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PHOTOS: FIRST LOOK AT LA GOLONDRINA (THE SWALLOW) AT REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL

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Guillem Clua’s LA GOLONDRINA (The Swallow) started previews on Friday, January 20, 2023, at Repertorio Español (Gramercy Arts Theater). The production’s official opening night is on Friday, January 27, at 8 pm and runs throughout the year.

Take a look at our photos below.

Inspired by the attack in a gay nightclub in Orlando where 49 people were killed, The Swallow is a highly emotional work exploring how loss can simultaneously separate and unite people. The play reflects on the loss of the many lives that continue to be stolen by attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in this country, and how we need to heal together despite our differences.

ABOUT THE PLAY: Ramón seeks the help of a strict singing teacher, Amelia, to work on his vocal technique before singing at the memorial service for his beloved mother. During an explosive evening of confessions, it becomes clear that they are not only united by music, but by their individual struggle to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack.

LA GOLONDRINA is directed by Ismanuel Rodríguez and starring Zulema Clares and Rafa Sánchez. The creative team includes Ismanuel Rodríguez (Lighting Design), David Chacón Perez (Scenic Design), Milton Cordero (Video Design), Fernando Then (Costume Design), Cristian Gautier (Sound Design), Patricia Marjorie (Props Design), Fernando Then (Production Manager), Tim Gutteridge (English Translation), Francisco Rivera (Assistant Director), Carlos Gallego (Texturing and Scenic Painting), and Sara Buitrago (Subtitles).

For a complete show schedule and more information, contact the theater directly at 212-225-9999, visit the box office at 138 E 27th Street NY, NY 10016, or visit repertorio.nyc.

Photo Credit: Michael Palma Mir.

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REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL PRESENTS THE PREMIERE OF “LA GOLONDRINA” INSPIRED BY THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON A GAY NIGHTCLUB IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

La Golondrina - Guillem Clua - Ismanuel Rodríguez

Repertorio Español, one of NYC’s most celebrated Latinx theatre companies, will premiere LA GOLONDRINA (The Swallow), written by award-winning playwright Guillem Clua. The play will be directed by Ismanuel Rodríguez and stars Zulema Clares and Rafael Sánchez. The production will start previews on January 20th and premiere on January 27th on the iconic (Gramercy Arts Theatre) stage.

Inspired by the attack in a gay nightclub in Orlando where 49 people were killed, The Swallow is a highly emotional work exploring how loss can simultaneously separate and unite people. The production reflects on how so many lives continue to be stolen by attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in this country and how we need to heal together despite our differences.

ABOUT THE PLAY
Ramón wants to work on his vocal technique before singing at the memorial service for his beloved mother and seeks the help of strict singing teacher, Amelia. During an explosive evening of confessions, it becomes clear that they are united by more than just music, as both struggle, in their own way, to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack.

What makes us human? From Amelia’s point of view, a deeply wounded mother, what makes us human is the capacity to feel others’ pain as our own. When an indiscriminate attack happens, we are all victims who must deal with the same crossroads: hate or love. Our world depends on the direction we decide to take. – Guillem Clua.

La Golondrina - Zulema Clares - Rafa Sanchez
On Sunday, January 22nd, a Q&A session will be held at the end of the performance featuring Playwright Guillem Clua, the director Ismanuel Rodríguez, and the cast. The production is presented in Spanish with English subtitles, and the press is invited for any performance between January 22nd and February 5th.

PREVIEWS:
Friday, January 20, 2023 8:00 PM
Saturday, January 21, 2023 8:00 PM
Sunday, January 22, 2023 3:00 PM

OPENING NIGHT:
Friday, January 27, 2023 8:00 PM

PERFORMANCES
Saturday, January 28, 2023 8:00 PM
Sunday, January 29, 2023 3:00 PM
Thursday, February 02, 2023 7:00 PM
Friday, February 03, 2023 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 04, 2023 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 05, 2023 3:00 PM
More performances are available through 2023.

