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In Memoriam: Repertorio Says Goodbye to Gabriel García Márquez

May 2, 2014 by elc-admin
michael palma for repertorio cronica 028

On May 2nd, Repertorio will be honoring the memory of writer Gabriel García Márquez with a special performance of Crónica de una muerte anunciada, one of Repertorio’s longest running productions based on the novel of the same name. García Márquez changed world literature with his countless novels and stories, one of the main figures in the development of the genre of magic realism. Through that vein, he made an indelible impact on our theatre. Repertorio has a long history with the stories of “Gabo”, and check out the past plays that we have had and still have.

CRONICA DE UNA MUERTE ANUNCIADA

DIRECTED BY JORGE ALÍ TRIANA 1999-2014

michael palma for repertorio cronica 028 Set against the backdrop of a small Colombian town, Chronicle of a Death Foretold explores the chain of events, false accusations, petty errors and biases that lead to the unnecessary, yet pre-determined murder of a young man. It is a tightly woven tale that really captures García Márquez’s spin on “magic realism”, exploring the antiquated moral codes, the conspiracy of silence, and the explosive issues of race and class that lead the story to its tragic ending.

EL AMOR EN LOS TIEMPOS DE CÓLERA

DIRECTED BY JOSÉ ZAYAS 2012-2014

michael palma for repertorio love in the time_061 A lyrical, imagistic play that focuses on an extraordinary love story between a poetically-inclined man named Florentino Ariza and a sensual, practical yet somewhat elusive woman named Fermina Daza. Spanning fifty years of time, the story plays out in a series of short scenic episodes filled with poetry, song, movement and heightened moments of theatricality. One of García Márquez’s most recognizable stories, this critically acclaimed play is a beautiful take on the world renowned novel. 

LA CANDIDA ERENDIRA

DIRECTED BY JORGE ALÍ TRIANA 1991-1996

CANDIDAERENDIRA0046-OfeliaGonzalez   Based on a strong story by Gabo, this play follows the dark travels of a grandmother and her granddaughter. Starring the famous Ofelia González, the production was directed by famous Colombian director Jorge Alí Triana, who was also friends with Gabriel García Márquez himself.

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A Vibrant Team for “Barceló con hielo”

April 4, 2014 by elc-admin
JoseZayas Color by MPalma EM300

With the highly anticipated world premiere of Repertorio’s newest production, Barceló con hielo, on the horizon, two of Repertorio’s most dynamic figures have teamed up to make this a one-of-a-kind and provocative production that will be a must-see for those interested in Caribbean culture, history and tradition. Resident Director José Zayas has teamed up with playwright Marco Antonio Rodríguez, combining a praised and distinct directing style with a unique story taking place between today’s Washington Heights and the Dominican countryside of the 1970s.

Well on the road to readings and rehearsals, take a minute to be introduced to the writer and director of this play that is bound to be one of the hallmarks of contemporary Hispanic-American theater.

Barceló con hielo will premiere on Friday, June 13th at 8pm. For tickets and reservations, go to www.repertorio.org/barcelo or call (212) 225 9999. 

 

JoseZayas Color by MPalma EM300José Zayas
Director

In 2004, José Zayas’ began his journey at Repertorio as part of the Van Lier Directing Fellowship. Born in Puerto Rico and a graduate of Harvard and Carnegie Mellon Universities, he has proven to be a major force in the world of Latino arts and culture. Alongside an impressive list of achievements outside of Repertorio, he would go on to direct seven productions for the company, and was recently named the official Resident Director. Many of his productions have gone on to win prestigious ACE (Association de Cronistas de Espectaculo) and HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors) awards. Some of them include Madre, el drama padre ; Letters to a Mother, Nowhere on the Border; No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy; In the Time of the Butterflies; and Love in the time of Cholera.

