GALA Hispanic Theatre en escena

Want More Flamenco?

2011-12-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

by Caitlin Elisabeth*

Did you love Flamenco Men? Want more? So do we.

This past Sunday afternoon I was lucky enough to attend the last show of Flamenco Men at Gala Hispanic Theater. As a Mexican Folklórico dancer I was eager to see how the performers would present their art form. I wondered how the set and lighting design would accompany and compliment them. However, far more then mere accompaniment, the abrupt vanishing--then careful reappearance of light and sound create a Flamenco performance with edges so sharp your eyes labor in the darkness waiting for the next beat. Feet tapping and bodies pulsing obedient to the rhythms, crescendo and crash into a back-light silence louder than any final applause or note. The creative light design and the carfefully held silences between musicians and dancers orchestrate a space for all involved with this show to shine.

If you missed out this time, there’s always next year! And for those of you who did attend one of our Flamenco shows this season we want to invite you to dive deeper and continue the passion you felt at the end of the show. Below I’ve included ways you can learn more about Flamenco here in DC, whether it’s putting on some dancing shoes or reading a book.

Dance: Artists Edwin Aparicio and Anna Menéndez provide flamenco lessons in the area.

Reading: “Flamenco: Conflicting Histories of the Dance” by Michelle Hefner Hayes. This book explores Flamenco through film, music and performance while also giving a careful eye to the the female prespective and experience in the dance. It is available at the DC Public Library at the downtown MLK and Mount Pleasant locations.

Thank you for your support and we hope you continue learning!

*Caitlin is currently an intern at GALA Hispanic Theatre.

Las aventuras de Don Quijote de La Mancha: Calling all teachers and students!

2011-11-08T16:59:00.001-05:00

The learning doesn't stop at the door! We are so happy you joined us for the children's bilingual version of the play "Las aventuras de Don Quijote de La Mancha" and now we want you to dive deeper!

¡La obra Don Quijote de La Mancha es para todos!

¡Pónte las pilas! It's time to study! Agradecemos por su visita a nuestra producción bilingüe de "Las aventuras de Don Quijote de La Mancha" y esperamos que estudien más.

Here's the link to our guide en español and in English:

Study Guide

Canto al Perú Negro...Celebrating Afro Peru!

2011-05-02T15:54:00.002-04:00

Next at GALA!

2011-03-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

GALA Presents the DC Premiere of La cándida Eréndira!

2011-01-11T13:18:00.002-05:00

Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Magos/Three Kings Day Celebration

2010-12-27T13:31:00.004-05:00

Don't miss GALA's traditional Holiday celebration!

Sunday, January 2, 2011
FREE for the entire family!

Tickets will be distributed at the GALA Box Office starting at noon

Procession with the Three Kings and live animals at 1:30pm
Show starts at 2pm in the theater

For more information, call 202.234.7174

WORLD PREMIERE OF THE TWO CHURCHES!

2010-12-06T16:20:00.001-05:00

GALA proudly presents America’s leading performance provocateurs, El ShaMex Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Reverend Billy, in the world-premiere of THE TWO CHURCHES. This unique performance extravaganza is a celebration of the transformative power of speech by two masters of language who provoke, inspire, animate, and entertain people through their ability to rejoice in the spoken word.

Don’t miss the chance to save your soul!

Friday, December 10 at 8 pm & Saturday, December 11 at 8 pm

Want to find out more about these artists?
Watch the Internationally Recognized Art of Guillermo Gómez-Peña
Witness the Proselytizing Talents of Reverend Billy!

Tickets are $20 Regular, $18 Student, Group Rates Available
To make reservations call 202-234-7174 or visit http://www.galatheatre.org/

2010-10-27T14:44:00.002-04:00

GALA presents
Fuego Flamenco VI 2010
November 18 thru December 5

José Barrios and Company
Por si acaso amanece/ If It Should Dawn
Directed and choreographed by José Barrios (from Madrid) Musical direction by Isaac Muñoz & Jesús Núñez
Cutting edge flamenco fused with jazz and funk
Thur Nov 18 thru Sat Nov 20 at 8 pm; Sun Nov 21 at 3 pm

Flamenco en Familia
FREE interactive activities for the entire family
Demonstrations in flamenco zapateo and castanets by local artists
Sat Nov 27, 11 am to 12:30 pm, & 2 pm to 3:30 pm

Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company
Alma Flamenca
With Nélida Tirado, who appeared as the flamenco soloist in Riverdance on Broadway
Aparicio was recognized by Dance Magazine as one of “25 Artists to Watch” in 2009
Sat Dec 4 at 8 pm; Sun Dec 5 at 3 pm

Tickets are $30 Regular, $18 Student & Senior, $50 Festival Pass
Get your tickets today! Call 202.234.7174 or visit http://www.galatheatre.org/

DON’T MISS GALA’S SIZZLING INTERNATIONAL FLAMENCO FESTIVAL!

