Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcela Mora and Emmanuel Arredondo.
Hi Marcela and Emmanuel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We are Marcela Mora and Emmanuel Arredondo, and we are the owners and CEOs of Intensity Productions Company, LLC. Intensity Productions is a production company that combines music, acting, drama and other performing arts mediums to impact the families in our surrounding communities. Intensity uses the stage not only to produce high-quality productions but to also encourage the viewers with positive messages that are also magically entertaining. Furthering, Intensity takes on personal mentorship with all those involved with the company. We are family.
Intensity started off as a life group and ministry at CT Church in 2015 with youth and young adults. We dedicated ourselves to performing at special events at our church and creating original Christmas jukebox musicals. We, Emmanuel and Marcela, started discussing our passion for the arts and helping people reach their potential and an idea just clicked for both of us that day. We wanted to create an organization that would allow people to safely express their artistic side and develop them. Since that day we always envisioned Intensity making a positive impact in our community, but it was not the right time yet. Intensity maintained a ministry at CT Church until 2020. Fast forward to 2020, we get hit with COVID-19 and the world and our church went into lockdown. We were asking ourselves the same question as people in Broadway, “now what”? We could have easily given up and taken this opportunity to shut down the whole ministry, but we didn’t. We asked people if they were willing to take this leap of faith with us, to get creative while maintaining a safe protocol and they did. We assembled a team within two months last fall and created an original musical, script and music, The Letter. We are so thankful to everyone who helped us out last year in every aspect of our production. Seeing what we accomplished during a pandemic made us realize that we are more than capable of turning Intensity into a company and impacting the community. As of April, this year we became an official LLC and have worked diligently to move it forward.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For sure we have had times of major writer’s block. Even after hours of brainstorming, we would start playing card games to get the creative juices flowing again. The biggest obstacle we have is being able to maintain Intensity Productions while also keeping our personal jobs. We both have eight-hour jobs elsewhere in the daytime and then we go work on Intensity after our regular jobs. We know we will need to split our time for a few more years until Intensity increases in revenue but we are determined to make it work. Our cast, crew and board members are all volunteers for the time being, and we are beyond blessed for each of them. Many people find it rare that we can do this with just volunteers, but it goes to show how different our structure and program is. We really care about others’ success and development, as artists and in their character. We really emphasize personal growth. We have had times at rehearsal where we stop practicing so we can check in with others and provide a safe space to talk. We think when you experience genuine love and respect people want to be a part of that and even be that way for others. Intensity Productions has come a long way and we are where we are today because of the challenges that have allowed us to grow and learn. Our long-term goal is to obtain enough resources and have our cast, crew, and board members on payroll. We hope to get there sooner than later, and we have ways for people to support our company if they wish to do so, as well.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
A little about us: Emmanuel Arredondo, native-born Houstonian who has grown up in the arts. He has performed in a plethora of performances in church, show choir, musicals, and many other events. Marcela Mora, a well-educated individual, has taken her knowledge and education in Anthropology and has mixed it in with her love for the arts. She has been a part of producing many well-executed productions that include people of all ages and cultures. We both have a passion for developing individuals in personal and purposeful growth.
Intensity Productions takes performance and theatre to a different level. Not only does Intensity Productions strive for quality entertainment, but also to impact the community through empowering and encouraging. While other companies put on productions that bring solely entertainment, Intensity focuses on bringing uplifting, moral filled productions, and events for the surrounding communities; especially focused on those communities that would benefit most from us as a resource. In the society we are living in, having hope and encouragement is needed more than ever.
We are known for our original winter musicals and our summer camps. Our summer camps have been previously held only for youth but coming next year we will have opportunities for youth, young adults, and families!
We are most proud of the growth we have seen in the people that have been with us since inception. We started Intensity almost 6 years ago and our youngest student was 11. To see them grow in their character, to their own persona and develop their gifts has been a blessing. Yes, we are also very proud of our original work we have created but our biggest joy is seeing all our volunteers succeed and complete the task God has asked them to do.
What are your plans for the future?
In the short term, we are excited about our upcoming Dinner Theatre that will be held December 10th, 2021. The evening will include a presentation of our original musical, The Letter and we have the pleasure of hosting Dorrington String Quartet and Gracco Contreras as our special guest. We hope people will enjoy this magical evening and come back again next year. Our Dinner Theatre is a way to raise funds for our current and future productions. Tickets are available on our website. We also make sure to provide at least one free musical performance in our community. No ticket purchase is necessary for the free performance, just show up! 2022 will be a year with more events around the Houston area. We are also planning to bring back our Intensity Summer Camp. Due to COVID-19, we had to put a pause on it. We will be posting all our future events, musicals, and summer camp information on our website. And our biggest dream is to have our own set building where we can host artistic classes and perform our shows. We would use this as our “home base” as we would also plan to have a touring group, sharing our performances with many!
Pricing:
- Dinner Theatre: $60 for a single ticket
- Dinner Theatre: $35 for a single Ticket, Black Friday Sale Promo
Contact Info:
- Email: info@intensityco.com
- Website: intensityco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intensityproductionscompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intensityproductionscompany
Image Credits
Intensity Productions