Zayas has already made impressive and influential strides in New York’s theater scene. As co-Founder of the Immediate Theater Company, he has also held a residency at The Ensemble Studio Theater, has been listed on nytheater.com on their 2007 People of the Year list, is a Drama League Fellow, and is also an alumnus of Lincoln Center’s Directing Lab.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez
Writer 

Marco 4 no nameA native of New York City with deep roots in the Dominican Republic, Marco Antonio graduated from the famous La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts and graduated from Southern Methodist University. With a vibrant energy both on and off stage, he has acted, written, produced and directed – becoming one of the Latino theater scene’s most powerful emerging voices.

With a long and impressive list of credits, Rodríguez’s work has become widely known and increasingly visible. Some of his screenplays – namely Silence, Mariscal and Covenant – have swept various national screenwriting competitions including the NYC Midnight International Screenwriting Competition. He is also a contributor to Latino Leaders Magazine, and his play Heaven Forbid(s) was named outstanding new play by the Texas Critics Forum.

Rodríguez’s play La luz de un cigarillo was praised on an international level, receiving multiple HOLA and ACE awards as well as three Soberano awards – the most prestigious awards in the Dominican Republic. The play has been widely published, and is currently being included in various curriculums in multiple universities, including the University of Puerto Rico and Rutgers University.

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Dominicans on Stage: A History of Quisqueya & Repertorio

March 21, 2014 by elc-admin
Mariposas_RepertorioEspanol_FotoMichaelPalma_07org1
From left to right: Financial Manager Nieves Vásquez, Dominican Consul Hon. Luís Lithgow, Marco Antonio Rodríguez.

From left to right: Financial Manager Nieves Vásquez, Dominican Consul Hon. Luís Lithgow, Marco Antonio Rodríguez.

The Dominican American community here in the United States is expanding both in numbers and influence. The largest foreign-born community in New York City, Dominicans and Dominican-Americans play a vital part in the world of Latino arts and culture. A vibrant culture in music, dance, literature and theater, Repertorio has always taken steps to open its iconic stage to this extremely influential community.

In that great partnership, Repertorio Español will be presenting the world premiere of Dominican-American writer Marco Antonio Rodríguez’s new play, Barceló con hielo on June 13th. A touching testimony to the Dominican immigrant experience, the play is the latest in a long line of Dominican productions that have called Repertorio home. Here are only a few of our most popular works from Quisqueya la bella.

LA FIESTA DEL CHIVO
(THE FEAST OF THE GOAT)

WRITTEN BY MARIO VARGAS LLOSA
DIRECTED BY JORGE ALÍ TRIANA
2002-2011

Uranias_y_Chivo1 large

Based on the iconic novel of the same name by Mario Vargas Llosa, this powerful production was directed by the world famous Jorge Alí Triana. Following the story of General Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930-1960, the play was recognized by Vargas Llosa himself, saying “the adaptation by Triana has achieved the difficult task of being faithful to the facts and the spirit of the novel, and is at the same time very theatrical.”

EN EL TIEMPO DE LAS MARIPOSAS
(IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES)

WRITTEN BY CARIDAD SVICH
DIRECTED BY JOSÉ ZAYAS
2011-PRESENT

Mariposas_By Michael Palma_05

“En el tiempo de las mariposas” continues to be one of Repertorio’s most popular plays, both with student groups and general audiences. Following the heroic story of the Mirabal sisters, the play is a sharp perspective not only into the history of these four heroines, but also their relationships with one another as sisters. Directed by Resident Director José Zayas, the play was written by writer Caridad Svich and based off Julia Álvarez’s novel of the same name. For tickets and reservations, click here.

OTHER PRODUCTIONS

SERENATA DOMINICANA – QUISQUEYA: HISTORIA EN MÚSICA
(DOMINICAN SERENADE)
Directed by René Buch
1994-1997

QUE BUENA AMIGA ES MI SUEGRA
(HOW GOOD MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS)
Guest production – Directed by Franklin Domínguez
2002

MI TÍA LA JAMONA
(MY AUNT THE OLD MAID)
Guest production – Directed by Franklin Domínguez
2002-2004

COMPAÑÍA DE TEATRO BELLAS ARTES
(BELLAS ARTES THEATER COMPANY)
Guest production – Directed by FRANKLIN RODRÍGUEZ

“Barceló con hielo” will premiere on Friday, June 13 at 8 PM. For tickets, reservations and general information, visit www.repertorio.org/barcelo. 