Young Lovers Final Week at GALA!

2010-10-13T17:07:00.002-04:00

After five weeks of rocking the GALA stage with passion and intrigue, El caballero de Olmedo by Lope de Vega closes on Sunday, October 17. Directed by José Luis Arellano García from Madrid, this binational collaboration between GALA and the dynamic Spanish company Acción Sur has actors from Washington, DC, New York and Spain, in a stirring production that has wowed audiences.

Don’t miss this must-see production that The Washington Post acclaimed for its “fierce athleticism…taut staging.”

Join us for the final week of El caballero de Olmedo at GALA!

Reserve your tickets today!

Thurs-Sat at 8 pm

Sun at 3 pm

In Spanish with English surtitles

Reservations: 202-234-7174 or http://www.galatheatre.org/

Parking: Behind the theater at the Giant garage on Park Road

Metro: One block from the Columbia Heights station (Green Line)

Passionate Spanish Lovers On GALA’s Stage!

2010-10-08T14:04:00.003-04:00

Enjoy GALA Hispanic Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of El caballero de Olmedo/The Knight from Olmedo by Lope de Vega, showing until October 17 in Columbia Heights. This celebrated piece of Spanish Golden Age Theater tells the story of two young lovers caught in an impetuous passion that ends in tragedy.

The Critics Rave about El caballero de Olmedo…

The Washington Post described it as “fierce athleticism…taut staging”.
DC Theatre Scene said that it is “hauntingly beautiful, inventive and unique.”
The City Paper added that the play has “an old-world, pastoral charm that seduces.”
Metro Weekly stated that the production has “great intensity, forging a close and unbreakable bond with the audience.”

This is your chance to experience a Spanish romance as timeless as Romeo and Juliet. Join us for the last 2 weeks of El caballero de Olmedo at GALA!

Reservations: 202-234-7174 or http://www.galatheatre.org/

Parking: Behind the theater at the Giant garage on Park Road
Metro: One block from the Columbia Heights station (Green Line)

Momia en el closet, The Return of Eva Perón

2009-05-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL

Momia en el closet, The Return of Eva Perón
In English with Spanish supertitles
June 4-28, 2009
Thurs-Sat 8 pm
Sun 3 pm

Spanish

Hugo Medrano, fundador y director artístico del Teatro Hispano GALA, viajó con su equipo artístico a Argentina en febrero de este año, con el fin de desarrollar y trabajar el guión de un nuevo musical latinoamericano producido en el extranjero, “Momia en el closet: El retorno de Eva Perón”.
El Teatro Hispano GALA (Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos) es una de las instituciones artísticas latinoamericanas de mayor prestigio en Estado Unidos ubicada en Washington DC. Desde 1976 GALA se ha dedicado al desarrollo del teatro escrito en Latinoamérica y España, y también a la promoción de actores de todo el mundo que guarden un vínculo con la cultura latina.
Esta nueva comedia musical sigue las vicisitudes de Evita en su intrincada vida después de la muerte, un tema quizás todavía reciente para muchos argentinos, pero que GALA, lo revive con el fin de honrar la historia y revelar unos de los íconos nacionales más venerados de Argentina.
Medrano prefirió darle la responsabilidad del libreto al dramaturgo venezolano Gustavo Ott, pensando en capturar con una mirada objetiva un tema histórico-político tan sensible para los argentinos. Sin embargo, el concepto de producción y la música es del argentino residente en Washington D.C. Mariano Vales, la dirección está en manos del joven director argentino Mariano Caligaris y la coreografía es de una de las bailarinas de tango de mayor reconocimiento en Estados Unidos, Carina Losano.
El elenco de esta sátira musical lo conforman los artistas argentinos Laura Conforte como Eva Perón; Martín Ruiz como Lanusse, Doctor Ara, Aramburu y Videla; Diego Mariani personifica al Coronel Moori, Genaro y López Rega; y Sebastián Vitale a Moraga y Montoneros. A éstos se les suma el cantante uruguayo Antonio Soto como Juan Perón y Belén Oyola-Rebaza como Isabelita, entre otros actores secundarios. En este musical no podía faltar el tango y la milonga, ritmos que serán acompañados por el argentino Emmanuel Trifilio en el bandoneón.
“Momia en el closet, el retorno de Eva Perón” tiene como base una historia que conlleva una intriga política social que ha sido analizada bajo numerosos puntos de vista pero nunca como una obra musical teatral. Este hecho sumado a la excelencia artística de la producción augura la presencia de miles de espectadores que tendrán la oportunidad de ver este trabajo desde su estreno el 4 de junio hasta el 28 del 2009 de jueves a domingo en el Teatro Hispano GALA.

