Ten Strange Facts You Didn’t Know About Repertorio Español
Repertorio Español is not only a theater, but an eccentric and quirky community. From ghosts to schnauzers to Ms. Universe, here are ten of the most surprising things about Repertorio Español.
Ofelia Gonzalez won an OBIE Award without ever having performed in English…
One of the original members of the Company from its founding, Ofélia González was the first woman to win an OBIE Award without ever having performed in English.
Founding Artistic Director René Buch is a licensed justice-of-the-peace…
While living in his native Cuba, René Buch married several couples in his hometown of Santiago. Whether or not they’re still married remains unknown…
Repertorio Español has been home to eight different schnauzers and seven cats over the past 47 years…
With names ranging from Cohiba, Bacardi, Tiger and Christmas.
Flamenco dancer Pilar Rioja danced at Radio City Music Hall before becoming Repertorio’s flamenco headliner…
She did not enjoy her stay there, and happily agreed to start performing at Repertorio.
Actresses Selenis Leyva and Laura Gomez from Orange is the New Black acted together in Repertorio’s play Doña Flor y sus dos maridos…
Laura still performs in the play on occasion.
Acclaimed Fashion Photographer Bill Solano lived above the theater throughout the 1970s…
Silano redefined fashion photography in the 1960s and 1970s, during which time he lived in what are now the Repertorio Español offices…
Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta offered to donate some of his designs to Repertorio’s production of Serenata Dominicana…
Repertorio would have absolutely taken them, but the only size available was a size zero…
Repertorio Español’s home, The Gramercy Arts Theater, used to be a Swedish Baptist Church in the late 19th Century…
It was also a home, a tenement, a dress shop and a meeting hall before it was turned into a functioning theater.
Founder Gilberto Zaldívar’s funeral was held on Repertorio’s stage…
The late, great Zaldívar dedicated his life’s work to building Repertorio, and there was no place more appropriate to say farewell than on the stage he built.
Founding Artistic Director René Buch also published several of his own recipes…
Including a recipe for cuban black beans that was published in The New York Times…
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