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GUEST POST: Marco Antonio Rodríguez, A Powerful New Dominican Voice, Returns to Repertorio

March 6, 2014 by elc-admin
2013 MetLife Nuestras Voces Playwriting Competition winner Marco Antonio Rodríguez
2013 MetLife Nuestras Voces Playwriting Competition winner Marco Antonio Rodríguez

2013 MetLife Nuestras Voces Playwriting Competition winner Marco Antonio Rodríguez

“I grew up taking in Repertorio Español productions such as “Café con leche”, “La casa de Bernarda Alba”, “Me saqué la lotería” and the always electric Pilar Roja… Although born and raised in New York City, the language spoken at home was strictly Spanish as was most of the entertainment absorbed: television, concerts, theater… From an early age I knew I desired a life in the arts. To work at an internationally renowned institution such as Repertorio Español which collaborates with Latino artists from around the globe would be, as they say in the Dominican Republic, ¡UN PALO! (A hit!) During these formative years the “MetLife Nuestras Voces” National Playwriting Competition had yet to come into existence.

I left the city and went off to undergraduate and graduate studies where I developed my skills as an actor, writer and director. Years later I came across the “MetLife Nuestras Voces” Competition… Was this for real? A national competition that strives to discover and nurture the best Latino plays and bring them to the attention of the American theater community? AND they can be written in English OR Spanish OR both? Count me in! Platanos and Hamburgers unite!

The first go-around the play I entered in the competition (a play written in Spanish) did not make it to the finalist stage. Instead, I received invaluable feedback from the judges and Repertorio team. Even without making it to the finalist round, they encouraged, advised and empowered me to continue onward with my script. This led to major re-writes and ultimately a full production at this other company which gave it a massively successful and award-winning run! Without “MetLife Nuestras Voces” I probably wouldn’t have had a platform to submit this Spanish-language play, and to receive encouraging feedback and  connections and confidence to make productive re-writes which led to a successful production.

Two years later I entered the competition again with my play, “Barceló con hielo” (Barceló on the Rocks.) This time, I was a finalist! Through the critical process of receiving a stage reading (which is part of the competition when you are a finalist) I was given constant guidance and feedback from the judges, Repertorio team and, most importantly, an audience. I was able to hear and see what worked and what didn’t without the pressures of a looming full production. For a writer, the development stage of the script is a necessity that some tend to want to bypass. I was thrilled to be immersed in one at Repertorio.

A few rehearsals, notes, rewrites, the stage reading in front of a live audience, more notes, more rewrites and then…My play WON the competition! I went from not even being a finalist two years prior to winning the whole thing! The play will now receive a full production/world premiere, June 13th, 2014.

With the win came national and international attention. I credit this to Repertorio Español’s reputation of providing quality Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theater in New York City and across the country. I’ve now lost count of the many theater companies, production companies, and press that have reached out inquiring about and taking an interest in my work. Since the competition, several members of the Repertorio team have made themselves readily available to assist in the further development of the script. I’ve made many re-writes and through each one, I have a pool of trusted experts that I reach out to for feedback and encouragement.

Competitions such as “MetLife Nuestras Voces” are crucial to the development of new work and critical to the survival of up-and-coming Latino voices. At the moment, platforms for the development of new work are scarce and those specifically catering to Latinos are close to none.Winning is great, but there is an even greater gift that we must recognize – the fact that there is a place where Latinos can submit work that explores their own identity and experiences in the United States. Being able to submit work (regardless of the stage that it is in), receive feedback, and in my case as a finalist have a full staged reading and development time, is an opportunity that we must empower and support.”

Marco Antonio Rodríguez is the winner of the 2012 Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition and writer of “Barceló con hielo” and “La luz de un cigarillo.”

