Rosalia Triana - A Life Story

Rosalía Triana was born on Friday the 13th, in December, 1946 in Parma, Ohio. She left the Midwest in the ‘70s heading anywhere else with her friend, Julia, in a VW bus named Shirley.
 
She eventually landed in Cerrillos, New Mexico. It was here, with a like-minded group of people where she built a pit house. She treasured this time on what is known as, “The Land.” During these days, she taught theater at Santa Fe Alternative School, where she met her son, Martin. 
 
The early ‘80s called her to New York City. It was the height of the punk rock/new wave/experimental theater movement. She was involved with the radical theater group, “La Mama.” It was also in New York that she honed her skill as a master tarot reader and past life regressionist. She appeared in several notable films such as Cotton Club, Moonstruck, and the cult classic, Convoy. She grew tired of the pace, coldness and claustrophobia of the city and returned to her beloved Northern New Mexico in the early ‘90s.
 
Upon her return, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in Chicano/Chicana theater. At the time she was living in El Valle, near Peñasco, and she commuted to UNM in Albuquerque three times a week. She succeeded; she was like that.
 
Shortly after, she became Theater Director at Northern New Mexico Community College between 2001 and 2013. It was here that she realized she was finally “home.“ Rosalía brought the theater up to modern standards and helped to create a community of incomparable artists: musicians, theater people, painters, photographers, sculptors—offering a safe place for people to express themselves to the fullest.
 
Rosalía had a long history of creating and supporting performing arts in New Mexico. If you were involved in any of these organizations, you know the dedication she had: 
 
Moving Arts Espanola, LiveArts Santa Fe (board member), Mel Patch Artspace, TAC Club, Teatro Paraguas, SAG, Española Main Street Theater (co-founder), Northern New Mexico Community College, and New Mexico Filmmakers Intensive where her screenplay, “Epi’s Dilemma” was one of the few chosen to be produced. You can watch it on YouTube.  
 
Rosalía recognized the transitional power of her craft and found the celebration of community, transformation and healing in every project. She encouraged people to take the first step in understanding their story. If you knew her, you have a Rosalía story of your own.
 
Rosalía is survived by her son, Martin Barela (Bernice), and grandson, Travis Barela; siblings Mary Traina, Elizabeth Leary, Terry Safranek (Kenneth), Patty Traina, Michael Traina (Deborah), and Steve Traina; and longtime co-conspirator, Robert Tomlinson, as well as several nieces, nephews, and five million members of her extended family she created wherever she went.
 
The family would like to extend thanks to Marta Uribe, Carolina Jaramillo-Salazar at Scott’s House, and a special thanks to Melissa J White.
 
A Celebration of Life Event will be held Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 4 to 6 pm at Moving Arts Española. The public is invited. Please RSVP to [email protected].
 
A party in Rosalía’s honor will happen in the spring.
 
The family requested that in lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in Rosalía’s name to Scott’s House Community Hospice and Respite, or Moving Arts Española, or any other organization that you think is doing work to better the human condition. 
 
 
“Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres.”
“Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are.”
--Spanish proverb