Abel López, Interim Artistic Director of the GALA Hispanic Theater, proudly announces the 2023-2024 Season. “For 47 years, Hugo Medrano, co-founder and artistic director of GALA, has waited with great excitement and anticipation for the moment to announce the artistic program for the new season,” says López.
"Unfortunately, we lost Hugo before he could share what he had in store for you: provocative lead productions including the work of a Pulitzer Prize winner, a world premiere of an acclaimed novelist, and a reinterpretation of a highly seductive musical we commissioned years ago. several years.
Together, we will question and reflect on the cost and sacrifices of a forbidden love between a devoted priest and a parishioner; we will confront the shattered dreams of a family of exiles seeking refuge in Miami in the 1980s; and we will witness a country's obsession with clinging to the power of an icon after its death. These stories reveal the complexities of our lives and the choices we make.
“And now, as we reflect on what's next for GALA,” López continues, “we look back for inspiration and direction at Hugo's legacy…and move on. Although there will be changes, we remain steadfast in our commitment to tell Latino stories in Spanish and English, created and performed by Latino artists as diverse as the community we serve. Join us in our next phase of presenting the best of Latino performing arts, as we reaffirm our commitment to our artists and community, and fight for a more just and equitable world where the arts thrive. Long live Hugh!"
MAIN PRODUCTIONS
MOON BATHING – Bathing in Moonlight
Written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz (Cuba/USA)
September 7 – October 1, 2023
In Spanish with English subtitles
Enter a world where the forbidden allure of love sparks a relationship between Father Monroe, a devout Catholic priest, and a seductive Havana pianist from his parish. This captivating drama explores the depths of passion, moral conflict, and sacrifice. Will they opt for faith or succumb to the irrepressible lure of their deepest desires?
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THE PALACIOS SISTERS – The Palacios Sisters
By Cristina Garcia (Cuba)
Directed by Adrian Alea
February 1 – 25, 2024
In Spanish with English subtitles
Playwright Cristina Garcia takes Chekhov's "Three Sisters" to 1985 Miami, where three sisters and a brother, recently arrived from Cuba, face a challenging landscape of drug wars, violence and an AIDS epidemic. Will the Palacios brothers be able to stay together as a family without giving up their values? Or will the pressures of exile and survival inevitably lead them their separate ways?
MUMMY IN THE CLOSET – Mummy in the Closet: The Return of Eva Perón
Book by Gustavo Ott (Venezuela)
Lyrics by Mariano Vales and Gustavo Ott Original music by Mariano Vales (Argentina) Directed by Mariano Caligaris
May 9 – June 9, 2024
In Spanish with English subtitles
With seductive lyrics and the irresistible allure of tango, waltz and salsa, this captivating show masterfully intertwines history and fantasy. Immerse yourself in the afterlife of Eva Perón, where her preserved body sparks political scandals, clandestine romances and mysterious murders, revealing the intense passion between Evita and the working class, as well as the hypnotic power of her as Argentina's most revered icon. .
PRESENTATIONS AND CINEMA
LITTLE CENTRAL AMERICA, 1984 – A Sanctuary Then and Now
Written and performed by Elia Arce and Rubén Martínez
July 21 – 23, 2023
In English with some Spanish
Co-presented by the GALA Theater and the Circuit Network, this show relives the history of the Sanctuary Movement that offered safety to refugees fleeing the civil wars in Central America in the 1980s. Through music, poetry, and testimonials, Arce and Martínez contextualize the current refugee crisis. What place does the Central American community of Washington, DC, occupy in the culture, politics and imagination of the city? What role does artistic representation play in collective memory and healing? This program will be presented at All Souls Unitarian Church (1500 Harvard St. NW, WDC 20009).
Little Central America, 1984 is made possible by funding from the National Theater Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts and is supported by the National Performance Network (NPN) Artist Participation Fund, with funding from the Doris Duke Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information, visit www.npnweb.org.
FLAMENCO FIRE XIX
19No Annual Flamenco Festival
November 4 – 19, 2023
With the participation of local and international artists in an extended festival of three weeks!
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THE MOORISH BAND (Andalusia, Spain) November 4 – 5, 2023
Let yourself be carried away by the captivating melodies of The Moorish Band and his music, which stems from the rich legacy of flamenco in ancient Al-Andalus, a region deeply influenced by Islamic traditions and intertwined connections with the Middle East. With impeccable artistry, the group taps into these ancestral ties, uniting cultures and captivating hearts along the way.
THE PRECISE
With the participation of the dancer Rafael Ramírez
November 9 – 12, 2023
In collaboration with Spain Flamenco Arts and Federation of Andalusian Communities Central Spain (FECACE) (Spain)
Live the exciting journey of “Lo preciso”, where the captivating dancer Rafael Ramírez lights up the stage and awakens your senses. This work dives into the world of ideal relationships, exploring our tireless pursuit of perfection without leaving room for mistakes. It's an exploration of precision, evoking a deep sense of fulfillment.
TANGLE
Flamenco Aparicio Dance Co. (D.C) November 17 – 19, 2023
A new flamenco masterpiece directed by visionary artist Edwin Aparicio and choreographed by the extraordinary Iván Orellana, who received the prestigious GALA Fuego Flamenco Award at the Madrid Spanish and Flamenco Dance Competition in 2022. Enjoy a dazzling display of pure passion , motion, stomping fiery and rhythm.
LEGENDS OF MY LAND – Stories from Home
Yvonne Montoya and Company – Arizona
October 28 – 29, 2023
Montoya's choreography brings to life untold Latino stories from the American Southwest. Drawing inspiration from personal stories and ancestral knowledge passed down from generation to generation, their stories reveal the true impact of the bracero program on Southwestern communities, the environmental impact of the atomic bomb development on Latino communities, and the reclaiming of their Sephardic roots. Montoya and her company celebrate the power of legacy, resilience and the transformative force of dance.
The presentation of legends of my land It is made possible by the generous support of the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts and the National Performance Network, with primary funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
GALA Film Fest: Latin American innovation
November 29 – December 3, 2023
All films in Spanish with English subtitles The selection of films will be announced soon