“Barceló con hielo” will premiere Friday, June 13th. For tickets, visit www.repertorio.org or call (212) 225 9999

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Meet the Brain Behind the Barbie

February 21, 2014 by elc-admin
Barbies Photo (final) (1)

280_280_2Wanda Arriaga is bringing her energetic show, ¡Qué felices son las Barbies! to Repertorio this spring, joining Saulo García and John Leguizamo as Repertorio’s next comedy. The Puerto Rican actress and comedienne will be pretty in pink as she brings her hysterical show to the stage. After touring internationally, this witty and sharp monologue is bound to be one of this spring’s most unique theatrical experiences in the world of Latino theater.

¡Qué felices son las Barbies! is a fantastic comedy that takes on some of the biggest issues that are both Latina and universal. The show follows Bárbara Pérez, a cabaret singer who has comfortably settled into a cycle of extreme diets and plastic surgery with the ultimate goal of becoming the physical embodiment of her childhood Malibu Barbie. Joining the character of Bárbara are several of her colorful friends – a psychologist named Cathy who draws her advice from the pages of Cosmopolitan Magazine, a Cuban bruja (witch) named Mariblanca, and Bárbara’s ex-boyfriend Kenny whose mysterious penchant for male friends and insistence on sleeping in separate beds have Bárbara perpetually suspicious.  As she spins the tale of her complex love life, she dives into a parade of her past disastrous amours.

In all, ¡Qué felices son las Barbies! is an electric comedy that examines the self-image pressures in a society obsessed with physical appearance. As Wanda assumes the character of Bárbara, she tackles some very serious issues. Physical beauty, obsession, addiction, and a childhood scarred by sexual violence and poverty all rear their head in the history of Bárbara Pérez. When one throws superb direction by Mario Colón and traditional boleros and merengues into the mix, ¡Qué felices son las Barbies! becomes a journey of laughs that stays with the audience long after the show is over. Audience members can look forward to a production with a one-of-a-kind and lively beat, unique in its style and distinct in its mission to entertain and enlighten. With strong themes and an ultimately empowering and important message, the show will premiere during the symbolic month of March – Women’s History Month.

Arriaga has for the past two decades been one of Repertorio’s most dynamic and recognizable actresses. Most recently, she stole New York’s heart in the role of Ramonita, the long suffering mother in Carlos Ferrari’s La nena se casa. A major recipient of both ACE and HOLA awards, Arriaga is also one of the co-founders of the prestigious Teatro Círculo and starred in the HBO short The Acting Lesson, which won Best Short at the 2012 New York Latino Film Festival. It is in ¡Qué felices son las Barbies! that Wanda will be rounding up her broad talents into one very funny and very pink production.

To support this inspiring production and for a very special video by the artist herself, check out the ¡Qué felices son las Barbies! Kickstarter page, where you can make a small donation.

¡Qué felices son las Barbies! will be premiering on Thursday, March 6th at 8:00 pm. For tickets, visit www.repertorio.org or call (212) 225-9999

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Not Your Average García-Lorca

January 17, 2014 by elc-admin
Zapater Lorca HIGH RES

There is a common trap that all too often ensnares those who are about to watch a play by Federico García Lorca. They walk in expecting to see the dark Andalusian home of Bernarda Alba, women with peinetas and mantillas neurotically fanning themselves with elaborate abanicos as they fight against Iberian machismo. Perhaps in the background a soft flamenco plays, Lorca ever mindful of the folk culture of the gitanos (Roma) that surrounded him. For many, this is García Lorca’s world – 1930s southern Spain and, in many aspects, it was.

With Andrés Zambrano’s production of García Lorca’s poetic comedy, “La zapatera prodigiosa” there will be neither peinetas nor mantillas. Flamenco will be traded for songs like “Júrame,” “Perdón” and “Piensa en mi,” all performed live. Premiering February 7th, “La zapatera prodigiosa” will be a sharp departure from the stereotypically romanticized world of García Lorca. Rather, Zambrano’s production will shed this nostalgic air, leaving the playwright’s message naked and unshielded from the eyes of the viewers to chew and digest.