GUILLEM CLUA – PLAYWRIGHT
Guillem Clua is one of the most awarded and translated playwrights in the country, with a remarkable career in Barcelona, Madrid, and abroad. His most recognized texts are La piel en llamas (2004), Marburg (2010), Smiley (2012/2020), La golondrina (2018), and Justicia (2020, National Award of Dramatic Literature), as well as other comedies, adaptations of classics and musicals. Clua also has a long experience as a teacher, stage director, and screenwriter. He has recently adapted La piel en llamas, Invasión and Al damunt dels nostres cants for the movies and Smiley into a series for Netflix. His latest films are The Communion Girl and the adaptation for the big screen of The Crooked Lines of God.

ISMANUEL RODRÍGUEZ – DIRECTOR
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he studied a Bachelor of Arts in Drama (Theater Direction) from University of Kent at Canterbury. He also studied for a Master in Performing Arts from the University Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. At the age of 7, he works at Sunshine s Café (WAPA TV). He was part of several movies since childhood, such as Los Cuentos de Abelardo by Luis Molina. His first play was On Golden Pond, directed by Gilberto Valenzuela for Tablado Puertorriqueño. In Spain, he worked as Assistant Director in Divinas palabras, directed by José Piris. He also assisted in the direction of Chekhov in the Garden, by the official company M. Chekhov for the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid. He is a founding member of Tantai Teatro PR, company with more than 15 years of trajectory, with which he directs some of his biggest hits: Agua a cucharadas by Quiara Alegría Hudes (Puerto Rico and Festival ENCUENTRO in Los Angeles), Ingenio (Wit) by Margaret Edson, the immersive experience Construyendo a verónica, 8 mujeres sospechosas, Pegados: un musical diferente, Elvira and Jouvet, Paris años 40, Smiley among others. He also directs La Cueva de Salamanca, winner of the Young New Creators contest in Madrid, and several shows and concerts in Puerto Rico for artists like Lissette, Yolandita, and Silverio Pérez.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND TICKETS
By phone: 1-212.225.9999 | Online: repertorio.nyc

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REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL ANNOUNCES 2022-2023 SEASON

Photos: Guillem Clua | Alejandra Ramos Riera
Photos: Guillem Clua | Alejandra Ramos Riera

PREMIERE – GUILLEM CLUA’S
LA GOLONDRINA (The Swallow)
Directed by Ismanuel Rodríguez
Starring Zulema Clares and Rafa Sánchez
Premieres January 21, 2023

NEW YORK PREMIERE – ALEJANDRA RAMOS RIERA’S
MALAS MAÑAS (Bad Manners)
Winning play of The Miranda Family ‘Voces Latinx’ 2020 National Playwriting Competition.
Directed by Jorge Rodulfo
Premieres April 21, 2023

NEW PERFORMANCES SCHEDULED – ISABEL ALLENDE’S
EVA LUNA
By Caridad Svich
Directed by Estefanía Fadul
TICKETS HERE>

The season also features a repertory of 8 productions, including THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, LA GRINGA, EL QUIJOTE, IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES, THE LADY SIMPLETON, THE BRIEF AND WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, FILOMENA MARTURANO and SAULO GARCÍA.

All the productions are in Spanish and will be presented with English translation except for Saulo García’s comedies.


Repertorio is proud to announce its 55th 2022-2023 Season. This season includes two exciting new productions in addition to nine more that remain part of the rotating repertory. Together they reflect the company’s dedication to presenting the best of Latinx theater. Thanks to the support of The Miranda Family, the company will continue to host its annual VOCES LATINX National Playwriting Competition. In addition, the education program ¡DIGNIDAD! is projected to serve over 18,000 students this year.

Rafael Sánchez, Repertorio’s Executive Artistic Director shared that “Repertorio has always been about producing the best Latinx theater in the United States. We aim to produce new plays that add to this repertory of intelligent, relevant, and entertaining works that appeal to different audiences through diverse styles. This year, the new plays deal with the human foibles that are both Latinx and universal. They intellectually portray individuals who face challenges and sometimes, despite themselves, succeed in achieving happiness. It is with such great pride that Repertorio can present works by playwrights whose works and talents are unparalleled and to whom attention must be paid.”