English

This musical comedy, with dark underpinnings and historical intrique, follows Eva Peron’s corpse around the world as political puppeteers manipulate her legacy. In 1952 Evita, the spiritual guide of modern Argentina, dies of cancer at age 33. The government, led by her husband General Perόn, decides to erect a mausoleum in her honor and calls Dr. Ara to mummify the corpse. According to the Peronists, Evita will live for eternity, but eternity in Latin America is relative. In less than two years, a military coup, led by General Aramburu defeats Peron and the Evita’s mummified corpse is found abandoned at the central offices of the worker’s union. The military brass, afraid that knowledge of the mummy’s existence could provoke popular rebellion against the new government, decides to hide the corpse and for two years she is passed from office to office and town to town. A Coronel decides to take the mummy to his home and hide her in his basement. He falls in love with the dead Evita, and lives with her as if she were his wife, swearing that she has come to life and is pregnant with his child. The military officials become aware of this situation, retrieve the mummy, and hide her in a closet in the quarters of the secret service. For two more years rumors fly around about the location of the mummy. Afraid of being discovered, the government, with the help of the Vatican, sends the mummy to Italy under the name of Maria Maggi, and she is finally buried in a cemetery in a small town. Meanwhile, Peron, exiled in Madrid, is living with a new wife, Isabel. In Argentina, Aramburu is ousted from power and the masses clamor for the return of Evita. The interim president, Lanusse, tries to make a pact with Peron so that he can return to Argentina and restore calm. Peron, in exchange, asks that Evita’s corpse be returned to him. Thus the mummy is dug up in Italy and shipped by train to Madrid. Reunited with the mummy, Peron, assisted by his sinister advisor Lopez Rega, conducts spiritual séances to transfer the soul of Evita into the body of Isabel, so that the country will have its spiritual leader back. When Peron and Isabel return to Argentina, they run for office together as president and vice-president and win the election because of the restored image of Evita. But the real power lies in the hands of the manipulative spiritualist, Lopez Rega, who starts a series of abductions, murders and disappearances that is the prelude to the infamous “dirty war”. The opposition kidnaps and murders ex-president Aramburu and demands the return of Evita’s body in exchange for his. Finally, between travelling corpses and mummies, Peron dies, leaving Isabel as president. She sends for Evita’s corpse, which is returned after undergoing heavy cosmetic work and is finally given a proper burial in La Recoleta in 1976. Isabel is then overthrown by Generals Videla and Massera, who begin a bloody dictatorship that will last for 10 years. The country, fascinated by the Mummy and eternity, becomes a nation of ghosts frozen in history. Eva remembers that events are never isolated and that “where men see ordinary events, angels see a stairway.”

The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico

2009-04-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

“The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico”
at GALA Hispanic Theatre
A comedy about the impact of globalization on Mexican culture

