November 23, 2020, UPDATE: FUEGO FLAMENCO XVI, originally scheduled for December 4–6, 2020, has been cancelled.
November 3, 2020, UPDATE: The Department of Homeland Security of the District of Columbia has informed GALA that it can provide its scheduled programs to the public through the end of the year and accommodate 50 patrons at each performance.
Announcing its 2020–2021 season, GALA Hispanic Theatre revealed plans to resume indoor live performances in late October—the first professional theater to do so in Metro DC since stages went dark in mid-March.
GALA has taken precautions to provide a safe space for audiences, limiting the number of seats sold to ensure social distancing, deep-cleaning the theater before and after each performance, providing sanitizing stations, monitoring traffic flow, requiring staff and patrons to wear masks, and installing a new high-end air filtration system, among other measures. In accordance with orders issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, subject matter experts, and pertinent theatrical unions and associations representing artists, GALA has also developed guidelines and procedures to protect the health and safety of the artists and creative team during the rehearsal process and performances.
Speaking of what will be the company’s 45th-anniversary season, Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder Hugo Medrano said proudly: “Through storytelling, theater can help us speak the truth, appreciate our differences, and celebrate our commonalities. This season we share the powerful voices of extraordinary Latinx writers, as they explore universal challenges—class and gender structures that divide us, inner demons that haunt us, and young love that thrills and disappoints. Together they remind us of the breadth and beauty of our humanity.”
“When we founded Gala 45 years ago,” adds Executive Director and Co-founder Rebecca Read Medrano, “it was an experiment, a commitment, an act of love for Latinx artists and a community yearning to connect with its cultural heritage and language through the arts. Today there are still too few theaters staging stories by Latinx writers with Latinx actors, and at the same time we are faced with a public health crisis that reveals the inequities faced by communities of color. So we affirm our commitment, continue the experiment, and renew our act of love and faith by taking the necessary steps to safely open our 45th season. Now more than ever, we need the power of the arts to imagine, reflect, laugh, and heal.”
MAIN STAGE SEASON PRODUCTIONS
EL PERRO DEL HORTELANO | The Dog in the Manger
By Lope de Vega
Adaptation by Paco Gámez
Commissioned by GALA
October 29–November 22, 2020
In Spanish with English surtitles
When a Countess falls for her male secretary, intrigue and class conflict erupt with hilarity. GALA’s love affair with Lope de Vega, the master of Spain’s Golden Age, continues with a new adaptation of his greatest comedy with its timeless themes for today’s audiences.
FUEGO FLAMENCO XVI
Íntimo
Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company
December 4–6, 2020
With gusto and flair, the acclaimed Aparicio reveals the essence of flamenco, the synergy and interdependence of music, rhythm and movement, and the connection among its performers.
TÍA JULIA Y EL ESCRIBIDOR | Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
A play by Caridad Svich
Based on the novel by Mario Vargas Llosa (Perú)
February 4–28, 2021
In Spanish with English surtitles
Set in the hyper dramatic world of Peru’s radio theater of the 1950s, this humorous and touching coming of age story reveals the true passion of one of Latin America’s preeminent novelists.
AGUA POR CUCHARADAS | Water by the Spoonful
By Quiara Alegría Hudes
April 15–May 9, 2021
In Spanish with English surtitles
Somewhere in a chat room, recovering addicts keep each other alive, hour by hour, day by day. The boundaries of family and community are stretched across continents and cyberspace as a birth family splinters and online families collide.
ELLA ES TANGO | She Is Tango
Conceived and directed by Hugo Medrano
Texts by Patricia Suárez Cohen
In collaboration with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra
June 2–20, 2021*
In Spanish with English surtitles and some songs in English
*Includes milongas after 8 pm show on Wednesdays
Women take the lead in this musical revue celebrating the role of women in tango. The revered Libertad Lamarque and Tita Merello paved the way for contemporary female voices such as Susana Rinaldi and composer Eladia Blazquez.
FILM, MUSIC, AND PERFORMANCE
Reel Time at GALA
9th Annual Film Festival
Cruzando Fronteras
Curated by Carlos Gutiérrez, Executive Director, Cinema Tropical (NY)
December 9–13, 2020 (virtual only)
Scarce resources lead new filmmakers in Latin America to pool efforts across national boundaries to co-produce innovative documentary and feature films. The festival features contemporary and classical Mexican cinema. Films are followed by online talkbacks with directors, actors, and producers.
Aliens, Immigrants, and Other Evildoers
Written and performed by José Torres-Tama
December 11–12, 2020
In this bilingual sci-fi Latino noir performance, Torres-Tama exposes the rise in hate crimes against Latino immigrants across the U.S. and introduces several Latino “extraterrestrials” who bilingually challenge the hypocrisy of a country that they helped to build.
STAGE READING SERIES
Celebrating 45 Years—Looking Back, Moving Forward
Directed and performed by GALA artists
TBA
Readings of some of the most popular plays produced by GALA over the past four decades, as well as exciting new work under consideration for future production.
GALita – THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
Rigoberta, ¿dónde estás?
A Journey Through Guatemala
Written and directed by Cornelia Cody
March 13–27, 2021
A young Guatemalan girl crosses the country searching for Rigoberta Menchú, the outspoken defender of indigenous rights. Along the way, villagers suggest questions she should ask the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Student Matinees | March 15–19 & March 22–26 at 10:30 am | Weekdays General Public | March 13, March 20, and March 27 at 3 pm | Saturdays
Flamenco en Familia
December 5, 2020 at 11:30 am
Free interactive demonstrations for children and the entire family with castanets, fans, and zapateo.
Fiesta de los Reyes Magos |Three Kings Day Celebration
January 3, 2021 at 11:30 am & 2 pm
GALA’s traditional Three Kings Day celebration featuring the Magi, live animals, local performers, a walk through the neighborhood, and gifts for every child. Free for the entire family!
FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Paso Nuevo Youth Performances
Written and Performed by Youth
Directed by Guadalupe Campos
December 18, 2020
Recognized with a 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, GALA’s after-school youth performance program offers training in drama, movement, writing, and technical theater. Students perform for the public in the winter, spring, and summer. Open to youth ages 12 to 18 at no charge.
Stories from the Park’ N Lots
Emerging from the Circle
Written by Quique Avilés based on voices from the neighborhood
December 16, 2020
For two years neighborhood residents gathered in storytelling circles throughout Columbia Heights to explore the meaning of community and the changes fueled by gentrification and displacement. An ensemble of residents and actors give voice to the stories revealed around the circles.
Supported by the Kresge Foundation. The Project Director is Antonio Montes and the Lead Artist is John Johnson. Community partners are Washington Parks & People, District Bridges, Latino Economic Development Corporation, Latin American Youth Center, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
GENERAL INFORMATION
SCHEDULE: Main stage season productions are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm, except performances of ELLA ES TANGO, which are Wednesday through Sunday. For other performance times, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.
TICKETS: Single tickets to main stage productions are $45; $30 for students, senior Citizens (65+) and military; $25 for under 25 years old; and $50 for Noche de GALA. To purchase tickets, call 202-234-7174, or visit www.galatheatre.org.
LOCATION: GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC (Columbia Heights Metro, Green/Yellow Lines).
METRO: GALA is one block north of the Columbia Heights Metro station (Green/Yellow lines).
PARKING: Discounted parking of $4 is available in the secure Giant Food parking garage directly behind the theater. The entrance is located on Park Road and Holmead Street, NW
FOR MORE INFORMATION, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.
GALA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, private foundations, corporations, and individuals. GALA is a member of, the Theatre Communications Group, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, and the National Performance Network.