Adding to this dynamic is a hallmark of Repertorio’s stage – the inclusion of accomplished actors from across the world. Check out just a few of the amazing actors who will be taking roles in this highly anticipated play, actors who hail from a variety of countries including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, among others.

Zulema ClaresZulema Clares
Country of Origin: Cuba

Zulema Clares is one of Repertorio’s most acclaimed actresses, currently in other popular shows like Cita a ciegas, El amor en los tiempos de cólera and En el tiempo de las mariposas.

Born in Cuba, Clares holds a degree in Theater Techniques and Choral Direction from Cuba’s National Arts School. One of the original co-founders of the Argos Theater of Cuba, she rapidly became one of the biggest and most acclaimed names of the Cuban stage for her broad range of works. While teaching at Cuba’s National Arts School, she made her debut as a theatrical director in 2001 with her production “Thanks Grandma,” which she also wrote. Clares’ talents are not limited to the stage, however. Her extensive film credits including leading roles in “The Nights of Constantinople,” “Three Times Two,” and “Long Distance.”

Clares is currently one of the most acclaimed actresses of the Latino stage here in the United States. Aside from winning the Best Actress Award at the 2001 Camaguey Theater Festival in Cuba, she has consecutively swept the HOLA Awards since 2009.

Gerardo GudiñoGerardo Gudiño
Country of Origin: Argentina

Gerardo Gudiño is one of Repertorio’s most recognizable faces, playing the prolific role of Don Quijote in Jorge Alí Triana’s El Quijote as well as numerous other roles in some of Repertorio’s bestselling productions.

Gudiño holds a degree in theater studies from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina as well as a Masters in Neurolinguistic Programming, having studied under several of the most prestigious and recognized acting professors in both Argentina and France. His theatrical skills are broad and include semiotics, direction, clowning, anthropological theater and dance theater. Other training includes extensive direction of productions and an intense 22 month training period at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York.

Gudiño first arrived to Repertorio in 2000 as Assistant Director for the renowned Artistic Director of the theater, René Buch, eventually going on to become part of Repertorio’s company of actors.

Mario MatteiMario Mattei
Country of Origin: Puerto Rico

Mario Mattei is a native of Puerto Rico and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, having studied drama there. As a student, he came into contact with director Dean Zayas, a pioneer and instrumental figure in the theatrical movement in Puerto Rico. A master of both the stage and the screen, Mattei openly prefers theater and considers it to be a demanding and challenging, though rewarding, vehicle for dramatic expression.

Mattei is a hallmark of Repertorio’s company of actors, holding roles in productions like “El Quijote” and “Crónica de una muerte anunciada,” both directed by Jorge Alí Triana, “La fiesta del chivo” and Carmen Rivera’s groundbreaking play “La gringa” which still continues to sell out theaters to this day.

Mariana BuonincontiMariana Buoninconti
Country of Origin: Argentina

Mariana Buoninconti is one of the most accomplished actresses in Repertorio’s company of actors, having started acting in Buenos Aires at the age of 15. Since then, she has studied with some of the most renowned names of the Argentine and Latino stages, including Leondro Rosati, Alicia Bruzzo, Eduardo Pardo and Elena Duarte

Having started acting at such a young age, she was part of the cast of the Narizopas Theater which performed musical comedies for children, as well as the Puppet Theatre in Buenos Aires and across the entirety of Argentina. She also performed in the musical comedy “Waku Waku” at the prestigious Metropolitan Theater in Buenos Aires, going on to tour most of the northern half of the South American country.

Her past stage credits are broad and include “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams, “Fear and Misery in the Third Reich” by Bertolt Brech and “A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller. In the United States, she has been no stranger to some of the biggest productions of both the American and Hispanic-American stages, including “The Adventures of Don Quixote” in Miami, “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Imaginary Invalid,” “Positive Woman,” and “Soufflé de Rosas” in New York, among countless Repertorio productions.

