GALA HISPANIC THEATRE: Theater with a Different Accent

 Entertainment   Tue, June 21, 2016 10:24 AM

Washington, D.C. — Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director Hugo Medrano proudly announces GALA Hispanic Theatre’s 2016-2017 Season.As we enter our fifth decade,” states Medrano, “we will continue to stage the breadth and excellence of the Latino performing arts as we seek to reflect the community and its evolution. The stories told on our stage this season will be rooted in the challenges, aspirations, and history of Latinos here and from Spain, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Colombia---each with a different accent but universal in their humanity. These presentations will explore classic tales in contemporary settings, premiere new works, and entertain with shared stories told through theater, dance, film, music, comedy, and theater for young audiences.”

The new season will open with the world premiere of Cervantes: El último Quijote/The Last Quixote by Jordi Casanovas, directed by José Luis Arellano from Spain, winner of the 2016 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Director who will be working with the same Helen Hayes Award winning design team. The second production is the modern Mexican masterpiece Yo también hablo de la rosa/I Too Speak of the Rose by Emilio Carballido directed by Hugo Medrano. The third season production is the U.S. premiere in Spanish of In the  Heights, the Tony Award winning musical by Pulitzer Prize recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Luis Salgado, who is appearing in On Your Feet on Broadway.

GALA’s innovative ArteAmericA presenting series includes the rollicking DC premiere of Miss Cuarenta by Colombian Paula Arcila; Reel Time at GALA, the fifth annual film festival featuring films from Mexico, Argentina and El Salvador; the 12th annual Fuego Flamenco Festival featuring a world premiere by DC’s own Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company, led by the curator of the festival Edwin Aparicio,  followed  by  the  U.S.  premiere  of  the  fiery  Francisco Hidalgo and Company  of Madrid’s

Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas; Canto General Siglo XXI, a chamber cantata by Chilean Miguel Córdova; Hecho en Puelto Rico, written and performed by Ángel Vázquez from Puerto Rico; and Teatro Luis Poma from El Salvador with Baby Boom en el Paraíso performed by Regina Cañas. 

GALA’s theater for young audiences, GALita, will introduce children to the magic of bilingual theater with Volcanes: Cuentos de El Salvador/Volcanoes: Tales of El Salvador by Cornelia Cody in fall 2016, a world premiere commissioned by GALA. In spring 2017, GALita will present a new staging of Séneca: Ratón de biblioteca/The Library Mouse by Jorge Díaz (Chile), directed by Cecilia Cackley.

MAIN STAGE SEASON PRODUCTIONS

CERVANTES: EL ÚLTIMO QUIJOTE    World Premiere!

THE LAST QUIXOTE

By Jordi Casanovas (Spain)     

Directed by José Luis Arellano

September 8 - October 2, 2016

In Spanish with English surtitles

Student Matinees: September 21, September 22, September 23, September 28, September 29 and September 30 at 10:30 am.                                          

Cervantes has died in the street and a drunk insists that the man who killed him is the renowned poet Lope de Vega. This same man recounts the secrets Cervantes shared with him, revealing the most tempestuous periods in the great writer’s life and the furious creativity of his final years.

José Luis Arellano is a theater, opera and television director from Spain, who in previous seasons directed Yerma, Caballero de Olmedo, ¡Ay, Carmela!, and Cabaret Barroco at GALA. He received the 2016 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Director for his staging of Yerma, and will work again with 2016 Helen Hayes Award winners Silvia de Marta, Outstanding Set Design, and Christopher Annas-Lee, Outstanding Lighting Design, also for Yerma

This production is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C., SPAIN arts & culture, and Acción Cultural Española/PICE.

FUEGO FLAMENCO XII

12th Annual Flamenco Festival

Honorary Producers Joseph and Lynne Horning

November 4 – 13, 2016

FLAMENCO APARICIO DANCE COMPANY

Salvador/Savior               World Premiere!

November 4 - 6, 2016

Student Matinees: November 2 and November 3 at 10:30 am

Edwin Aparicio, curator of GALA’s Fuego Flamenco Festival since its inception, will lead his spirited troupe of dancers, singers, and guitarists in this autobiographical piece. Aparicio will explore his personal salvation through flamenco, transmitting a riveting story of survival and achievement from his childhood in war-torn El Salvador, to his migration to the US, to his discovery of dance.  He is the recipient of the Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, bestowed by the King of Spain.

FRANCISO HIDALGO & COMPANY

Los silencios del baile/The Silences of the Dance      U.S. Premiere!

Presented in collaboration with Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas, Madrid (Spain)

November 10 – 13, 2016 

This new piece by Francisco Hidalgo delves into the beats of silence, the dance of three bodies merging to join the musical notes and the broken voices that resonate in space and reveal their innermost selves.

