Let’s start at the beginning. You know what? Let’s not. Let me just say this…

I met Mando and René in my hometown of Pharr, Texas. I was a little kid who had to get into fights because, well, I was a little kid. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Hey, but I was fifteen. Lot’s of time to figure it out, right? But at that age something happened. I was cast as the lead in a high school play called Circus of Dreams . I had never acted before in my life. Um…weird. I played this character by the name of Pablo. I was a skinny awkward kid with big hair. Before Mando and René make fun of me I want to say I am still all of the above. Mando and Ren é were in the show too — so don’t start guys. Mando also played football and Ren é got punched at one of Mando’s games. There is a story behind that but I will save that for when I need something from René or when he starts talking about my youth. Even though we all had separate lives, we all had the same dreams.

After high school I went to Webster Conservatory in St. Louis. This was a shock because I had never seen so many different cultures. I was used to a lot of brown kids who looked like me. I studied Acting and Directing with some great mentors, one of whom was Marita Woodruff. She’s this extremely wise owl who could give a note as she watched a run through half asleep. I also tried to double major in psychology but fell short because of all the time pressures spent in the conservatory. I worked directly with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and had the opportunity to work with some gifted professional actors, directors, designers, playwrights, and I was very fortunate to have created the first collaboration between a student director and with a student writer in the school. The show wasn’t great, I have to admit, but the process was one in which I always wanted to continue. I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Collaborate and Create. Oh yeah, and if I could get paid to do this…yeah, that would be cool too.

Mando, René and I still kept in touch. René wanted to become a doctor and then some sort of engineer. I still don’t really understand what he would be doing but I think it would have to do with some sort of designing. Mando was studying architecture. And I was graduating from the nest and entering into a big forest. Scared? Not really. Naïve? Definitely.

I have lived in New York for the past 11 years. During the first couple of years, I was just trying to get employed. Fortunately enough I was starting to make a living. I met with some amazing people who pushed me. A lot of people had a lot of integrity. They inspired me. They were loyal. I performed in many plays in New York and regionally. I continued collaborating with award winning playwrights and screenwriters. I saw the country and created characters at the same time. I won an Award in D.C. and was writing plays and writing music for theatre. I started to get more involved in film and was cast in Law and Order , The Job , Conviction , and feature films too; all during that time, I continued to write screenplays. I also helped start a band called The Mighty Weaklings. We just signed a contract for Nickelodeon. Things started to click.

Through out all of the craziness in New York, my buddies back home were making their own decisions about their life. Mando decided to become an actor/writer. René went into designing lights and sound and currently designs for stadiums and theatres alike.

I think we have all been business savvy. My father was a born salesman and often took me on trips to see clients. I saw who he was and how he shined. And he still chuckles when he thinks back to what I said to him after we left a client’s office. “I want to do that.” It’s hard to mix art with business. You think two separate things; but now we had a chance to combine the two. When you believe in something, it’s actually quite simple. Just talk about it.

Ring-Ring.

Mando: “Let’s start.”

Ring-Ring.

René : “I’m in.”

Michael: “I think I have our girl.”

Abby and I met when I went to perform in a show at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. She was part of our strategy. She is a very powerful and beautifully intelligent woman who had the same goals we shared. Her experience in dealing with development combined with our backgrounds created a surprising dynamic between the group. So, yeah we wanted to have her on board. Am I crazy?

We all met in the Berkshires for our first meeting. We hammered away on the script, spoke about investors and realized our budget. We were exhausted but elated. We all knew this was a huge commitment and everyone was ready. It was fire. That same night, we found out 7 Tales of Desperation was being considered for the finals at the prestigious Sundance Lab.

Whether it was a sign or not, that is not up for me to say. All I know is, we have something special.

So here we are...almost a year later. And the road seems endless.

– Creative Director, Michael Ray Escamilla