Jerry SotoJerry Soto
Country of Origin: Puerto Rico

Another graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Jerry Soto is a true galán of Repertorio. Soto has had extensive artistic experience across the globe – not just in New York and Puerto Rico but also in Ecuador as parto of the Malayerba Theatre Group and in Peru as part of the Yuyachkani Theater Group. A regular in the New York Latino theater scene, he has performed in many of the theaters that make up said community, including the Teatro Círculo.

He is also a regular of the big and small screen, having participated in the mock TV news program “Noticreo” which won the 2008 Latin Emmy for Best Magazine, the film “The Argentine” by Steven Soderbergh and is also a regular host of the weekly TV show “WWE Experience.”

Edna Lee FigueroaEdna Lee Figueroa
Country of Origin: Puerto Rico

Edna Lee Figueroa has two decades of life on the stage under her belt, associated with some of the most recognizable stages of Latino theater, including Teatro Círculo and Boundless Theater Company. The ACE award actress is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, as well as having received a masters in Arts Administration from Turabo University, also in Puerto Rico.

Edna Lee currently resides in New York, but has travelled the world with her art including Puerto Rico and Bogotá, Colombia. She has built an impressive career, is a member of both SAG and HOLA, spent two years at the Burning Coal Theatre Company of North Carolina and has been credited in over 40 productions on stage, film, television and radio. She had a performing role in the film “Maldeamores” produced by Benicio Del Toro, which in turn was premiered in the TriBeCa Film Festival.

You can read more about Edna Lee at her website, www.ednaleefigueroa.com

*Not listed, Pietro González

“La zapatera prodigiosa” will premiere at Repertorio Español on Friday, February 7th at 8pm.
SCHEDULE, TICKETS AND INFORMATION: http://www.repertorio.org/zapatera or call 1-212-225-9999

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Nuestras Voces: The Finalists Sound Off

November 21, 2013 by elc-admin
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

With the MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition wrapping up its 14th session of free readings, take a chance to get to know some of the talented finalists.

Anne García Romero, K.J. Dwyer, Marcelo Rodríguez, Kuros Charney, Dania Ramos, Joselo Arroyo-García, and Stephanie Weber explained in heartfelt detail what being in the competition means for them. In addition to them, Matt Barbot, Carlos Murillo, and Francisco Lupini Basagoiti are also finalists in the competition. We asked them a question, based on their experience with the competition so far, what they thing the biggest impact that the competition will have – or has had – on their work as a playwright. Their answers are as diverse as they are.

The MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition began 14 years ago thanks to the generosity of MetLife Foundation. The goal of this annual initiative is to identify and develop the work of talented playwrights and highlight the Hispanic / Latino experience in the United States. Echoing the Company’s original mission, these plays represent a cross section of nationalities and explores subjects and themes important to the Hispanic community.

The winning play will be produced at Repertorio Español.
For more information on Nuestras Voces please visit www.repertorio.org/metlife

ANNE GARCÍA ROMERO
Writer of “Provenance” – From South Bend, IN

Anne Garcia-Romero

“The biggest impact of the competition on my work as a playwright is the remarkable opportunity to collaborate with such talented New York theater artists on the reading of my play and then to invite an audience into the wonderful Repertorio Español theater to share my work.”

K.J. DWYER
Writer of “Long Division” – From New York, NY

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“The reading was immensely valuable. Having an actual cast in front of an audience, even with just a few rehearsals, allowed me to hear the piece outside of my own imagination — warts and all. Without the reading, I’m not sure I would have been able to recognize both the strengths and deficiencies of the piece. It has sparked a whole new round of creativity and with every revision the piece continues to come into sharper relief.

Playwriting is a lonely process and after sending Long Division to various theatre companies and competitions, at times I felt I was just sending my words into the ether. Just being selected as a finalist in the Nuestras Voces Competition has given me the validation that, as a playwright, I’m on to something. People read the words I set to type and actually heard them, understood them and valued them enough to stage a reading. Receiving this kind of recognition from both the MetLife Foundation and Repertorio Español is like water to a seed. It nourishes both the play and the playwright.”