ABOUT “LA GOLONDRINA” (The Swallow)
Ms. Amelia, a meticulous and well-respected singing coach, receives Ramon, a young man who wants to improve his vocal technique so he can sing a tribute at his recently deceased mother’s memorial. The chosen song, “La Golondrina”, has a special meaning for him and, apparently, also for Amelia, who, despite her initial reticence, agrees to give him a lesson. As the afternoon progresses, the two characters unravel the details of their past, deeply marked by a terrorist attack in a bar.

ABOUT “MALAS MAÑAS” (Bad Manners)
A 37-year-old ex-convict is released after serving a long sentence for a crime he committed in self-defense. Once he is paroled, he decides to reconnect with his father confronting the difficulties of adapting and re-integrating back into society by starting with his own family.

ABOUT “EVA LUNA”
Isabel Allende’s novel is re-imagined for the stage by OBIE-winning playwright Caridad Svich. This play tells the coming-of-age story of EVA LUNA, a woman born into poverty who rises up through the world to find her voice as a storyteller and a reflector of history. Enchanting, comical, and sly, EVA LUNA follows the character’s journey from childhood to adulthood and, along the way, allows us to meet an array of characters that would change the course of Eva’s life forever.

TICKETS AND GENERAL INFORMATION
By phone: 1-212.225.9999 | Online: repertorio.nyc
In-person: 138 East 27th Street, New York, NY 10016
(Between Lexington and Third Avenues. Subway: # 6, N or R to 27th Street)

ABOUT REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL
Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by Artistic Director René Buch and Producer Gilberto Zaldívar and has become one of the most successful Off-Broadway theatres. The Company was founded with the mission of producing the finest Spanish-language theatre from Latin America and Spain as well as plays written by Latinx artists. The Company presents a rotating repertory of plays, musicals, and dance concerts every year. Its productions are seen by over 34,000 people annually at its home, the historic Gramercy Arts Theatre, and on tour. Every year, approximately 18,000 students are introduced to the heritage of Spanish language theatre through its education program, ¡DIGNIDAD!

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REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL ANNOUNCES THE FINALISTS AND READING SERIES OF THE 2022 MIRANDA FAMILY VOCES LATINX PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

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Repertorio Español announces the finalists of The 2022 Miranda Family Voces Latinx Playwriting Competition, an initiative to develop and promote Latinx/Latine plays that resonate with and accurately depict the Latinx/Latine experience by playwrights of all racial and national backgrounds. After receiving over 150 scripts written in either English or Spanish by emerging playwrights from across the United States and Puerto Rico, the company will present staged readings of the five finalists. All readings will be free to the public community and will be presented from June 14th to June 28th.

The winners will be announced in the Fall:
Grand Prize Winner: $3,000
2nd Place: $2,000
3rd Place: $1,000
2 Runners up $500

THE 2022 MIRANDA FAMILY VOCES LATINX PLAYWRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS:

THE CHRYSALIS
By Miguel Enrique Fiol-Elias
Tuesday, June 14th at 7:00 pm

Miguel Enrique Fiol-Elias (1)

Directed by Carlos Armesto
Presented in English

Playwright Bio: Miguel Enrique Fiol-Elias is a Puerto Rican Neurologist at the University of Minnesota, has lived in Twin Cities for 25 years, done research, published in journals and five books- three novels and, two poems; The Chrysalis is his first play. He is interested in Puerto Rican diaspora issues, is a grandfather of five, and has an active lifestyle with community work, writing and is the founder of a cultural organization’ Fidecomiso de la Familia Fiol- in his native hometown, Ponce.

About The Chrysalis: The Chrysalis brings to life the dreams of a Puerto Rican family struggling to survive identities pulling them apart. In 1980s Puerto Rico, the AIDS epidemic has struck fear throughout the southern city of Ponce and the island and Raul, as he comes out to his family, discovers the secret gay love affair of his deceased grandfather whose spirit then come to his help.

