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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.
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
LAS VIDAS ROTAS by Yessi Hernández won first place in the third edition of the competition. The playwright will receive a cash award of $3,000.
September 2022 – New York, NY – Repertorio Español announces the winners 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. The competition is inclusive of all playwrights who are at least 18 years of age and residents of the United States or Puerto Rico.
“As artists, we have the huge responsibility of telling our stories. As we share them, we also learn, we connect with others, and we heal. We realize that by expressing what deeply moves us, we have the chance to make a difference. We can inspire, we can create awareness, and we can have justice. I’m profoundly honored and humbled by this life-changing opportunity that Repertorio Español and The Miranda Family are giving to our community. Thank you for building a platform to showcase the valuable and necessary Latinx voices on American stages, and for opening a door to have these conversations that, many times, we can only hold in the extraordinary catharsis of theater.” – Yessi Hernández
The 2023 Competition begins now! Submissions are due by Thursday, December 15, 2022. A reading series will be held in Spring 2023. For info, please visit repertorio.nyc/voceslatinx or email aav@repertorio.org.
WINNERS OF THE 2022 MIRANDA FAMILY VOCES LATINX NATIONAL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
1ST PLACE: (AWARD: $3,000)
LAS VIDAS ROTAS by Yessi Hernández from New York, NY
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 the 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 amid one of the most controversial governments in history.
2ND PLACE: (AWARD: $2,000)
BLACK MEXICAN by Rachel Lynett from Minneapolis, MN
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 trying to prove that she is Latine. As the women in this play discover the truth about themselves and each other, they also must face the internal bias that allowed a white woman to be Cuban but don’t allow a Belizean to call herself Latine.
3RD PLACE: (AWARD: $1,000)
AGUA POR TODAS PARTES by Karina Curet from New York, NY
Playwright Bio: Born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Curet 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.
RUNNERS UP (AWARD: $500)
THE CHRYSALIS by Miguel Enrique Fiol-Elias from Edina, MN
Playwright Bio: Miguel Enrique Fiol-Elias is a Puerto Rican Neurologist at the University of Minnesota, has lived in the 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 of 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. Raul, as he comes out to his family, discovers the secret gay love affair of his deceased grandfather, whose spirit then comes to his help.
VISTIENDO SANTOS by Andrés Correa Guatarasma from New York, NY
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). A bilingual writer, five times finalist in Repertorio Español’s contests, he is a 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 the United States.
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.
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!
James Bruenger-Arreguin, Kathleen Capdesuñer, and Ana Luz Zambrana have been chosen for The New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowships.
Fellows will develop their craft by directing two productions in the summers of 2022 and 2023.
Three emerging, talented, and ambitious directors will have their artistic vision showcased at Repertorio Español’s Gramercy Arts Theatre, taking the opportunity of using Repertorio’s artistic and technical resources while working alongside Repertorio’s staff and Company. The first production premieres on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Through The New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowships, funded Repertorio provides professional development opportunities, and cultivates and mentors emerging Latinx/Latine directors living in New York City (ages 18-30) and gives the directors the opportunity to mount a professional production at Repertorio.
WINNERS OF THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST VAN LIER FELLOWSHIPS
JAMES BRUENGER-ARREGUIN
James Bruenger-Arreguin: Born in Los Cabos, Mexico, raised in Denver, CO, James is an NYC-based Latinx/Latine director and producer currently working at the Creative Development office at Disney Theatrical Group. He has worked and collaborated with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Theatre Aspen, The 24 Hour Plays, Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre (Associate Artistic Director). Recent Credits: Colorado Spring Fine Arts Center: Guadalupe in the Guest Room and To Slay the Dragon. SCRT: The Last Five Years (Director), Evita (Director/Choreographer) Fly by Night (Choreographer), University of the Arts: Pop The Musical Exhibition (Director), and Momentos (Director). BFA in Directing, Playwriting + Production from the University of the Arts. www.directordeteatro.com
“The Van Lier Fellowship at Repertorio Español is a one-of-a-kind gift to the next generation of Latinx artists. The fellowship invites us to join an artistic home and community in which we are asked to investigate our creative voice and aesthetics over two summers. My belief is that directing theatre is all about participation and crafting an empowered space where artists can create freely. I am honored to be in this cohort and am thrilled by the opportunity to build at an institution whose mission is to celebrate Latinx culture and the Spanish language through live performance.”
KATHLEEN CAPDESUÑER
Kathleen Capdesuñer [she/her] is a Florida grown, immigrant raised, Cuban-American director, producer and generative artist working in theatre and film. Kathleen is a fiercely generous collaborator who leads democratized modes of creation to decolonize the current artistic canon. Kathleen is an alum of: The Roundabout Directing Fellowship, The Civilians R&D Group, MTC John Alper Directing Fellowship, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals and McCarter Theatre Center Directing Apprenticeship. She’s also developed and directed work with: Roundabout, Atlantic Theatre Company, Yale, EST, Noor Theatre, Columbia, Teatro LATEA, Moxie Arts New York, McCarter Theatre, NYU, and internationally in the Fringe Festival circuit. www.kcapdesuner.com
“It is an honor to join Repertorio Español as a Van Lier Fellow. I am excited to delve into two distinct and vital plays in the Latinx canon and bring it to life through a modern feminist lens.”
ANA LUZ ZAMBRANA
(Ella/Her) is a Puerto Rican actor, director, and critic. She received her BFA at UCF with a minor in Humanities, training as well at: Atlantic Co, BADA at Oxford University, and SBIFF. She is a SDC Directing Fellow, a Kennedy Center Directing Initiative alum, and a participant of Jose Solís’s BIPOC Critic Lab. She is currently a member of the “Did They Like It?” Cohort and a Latiné Musical Theatre Lab Associate. Growing up as a Boricua in South Dakota —with her media diet ranging from Rebelde to The Lizzie McGuire Movie— sparked her need to create stories that explore the diasporic experience of POC in our world.
“Being a Van Lier fellow gives me a platform to explore the diasporic life of latinidad in contemporary and classic Spanish works. Hoy día you can be latiné but grow up in South Dakota —just like I did— but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t grow up eating mofongo or listening to Olga Tañón. This fellowship is allowing not only room but support in exploring the growing intersections of our cultura. Me toca el alma que vieron mi mente “gringa” y dijeron que eso todavía es ser Latina.”
THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST
A public charity, The Trust is a grantmaking foundation dedicated to improving the lives of residents of New York City and its suburbs. We bring together individuals, families, foundations, and businesses to build a better community and support nonprofits that make a difference. We apply knowledge, creativity, and resources to the most challenging issues in an effort to ensure meaningful opportunities and a better quality of life for all New Yorkers, today and tomorrow.
GENERAL INFORMATION
By phone: 1-212.225.9999 | Online: repertorio.nyc
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Since 1968, Repertorio has introduced the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theatre to New York with distinctive, quality productions. Featuring a repertory as diverse as the Hispanic community in New York, the theatre has almost 50 years of experience not only as a theatre but as one of the most important cultural institutions in New York’s cultural landscape.