MARCELO RODRÍGUEZ
Writer of “Los superheroes de abuelo” – From New York, NY

headshots Marcelo 1 030
“Well, this is my third time as a finalist and I also had the privilege of winning the competition before. To be honest, I never considered myself a playwright (I still don’t do it) but I thank Repertorio Español and MetLife for trying to prove me wrong once again.This is the perfect showcase of one’s work. Sometimes you write things and don’t know what to do with them… they probably end up in a drawer collecting dust.

Thanks to this competition, people like me have a window to expose not only our work, but also to express the way we think about certain issues concerning our Hispanic heritage. That is priceless. Bravo for Repertorio!”

KUROS CHARNEY
Writer of “Silent Exile” – From New York, NY

Kuros Charney_headshot

“Nuestras Voces has provided essential exposure for my play The Silent Exile. Though the play has had several staged readings, the road to full production is often a long one, and the support of Repertorio Español has identified The Silent Exile as a relevant piece of Latino theatre. Ultimately, however, The Silent Exile serves a broad audience of all cultures. Part family drama, part political thriller, the play explores our role as citizens and the American political process with which we all must reckon, tackling universal themes of love, ambition, and the struggle to maintain one’s ideals in an unforgiving world—a universality that is coherent with Repertorio’s mission. Only when we share each other’s concerns—across race, gender, class, etc.—will the dream of America be fully realized. Thank you, Repertorio, for working toward this dream.”

DANIA RAMOS
Writer of “Hielo” – From Bloomfield, NJ

dr1

“Being selected as a finalist in the MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition has been enormously affirming for me as an emerging playwright. This is the first time my work has been acknowledged on the national level, and the recognition is particularly meaningful since the mission of the contest is to introduce voices that speak to the Latino experience. We are incredibly fortunate to have Repertorio Español offer such significant exposure to our vast and varied stories.”

MATT BARBOT
Writer of “El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom” – From Brooklyn, NY

Matt Barbot

Nuestras Voces has encouraged me to continue to write my point of view on the Latino experience, and given me the opportunity to share it. To paraphrase my protagonist Alex, I wanted to see El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom, but since it didn’t exist yet I had to write it myself.

The classics and the canon of Hispanic theater remain as powerful as ever, but they often don’t represent the realities and struggles those like myself have lived. I grew up coming to see shows at Repertorio Español, so it was an honor to hear my play being read on the very stage that taught me so much about the heritage of Latino theater; it’s also amazing to me to know that a theater so invested in that heritage is equally committed to embracing the complexity of Latin theater’s future. What would it mean for my play – which is about Nuyoricans, comic books, and Twitter – to come to life on a stage where works by Lorca and Lope de Vega have also lived?

Nuestras Voces is creating a theater community where Latino voices are allowed to be vibrant, diverse, and modern – that’s a community I look forward to contributing to.

JOSELO ARROYO-GARCÍA
Writer of “El traje de novia” – From San Juan, PR

joselo

“In times in which the excessive use of technological advances and social networks can contribute to individualism, it is vital that we not lose that collective identity that defines us, to live it, share it and to pass it on to our new generations. It is better to be more focused on what unites us rather than what divides us.

Having had the opportunity to write a play from my Puerto Rican reality, from my island, and that reflects the identity of Hispanics living in the USA, it is a great example of that. We are all one, our cultural identity still defines us and guide us, we cannot forget that. As long as we do not forget who we are and where we come from, we will remain a single family in the world, no matter where we live.”

STEPHANIE WEBER
Writer of “María García is Having your Baby” – From Chicago, IL

Stephanie_Weber_#95
“This competition tells a story I want to share about expectations Latinas face. I know that being half-Cuban and growing up in the Midwest gives me a unique viewpoint on what it means to be Latina. I am so grateful that Nuestras Voces allows me to share my point of view with a brand new audience.”

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