内容摘要：One of them is transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena, who began her career in plays addressing topics such as suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction in marginalized communities.

One of them is transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena, who began her career in plays addressing topics such as suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction in marginalized communities.

When she was a young actress taking ballet classes, she felt constrained and uncomfortable. It wasn’t until she joined African dance classes that the choreography was ideal for her height, weight and soul.“I feel much freer because there’s openness and movement,” she said. “Identifying as African Mexican has given me the mental and spiritual peace I needed to realize there is a place where I can reflect myself.”

The theater company where Castorela and two dozen other artists collaborate was founded in the early 2000s by another Afro woman who struggled to excel as a Black actress in Mexico.Born in Colombia, a South American country where around 10% of the population is Black, Marisol Castillo said she had no clue her physical features would hinder her career. But after falling in love with Mexican playwright Jaime Chabaud and moving to his hometown, everything changed.Colombian actress Marisol Castillo, a cast member of Mulato Teatro, poses for a photo during a break rehearsal in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

Colombian actress Marisol Castillo, a cast member of Mulato Teatro, poses for a photo during a break rehearsal in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)“Some want to force us to fit a mold, a white mold,” Castillo said. “And when we differ, we’re told: ‘You’re a bad actor, you’re out of tune.’ But we’re just different.”

Casting directors mostly offered Castillo roles as prostitute, exotic dancer, maid or slave. So she teamed up with Chabaud, and “Mulato Teatro” was born.

“There was very little openness and awareness,” Chabaud said. “So I started writing plays for her.”if more aid is not brought in.

U.N. agencies and major aid groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians.Among those joining the crew of the Madleen are “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent. She has been barred from entering Israel due to her active opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza.

The activists expect to take seven days to get to their destination, if they are not stopped.Thunberg, who became an internationally famous climate activist after organizing massive teen protests in her native Sweden, had been due to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship last month.