THE CHRYSALIS – FREE ADMISSION >


LAS VIDAS ROTAS
By Yessi Hernández
Thursday, June 16th at 7:00 pm

Yessi Hernández Writer

Directed by Pablo Andrade
Presented in Spanish

Playwright Bio: Venezuelan actress, writer, producer, and journalist of Cuban and Spanish descent. TV host of the prime-time show Soy Un Boom and voice of the radio stations Hot94.1FM and 88.1FM. Co-founder and Executive Director of Corezon and editor-in-chief of La Guía Cultural in New York. She is recipient of HOLA, Latin ACE, ATI, Arte, Talía and Latin Alternative Theater Awards as an actress and playwright.

About Las vidas rotas: A Venezuelan immigrant makes her way in the United States in search of a better future and a dream: to bring her mother in the midst of one of the most controversial governments in history.

LAS VIDAS ROTAS – FREE ADMISSION >


BLACK MEXICAN
By Rachel Lynett
Tuesday, June 21st at 7:00 pm

Rachel Lynett Headshot hi-res

Directed by Kimberly Ramírez
Presented in English

Playwright Bio: Rachel Lynett (she/they) is a queer Afro-Latine playwright, producer, and teaching artist. Their play, White People by the Lake was a 2022 Blue Ink Award finalist. Lynett is also the 2021 recipient of the Yale Drama Prize for their play, Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too August Wilson), and the 2021 recipient of the National Latinx Playwriting award for their play, Black Mexican.

About Black Mexican: Who gets to be a part of Latinidad? While Valery fights to prove Ximena isn’t Cuban, Alia has given up fighting that she is Latine. As the women in this play discover the truth about themselves and each other, they also have to face the internal bias that allowed a white woman to be Cuban but didn’t allow a Belizean to call herself Latine.

BLACK MEXICAN – FREE ADMISSION >


 

AGUA POR TODAS PARTES
By Karina Curet
Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00 pm

KARINACURET

Directed by Gerardo Gudiño
Presented in Spanish

Playwright Bio: Born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Holds a BFA in Acting from SUNY Purchase and is a graduate student at the NYU Grad Acting Program. Has worked as an actor, Shakespeare and audition coach for teenagers and college students, casting assistant and playwright. NYU credits include: Three Sisters, The Tempest, and Learned Ladies of Park Avenue. SUNY Purchase credits include: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Museum, Inspector General, and Blood Wedding.

About Agua por todas partes: Three siblings meet at their late mother’s house to pack up and clean before handing it over to the new owners. In doing so, they discuss a big part of their inheritance. Everyone has different ambitions: Mario wants to develop restaurants, Marcos wants to grow his own food, and Marina doesn’t even know if she’s staying in Puerto Rico anymore. While unboxing a childhood that unites them, they also unearth their resentments towards each other and end up with a truth that’s making them drown: they are grieving their mother’s death and don’t know how to deal with it.

AGUA POR TODAS PARTES – FREE ADMISSION >


VISTIENDO SANTOS
By Andrés Correa Guatarasma
Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00 pm

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Directed by Yolanny Rodríguez Torres
Presented in Spanish

Playwright Bio: Venezuelan-born journalist and playwright, has covered news from more than 25 countries. Graduated Cum Laude in Social Communications, with a MA in Foreign Affairs. Has written for El Universal, AP/Associated Press, Agencia EFE, and El Diario NY. He belongs to the NY Foreign Press Center, HFPA, International Federation of Journalists, Dramatists Guild of America, and the North American Academy of the Spanish Language, branch of “Real Academia Española” (RAE). Bilingual writer, five times finalist in Repertorio Español’s contests. Collaborator of Sundance Institute (Theater Lab Selection Reader) and NY State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

About Vistiendo santos: After an incident with her husband, Lulú flees from Texas to Santo Domingo, facing a long to-do-list with her family. Nothing has changed in her country, or has it? The reunion with her cousin Noelia contrasts the myths of “the American dream,” while Lulú yearns for a new life that would allow her to comfortably combine the best of both cultures: the Caribbean and USA.