Francisco Hidalgo is an acclaimed choreographer and dancer who has won several prizes, including Special Mention at the National Competition of Flamenco Dance in Barcelona and Second Prize at the 50th Internatioal Cante Festival de las Minas. He has toured extensively throughout Spain and the world, including as principal dancer with Miguel Poveda; appearing at Lincoln Center in New York in Pedro Almodóvar’s Los Abrazos Rotos; and in Japan in Flamenco Miligana.

With support from the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC, SPAIN arts & culture, and Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas.

YO TAMBIÉN HABLO DE LA ROSA/I TOO SPEAK OF THE  ROSE     U.S. Premiere!

By Emilio Carbadillo (Mexico)

Directed by Hugo Medrano

February 2 - 26, 2017

In Spanish with English surtitles

Student Matinees: February 9, February 10, February 16, and February 17 at 10:30 am.

Set in Mexico City in the 1960s, teenagers Toña and Polo accidentally derail a train while playing hooky from school. The details of what happened and the punishment they should face are as different as the spectators who witnessed the event. This searing look at poverty and society’s response to it has become a masterpiece of modern Mexican theatre.

Hugo Medrano is the co-founder and Artistic Producing Director of GALA Hispanic Theatre, and has directed and performed in classical and contemporary plays in Argentina, Spain, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Cuba, El Salvador, New York, Miami, and Washington, DC.  He was nominated for a 2000 Helen Hayes Award for his direction of La dama boba by Lope de Vega, received a Helen Hayes Award

nomination for his performance in El Protagonista, and received the 1994 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role as Molina in El beso de la mujer araña. 

IN THE HEIGHTS        U.S. Premiere in Spanish!

Music & Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (USA)

Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Direction & Choreography by Luis Salgado

April 20 – May 21, 2017

With English surtitles

New York’s Washington Heights is a vibrant community on the brink of change, where the biggest struggle can be which traditions you take with you and which you leave behind. With its gripping tale of hopes and dreams, this groundbreaking musical is the next chapter in the multicultural American story.

Luis Salgado is a Puerto Rican performer, director, choreographer, and producer who has appeared on Broadway, film, television, and stages around the world. Currently he is appearing on Broadway in On Your Feet, In the Heights, and has appeared in A Chorus Line, The Mambo Kings, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, among others. He has directed, choreographed and developed such new shows as Song of Solomon, Zapata the Musical, Shafrika The White Girl, and DC-7: The Roberto Clemente Story, which he also choreographed at GALA in 2013.

ARTEAMERICA SERIES

PAULA ARCILA        DC Premiere!

Miss Cuarenta

Directed by Leandro Fernández

July 15 & 16, 2016

In Spanish only

In this hilarious comedy, a woman celebrates her 40th birthday by recalling her failed dates, romances and marriages. Paula Arcila will have you laughing from beginning to end in this one-woman show.

This program is supported by the Embassy of Colombia to the U.S., the National Performance Network, and La Fontana Ristorante Italiano in Miami.

REEL TIME AT GALA

Mexico – Argentina – El Salvador Film Festival

October 26 - 30, 2016

A series of films exploring the socio-political landscapes of Argentina and El Salvador, as well as contemporary and classical films from Mexico. Panel discussion with the curator, artists and film experts will be held after the screenings.

In collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico, Mexican Cultural Institute, Embassy of Argentina, Embassy of El Salvador, Salvadoran Cultural Institute, and Cinema Tropical of New York. 

CANTO GENERAL SIGLO XXI

Chamber Cantata

By Miguel Córdova (Chile)

Poems by Pablo Neruda

November 19, 2016

Set to music, the poetry of Pablo Neruda comes to life in this enchanting evening that commemorates the 40th anniversary of Pablo Neruda’s Canto General at the Louis Barrault’s Theatre d’Orsay in Paris. With musical group Chacabuco, soprano Elisa Cordova and GALA’s Luz Nicolás.

This program is supported by the Embassy of Chile to the U.S.

HECHO EN PUELTO RICO

Written and Performed by Ángel Vázquez

December 2 – 3, 2016

In Spanish only

As a student prepares to graduate and leave Puerto Rico to escape the economic crisis, he unearth his cultural roots through the lives of noted men and women in the island’s history. A tender and funny tale of discovery and pride.

Ángel Vázquez, a former member of Los Juanes del Pueblo, is one of Puerto Rico’s leading writers and television and film performers who appeared in GALA’s Puerto Rico En…Cantado in 2003. He has appeared in several telenovelas, including General Hospital and Señora Tentación. Mr. Vázquez also appeared in the films Assassins, Princess Protection Program; Vasos de Papel, and El Beso y Luisa Capetillo, among others; and has performed such television comedies as Politiqueando and Mi familia. Among his theater credits are The Sound of Music, Cofresí, Macho Menos, Puerto Rico Fuá, A View from the Bridge, and Quién Mató a Héctor Lavoe?

