By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — Let’s start with the most obvious question. How’s the post-lockout reopening going?Like everywhere else, traffic is slow. We are experiencing about 25% of our normal visitation due to the pandemic. I expect that to grow slowly over the coming months. It’s going to take time. You didn’t expect a pandemic when you took this job …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — What motivated you to open a gallery that represents contemporary San Antonio artists?Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always liked art, design, fashion. But when I grew up, I didn’t have a chance to stay in college and get a degree. So, when I finally had time to go back to school, I …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — How did you develop your interest and love of theater?It may sound like a fairy tale but I think a lot of playwrights started this way! When I was a little girl we regularly went to libraries and we read a lot of books. So, I suggested to my sister and my cousin, who was …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor– How and when did you know that you wanted to write poetry and make it your life’s calling?I knew I had a creative impulse when I was very young, maybe third, fourth grade. I was the kid who, instead of playing games, would sit around and make up stories about the kids who played games. There …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — First, we are curious, what does the E in your name stand for?The members of my immediate family go by their middle names, not first names, so, that’s why I go by Loren. My first name is Elizabeth. It was back in college that I decided that I liked the idea of a first initial, …

(Agarita was founded in 2018 by Anastasio, Marisa Bushman, Ignacio Gallego and Sarah Silver Manzke) By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — Agarita Chamber Players is the newest chamber ensemble in town. Could you tell us about the motivation and the goals you and your three colleagues had in mind when you founded Agarita?It happened two years ago when I got the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — Most people probably know you as the executive director of the Overtime Theater. But you are involved with other arts organizations. Which ones?I am the executive director of Texas Light Opera and also of Aria Creative Productions. Those are two production companies that I started. I started them so that I could bring unique and …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — You have been with the Carver for years. How does it feel to be the executive director now? I am excited to be in this role, and it’s certainly helpful that that I was here for 11 years before. True, there were things that I wasn’t involved with before and that I had to get …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor — You have been the CEO of the Tobin Center for six years now, including a year before it opened to the public. How has this entire experience been for you? Energizing! Very rarely do you get an opportunity to start from scratch. When I got here in the spring of 2013, there was nothing, not …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor – Brandon has been a lawyer for almost as long as he’s been a successful novelist, specializing in mysteries and legal thrillers that have won critical praise and a wide readership. His latest book, From the Grave, came out this month from Severn House Publishers. It’s a sequel to Against the Law, which introduced the disbarred …