VISTIENDO SANTOS – FREE ADMISSION >


ABOUT THE MIRANDA FAMILY
For over 40 years, Luis A. Miranda, Jr. and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda have championed community activism, viewing philanthropy as a three-pronged approach through giving, fundraising, and advocacy efforts. Along with Luz Miranda-Crespo, Lin-Manuel, Miguel Towns, and their respective spouses, Luis Crespo and Vanessa Nadal, they have created and supported institutions focused on underserved populations in Upper Manhattan, communities throughout NYC, across the country, and in Puerto Rico.

GENERAL INFORMATION
By phone: 1-212.225.9999 | Online: repertorio.nyc

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EVA LUNA HACE SU ENTRADA TEATRAL EN REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL CON ESTUPENDO ELENCO

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Por Nilda Tapia McKenna

La aclamada novela de la chilena Isabel Allende, “Eva Luna”, sube a escena en el Teatro de Repertorio Español, el 3 de junio, 2022, de la mano de la galardonada dramaturga Caridad Svich y dirigida con mucha amplitud de criterio por la colombo-americana Estefanía Fadul, de destacada labor en el teatro de desarrollo norteamericano.

Con un elenco fuera de lo acostumbrado por Repertorio, la producción logró un equipo de personalidades del teatro latinoamericano que hizo brillar esta presentación hasta en los mínimos detalles.
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Comencemos por la ambientación escénica que la considero muy bien lograda para esta obra. Gira alrededor de un andamio que se mueve constantemente, al mismo estilo que Pepe Cibrian, hijo, concibió el “Drácula” a finales del Siglo XX, obra que fuera vista ya por tres generaciones de teatristas de Buenos Aires y que aparentemente ha dejado huellas.  Traer esa ambientación para Eva Luna fue tan eficaz como inspiradora. El andamio nos dijo de dónde venía nuestra protagonista. De un ambiente casi precario y en contínuo movimiento, donde la vida de la joven era tan efímera como insegura.  Los distintos caracteres de esta obra se iban añadiendo sigilosamente para cambiar cada escena con esa sutileza que un elenco de creadores ejecuta. Excelente el detalle de movimiento escénico. 

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Los momentos cruciales de la vida de Eva fueron extraídos de la novela original con la agudeza selectiva que ha mostrado la Svich en tantas otras ocasiones, ya sea con obras de Vargas Llosa como García Márquez. Ella logra con su síntesis obras de una calidad única en su género.

Andrea Velasco, actriz, directora, cantante chilena, nos creó una Eva Luna con una marcada ingenuidad, nutrida por una innata perspicacia de la niña que tiene que luchar hasta por un suspiro para conseguir sobrellevar los avatares de su sobrecargada vida junto a su madre cuya indigente existencia cuenta solo con su natural perspicacia de madre y protectora. La Eva de la Velasco nunca olvida lo aprendido y sigue escalando posiciones hasta logar su deseado cometido: convertirse en narradora de sus propias vivencias y llegar a brillar haciéndolo.

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Entre un excelente elenco, siempre surgen los que más pesan y más conocimiento tienen de las tablas que pisan. La cubana Zulema Clares se pasó de lista en La Señora como en La Patrona. El ecuatoriano Fernando Vieira estuvo estupendo en La Mimí, y el argentino-americano Gonzalo Trigueros supo comunicar su presencia por esa calidad que le brinda el cine a los actores que saben proyectar aún sin parlamento.  Muy notable su Huberto Naranjo como su Kamal.  Y el venezolano Pablo Andrade jugó cómodamente con su papel del joven atractivo Rolf Carlé. Belange Rodríguez sobresalió tanto como Consuelo como con Elvira.

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Un renglón aparte merecen Rafael V. Cañals Pérez en la exquisita coreografía de movimiento, como Lauren Kiele DeLeón en coreografiar la lucha escénica como la íntima y el grupo Dots por el diseño escenográfico y por el manejo exquisito del andamiaje. Un logro escénico.

Otro acierto para esta aplaudida producción fueron las proyecciones a cargo de Stefanía Bulvarella.  Y no quisiera cerrar mis comentarios sin mencionar a la asistente de dirección, Valeria Llaneza, cuyo aporte no puede negarse debido a la gran influencia que tuvo esta obra en su concepción muy rioplatense. 