When Aldo (Jaime Roberto Carrillo) and Pat (Daniel Eichner), decide to travel to the Yucatán Peninsula with the goal of exposing the negative influences of the US economy on Mexico through a documentary film on the multinational corporation Coca-Cola, they begin their investigation by studying the Spanish language and Mexican history. Upon arriving in Mexico, the young filmmakers realize that there are hundreds of foreign companies making a fortune by selling their products to the tourists who trample over the impoverished Mexican population.
Through satire, the two actors bring to life a multitude of characters, entering and leaving through the many access points on stage. The historical parody begins with the abuses of the weak committed during the Spanish conquest, continues on to criticize the capitalist politics of the more recent presidents of Mexico, mentions the world-famous introduction of Coca-Cola by John Pemberton, and continues with a legend of the invention of Fanta in Nazi Germany.
Within a simple scene design (Elizabeth J. McFadden) comprised mainly of the Coca-Cola symbol and a series of projections (JJ Kazcynski), the actors also personify the Tamayo family and the town’s medicine man, among others, including Carla, a burlesque female character from the famous Mexican soap opera Los ricos también lloran (The Rich also Cry), in the end making a farce of the cultural destruction caused by globalization. Dialogue flows freely between them and the imaginary cameraman, Pepe. Little do they know that their beloved Pepe is actually going to use their documentary to denounce their abuses of the Tamayo family in the making of their film.
Director José Carrasquillo, has successfully helped Carrillo and Eichner to develop a defined body language in each and every one of their characters, using the created dynamic to strengthen the awareness of many stereotypes and causing a range of emotions among audience members from laughter to compassion. A provocative work, The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico opens the public eyes to not only the effects of globalization on the characters, but on everyone living within a contemporary society.
The sound design is by Brendon Vierra, lights by Cory Frank, wardrobe by Ivania Snack, and props by María Schneggenburger.
The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico runs through April 26, Thurs-Sat at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, in English with Spanish surtitles. On June 4, GALA will present its final production of the season, Mummy in the Closet, The Return of Eva Peron, a musical about the life and death of one of Argentina’s most beloved icons.

“La verdadera historia de Coca-Cola en México”
en el Teatro Hispano GALA
Una comedia sobre el impacto de la globalización en la cultura arraigada de un país

Cuando Aldo (Jaime Roberto Carrillo) y Pat (Daniel Eichner), deciden viajar a la península de Yucatán a filmar un documental para exponer la influencia económica de EEUU en México usando como ejemplo la compañía multinacional Coca-Cola, se proponen estudiar el idioma español y la historia del país para comenzar su investigación. Al llegar a su destino se dan cuenta que cientos de empresas extranjeras se hacen millonarias vendiendo sus productos en una zona atestada por turistas y con una población mexicana que sufre de un índice inverosímil de pobreza y de cesantía.
Utilizando el recurso satírico, estos dos actores que dan vida a una multiplicidad de personajes, entran y salen por diferentes accesos del escenario causando constantes carcajadas que dejan al público esperando por más diversión. La parodia comienza con los abusos cometidos por el fuerte al débil desde la conquista, pasa por una revisión crítica de la política capitalista de los últimos presidentes de México, hacen un comentario sobre el brebaje creado por John Pemberton conocido mundialmente como Coca-Cola, y otro sobre la leyenda de la invención del refresco Fanta en Alemania asociada a la política nazi de Hitler.
En una escenografía minimalista (Elizabeth J. McFadden) compuesta principalmente del símbolo de Coca-Cola y un proyector de imágenes (JJ Kazcynski) que en forma efectiva sitúan al actor y a la audiencia en el espacio físico deseado, Aldo y Pat también personifican a los integrantes de la familia Tamayo y al curandero del pueblo a fin de hacer una farsa de la evidente destrucción de la cultura tradicional debido a la globalización. El diálogo entre ellos fluye orgánicamente mientras tienen como acompañante al personaje imaginario, Pepe, el camarógrafo que va filmando cada escena del documental. Cuando Aldo y Pat terminan su misión después de pasar por innumerables experiencias, se dan cuenta que Pepe, el querido camarógrafo ha hecho un documental denunciando el abuso de ellos dos al aprovecharse de las desventuras de una familia campesina como material para su historia.
No se puede dejar de mencionar la espléndida personificación de Aldo como la esposa del señor Tamayo y Pat como Carla, en la parodia que hacen de la famosa telenovela “Los ricos también lloran”. El director José Carrasquillo desarrolló un lenguaje corporal digno de reconocimiento en Carrillo y Eichner, y que vale la pena apreciar en esta dinámica obra que recurre a los estereotipos para causar en la audiencia emociones que van desde la risa, a la compasión, y al recuerdo de la idiosincrasia latinoamericana. Un trabajo teatral provocativo que abre los ojos a una realidad palpable, que no sólo afecta a los personajes sino a todas las personas que vivimos bajo los criterios globalizantes de una sociedad contemporánea.
El sonido fue diseñado por Brendon Vierra, la iluminación de Cory Frank, el vestuario de Ivania Snack y la utilería de María Schneggenburger.
El Teatro Hispano GALA presenta “La verdadera historia de Coca-Cola en México” hasta el 26 de abril, de jueves a sábado a las 8 pm y el domingo a las 3 pm, en inglés con supertítulos en español. El 4 de junio GALA estrena la última obra de la temporada “Momia en el closet, el retorno de Eva Perón” un musical sobre la vida y muerte de uno de los íconos más relevantes de la historia argentina.