TEATRO LUIS POMA (El Salvador)

Regina Cañas in

Baby Boom en el Paraíso

By Ana Istarú

Directed by Roberto Salomón

March 25 – 26, 2017

In Spanish only

In this touching and hilarious story featuring actress Regina Cañas, a woman explores the emotions and physical changes that she faces during pregnancy and how they affect her relationships and the perceptions of her by others.

Regina Cañas is a popular radio personality and stage and television actress. She is co-host of the Salvadoran television show “Grandiosas”; has appeared several times in El Salvador in Baby Boom en el Paraíso before packed houses; starred as the beloved Tía Bubu on a children’s program on television; and appeared on Salvadoran radio on “Láser Mujer.”

This project supported by the Salvadoran Cultural Institute.

GALita - THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

VOLCANES: CUENTOS DE EL SALVADOR/ VOLCANOES: TALES OF EL SALVADOR         World Premiere!

By Cornelia Cody

October 8 - 22, 2016

Bilingual

Student Matinees: October 11-14 and October 17-21, 2016 at 10:30 am (weekdays).

General Public: October 8, October 15 and October 22, 2016 at 3 pm (Saturdays).

In Mayan volcano is ixcanul (fire mountain). A volcano’s fire is hot, alive, and beautiful, like the stories and folktales from El Salvador. This entertaining play is a fun-filled musical spectacle for children 5 to 10 years old that combines past and present, myth and stories of everyday life.

FIESTA DE LOS TRES REYES MAGOS/THREE KINGS DAY

January 8, 2017 at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm

Don’t miss GALA’s traditional Three Kings celebration, featuring the Magi, live animals, local performers, a walk through the neighborhood, and gifts for every child. Free for the entire family!

SÉNECA: RATÓN DE BIBILIOTECA/THE LIBRARY HOUSE

By Jorge Díaz (Chile)

Bilingual Adaptation by Cornelia Cody

Directed by Cecilia Cackley

March 13 - 25, 2017

Bilingual
Student Matinees: March 13-17 and March 20-24, 2017 at 10:30 am (weekdays).

General Public: March 18 and March 25, 2017 at 3 pm (Saturdays).

When Séneca, a serious little mouse, returns to his adventures with the street-wise barrio mice, a cat, and a dog, these unlikely companions learn the lessons of friendship and tolerance. A lively bilingual musical for children 4 to 10 years old. 

FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

FLAMENCO EN FAMILIA

November 12, 2016

Free interactive demonstrations with castanets, fans, and zapateo for children and the entire family led by members of the Spanish Dance Society.

PASO NUEVO YOUTH PROGRAM

Under the direction of artist Quique Avilés, GALA’s after-school youth performance program offers training in drama, movement, writing, and technical theater.  Students will perform for the public in the Fall, Spring and Sumer. Open to youth ages 12 to 18 at no charge. Paso Nuevo is the winner of the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Arts Program Award.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Mark your calendar for GALA’s annual benefit event, Noche de Estrellas, on March 6, 2017, featuring entertainment, silent and live auctions, and delicious Latin American food. Proceeds support GALA’s artistic and educational programs.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SCHEDULE: Unless otherwise indicated, main stage season productions are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. For other performance times, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.

TICKETS: Regular tickets to season series productions are $40 Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees; $45 Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets for seniors (65+) are $30, and tickets for students and military are $25 for all performances. Additional discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are also available on Goldstar. To purchase tickets, call 202-234-7174, or visit www.galatheatre.org.
SUBSCRIPTION:
GALA's Subscription Program offers more than 20% savings on main stage season productions and special privileges: savings on select programs and events, priority seating, unlimited exchanges, free parking, special invitations, and exclusive FIRST LOOK events for every season production (a peek into the minds of the director, designers, and actors before rehearsals begin).

The regular 2016-2017 Season Subscription is $132; Flex Subscription is $135; and the Noche de GALA Subscription is $160. New this season is the Senior Subscription 65+ at $110! For more details, call 202-234-7174

LOCATION: GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. (Columbia Heights Metro, Green/Yellow Lines).

PARKING: Discounted parking is available in the secure Giant parking garage directly behind the theater. The entrance is located on Park Road and Holmead Street, NW.

IDENTIFICATION FOR PRESS: GALA is an acronym (Grupo de Artistas LatinoAmericanos) and should be written in all capital letters. The name of our venue is GALA Hispanic Theatre. Please refrain from using any other terms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.

GALA mailing address: PO Box 43209, Washington, D.C. 20010,

All schedules are subject to change. 

GALA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, private foundations, corporations and individuals. GALA is a member of the Cultural Capital, the Theatre Communications Group, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the National Performance Network, and the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.  

CONTACT:
Dubraska Vale
202-234-7174
dubraska@galatheatre.org/
 
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