developing your own language . And from what I ’ ve seen , Paul does that very well .”
“ 1994 became a defining year that would change my direction and purpose in life ,” Flores says . One day while
Flores spent years interviewing gang members throughout California and El Salvador — not exactly your typical method of artistic research . But Flores is not your typical artist .
Paul S . Flores , Marshall , ‘ 95 In addition to being a playwright , Flores is an acclaimed poet and spoken-word performer . View his performances and scenes from PLACAS at :
TRITONMAG . COM / FLORES
Photo : Jay Franco . Courtesy Paul Flores .
28 TRITON | WINTER 2016