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Washington, DC – Paso Nuevo, GALA’s Summer Youth Program, is proud to present an evening of scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo y Julieta translated by Pablo Neruda on Thursday, August 1, 2019 at 8 pm at the GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. Adapted for Paso Nuevo by Guadalupe Campos, the Romeo y Julieta scenes are performed for the public in English and Spanish as a culmination of a six week intensive performing arts training program for youth in our community. Admission is free.
“For more than 25 years,” states Paso Nuevo director Guadalupe Campos, “Paso Nuevo has provided a safe space for Latinx and multi-cultural youth to engage in creative writing, movement, and performance workshops, and learn about the technical, production, and administrative aspects of theater. As part of their training they have used their creativity to explore issues they and the community face.”
“This summer,” Campos added, “Paso Nuevo takes a fresh look at a beloved classic, Romeo and Juliet, and transforms Dupont Circle to Verona Circle, where the diversity of the city is embraced, gender roles are defied, and some of the classical text is delivered in Spanish. At a time when national leaders attempt to divide our country by pitting one group against another, our diverse ensemble of Latinx, African American, and multi-cultural youth challenge us to find our commonality, engage in civil discourse, and reject the politics of division and violence in our unified efforts against racial discrimination and social injustice.”
“The creative work of the students in GALA’s Paso Nuevo summer youth program illustrates how the arts can transform their lives,” comments Jackie Reyes, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, which provides ongoing support for Paso Nuevo. “We celebrate their diversity and strong cultural identities and the example they set as young leaders in their communities and schools to grapple with issues that affect us all.”
The Paso Nuevo ensemble includes Irina Benson, Layla Brent, Mónica Cisneros, Joselyn Gómez, Carmelo Green, Laila Hart, Kennedy Hinnant, Tania Latin, Marselina López Fuentes, Irvin Méndez Santana, Christell Miranda, Ashely Ramírez Santos, Kayla Randolph, Malik Robertson, Jamari Samuel, Ayonné Thomas, Almando Vallejo, Serenity Wiggins, and Alejando Zúniga.
GALA Theatre is located at 3333 14th Street, NW in Washington, DC. Parking is available behind the theater in the Giant Food garage on Park Road, NW. The theater is one block north of the Columbia Heights Metro station on the Yellow and Green lines. For more information, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org
ABOUT PASO NUEVO AND THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM
The GALA Paso Nuevo and Summer Youth Program is a six-week intensive performing arts program that immerses participants in writing, acting, dance, and music classes. Skilled teaching artists guide students ages 13-18 through the process of creating a performance, starting with an idea, through the rehearsal process, and concluding with tech week and opening night. Through exposure to a wide range of artistic practices, students explore issues of identity and cultural differences, articulate their values, increase self-esteem, and gain bilingual skills that will enhance their academic performance and future career opportunities. This year’s program includes Paso Nuevo students, youth new to the theater, and participants referred through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program.
The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (CAH) has partnered with the Department of Employment Services (DOES) to serve as a Host Agency for the 2019 Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP). MBSYEP is a locally-funded initiative that provides District youth ages 14 to 24 with enriching and constructive summer work experiences through subsidized placements in the private and government sectors. This summer, CAH placed youth in a variety of local organizations and businesses within the District that support the creative economy. Youth have the opportunity to explore arts-focused job opportunities with CAH’S partner organizations, which provide an enriching and constructive summer experience.
GALA’s Summer Youth Program is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, United Way of the National Capital Area/Learn 24, Events DC, AARP, Congressional Sports for Charity, Wells Fargo, Crimsonbridge Foundation, Crimsonbridge Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, NBC Universal, PEPCO, the Dimick Foundation, and the Harman Family Foundation.
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