En pocas palabras, podemos decir lo mismo que la gran Isabel Allende dijo luego de presenciar otro acierto de Caridad Svich, “La Casa de los Espíritus”: –cuánto se ha logrado con tan poco dinero y tanto talento. 

Ojalá la pandemia en Chile merme sus efectos y Doña Isabel pueda regresar a los Estados Unidos a ver su Eva Luna en una producción que hará historia.

TICKETS > 

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A LEGACY IN TRANSITION: REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL REMINISCES WITH ROBERT FEDERICO AND WELCOMES RAFAEL SÁNCHEZ

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By Lia Christine Dewey and Jesus M Garibay – Fellows, BIPOC Critics Lab

On January 1, 2021, Repertorio Español welcomed Rafael Sánchez as their new Executive Artistic Director. In this role, he joins the company’s over half-a-century long legacy. Robert Federico, Executive Director Emeritus, retired after ensuring the growth and evolution of Repertorio Español will be in good hands with Sánchez. He moves on hoping to provide space for what has been a core value during his tenure, young Latinx artists.

ROBERT FEDERICO’S LEGACY
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“When I was a child I used to play pretend at home. I designed pretty costumes and set pieces. I can’t believe that my job as a grown-up consisted of exactly that… but with real humans.” – Robert Weber Federico

After more than 50 years of centering and celebrating Latinx artists, including developing a series of programs to bring arts education to New York City schools, Robert Federico says he never quite considered his legacy at Repertorio Español as it was unfolding. When he first began at the Repertorio in 1971, he could not fathom the magnitude, nor the impact his work was going to have on the lives of countless Latinx artists. “When you work in theater, to be able to work in a theater is the reward itself,” he said.

Federico began as a designer and administrative volunteer with Repertorio, but quickly became involved with the company more holistically. For him, everything fell into place during a tour to the Festival Cervantino celebration in Guanajuato, México where, for the first time, the company discovered just how significant Repertorio Español actually was. He remembers that not only were they praised and recognized as a professional international company – something the group was unfamiliar with at that time, regularly being seen as a minority theater in the United States – but they began to see clearly the ramifications their newly realized status could have on Spanish-speaking artists and the Latinx public as well. The touring group went back to New York City with a new understanding of the absence and need for a Latinx artistic life. He knew it was there, latent yet dormant.

Reflecting on his fifty-year tenure at the Repertorio, he boasts of the company’s commitment to education and the young Latinx community. Throughout the years, Federico urged the importance of students not only learning about Latinx heritage at school but also being able to see their Latinx heritage on stage: “They needed to watch something that could connect them to their roots, their ancestry, to help them understand why they are here and why they are so important. I wanted them to understand the huge role they were about to play in the country’s development and growth.”

Robert Federico feels that he has done everything he wanted to do at Repertorio, and then some. He shares, “When you love what you do, you don’t think about it as a job, and you also forget that you are working because you are enjoying it all so much.” When the time came to find a successor, he found the perfect candidate in Rafael Sánchez. If he had any advice for him as he continues Repertorio Español’s legacy, he laughingly says “Get enough sleep while you can.”

RAFAEL SÁNCHEZ NEW VISION
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Executive Artistic Director Rafaél Sanchez stepped into his role on January 1, 2021. However, he was no stranger to Repertorio Español. Sánchez had been working as Robert Federico’s right-hand man for three years, but even before he came to New York City he had connections to Repertorio while working with his own company Tantai Teatro in Puerto Rico. When Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, he first went to the Dominican Republic, then to Miami, then eventually New York City – “The first door I knocked was Repertorio’s.”

When Sánchez arrived to work at Repertorio, Federico wasn’t officially looking for the company’s next leader. But Sánchez diligently shadowed Federico and learned the ropes of the company – particularly once the pandemic hit Sánchez proved himself, demonstrating his skills transitioning to online programming, creating Livestream events, and coordinating the Repertorio team remotely – it became clear that they had found the right leader to usher Repertorio into its next phase.

“It’s an honor and a huge responsibility,” affirmed Sánchez. Repertorio Español has been serving New York audiences for over half a century, it is “the” organization for Latinx theater in the United States and maybe even the world, Sánchez remarked. The company’s founders Gilberto Zaldívar and Rene Buch, and later Robert Federico, built Repertorio with a dedication to engage the community they sought to represent. Sánchez welcomes the challenge to step into this robust legacy, he feels an immense amount of support as he implements new ideas to complement the original vision for the company as he develops the next phase in the life of the Repertorio.

What is Sánchez’ new vision for the company? At the top of his list: expanding Repertorio’s offerings and audience base to accommodate even more celebrations of Latinx identity. In his own words, “I want to open Repertorio to the biggest audience ever!” Specifically, he wants to activate younger audiences and artists at Repertorio. “Theater has to reflect what society is, and that starts with companies like Repertorio Español embracing new artists,” – Sánchez already sees this vision growing to fruition through the Miranda Family Voces Latinx Playwriting Competition and the New York Community Trust Van Lier directing fellowship. He hopes to provide even more resources and opportunities to young Latinx artists who need them.

“I just want to share with everyone the joy that I have for having this opportunity, how seriously I take this responsibility…” he expressed. “Everything happens for a reason. I ended up here after a hurricane, [and] Robert [Federico] always says that Repertorio is a place where tragedy takes on new meaning,” said Sánchez.

VISIT REPERTORIO >

ABOUT REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL
Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by Artistic Director René Buch and Producer Gilberto Zaldívar and has become one of the most successful Off-Broadway theatres. The Company was founded with the mission of producing the finest Spanish-language theatre from Latin America and Spain as well as plays written by Latinx artists. The Company presents a rotating repertory of 13 different plays, musicals, and dance concerts with over 300 performances every year. Its productions are seen by over 50,000 people annually at its home, the historic Gramercy Arts Theatre, and on tour. Every year, approximately 20,000 students are introduced to the heritage of Spanish language theatre through its education program, ¡DIGNIDAD!

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REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL CELEBRATES ITS REOPENING WITH LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, PATRONS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND GOOD FRIENDS

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Photo: Lucille Oken (Community Relations Manager, Bank of America), Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis Miranda and Rafael Sánchez (Executive Artistic Director, Repertorio Español).

HELD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 2021, IN NYC

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL (138 E. 27 St.) – one of Off-Broadway’s longest-running, continuous theaters, and the only company that presents plays in Spanish with simultaneous English translation in true repertory form in NYC – marked its rebirth after more than a year and a half, with an intimate reception followed by a performance of Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer Award-winning LA BREVE Y MARAVILLOSA VIDA DE OSCAR WAO (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), directed and adapted for the stage by Marco Antonio Rodríguez.


Robert Weber Federico (Executive Producer, Repertorio Español), Cast of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Marco Antonio Rodríguez (Director and Playwright) & Rafael Sánchez (Executive Artistic Director, Repertorio Español).


Repertorio Español’s reopening was honored with the presence of many supporters, Board members, good friends, and lead sponsors including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis MirandaJulio Peterson (Vice President of Real Estate at The Shubert Organization), and representatives from Lucille Lortel and Howard Gilman foundations, and the evening’s reopening sponsors, Bank of America and Telemundo.

This historic reopening was made possible with the support of Bank of America that will match any contribution over $25. Bank of America will donate an equal amount up to $100,000, thereby doubling the impact of any contribution made to Repertorio. This match signifies a vital challenge that will allow the renowned theatre company to continue supporting the innovative work of Latinx artists in the community and celebrating their voices and culture now by being online also with the entire world.

Emphatically, Repertorio Español wants to express its sincerest gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for his steadfast support and advocacy on behalf of the performing arts venues that were closed during the pandemic crisis. His tenacity, leadership, and commitment towards the COVID19 Relief Bill and the American Rescue Plan, made it possible for Repertorio to continue to exist and finally to be reborn.  ¡Gracias Senator Schumer!


 

Our community has been terribly impacted by the pandemic and the temporary closure of theaters, but it is time to meet again. To help us bring back all the productions you love, for any contribution you make over $25, Bank of America will match an equal amount to Repertorio up to $100,000. Help us get back on our feet!

 

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