Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by Producer
Gilberto Zaldívar Juan Gilberto Zaldívar (March 28, 1934 – October 6, 2009) was the Cuban-born American co-founder of the Repertorio Español, a Spanish language theater company based in New York City that presents classic Spanish plays, modern works from His ...
and Artistic Director René Buch to introduce the best of Latin American, Spanish, and Hispanic American theater to broad-ranging audiences in New York City and around the country. Robert Weber Federico joined the company two years later as Resident Designer and Associate Artistic Producer and is currently the organization's Executive Director.
History
In 1972, Repertorio Español moved to the Gramercy Arts Theatre where the company has since remained. The critical success of the company's first production, ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
'' set the stage for years of admiration by English and Spanish newspaper critics and the company's audiences.
From its earliest days, Repertorio has maintained a dramatic ensemble, attracting many talented veterans and emerging Hispanic actors, including
Yolanda Arenas
Yolanda (Arenas) Sabbatini is a Cuban actress who trained in dance and theater in Havana, Cuba
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main po ...
and Ofelia González, who was the first actress to win an
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...
without having performed in English. Another addition was Pilar Rioja in 1973, marking the beginning of a relationship that has established Ms. Rioja as a legend in Spanish Dance. In 1980, Musical Director
Pablo Zinger initiated a musical ensemble that presented
zarzuela
() is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...
s, operas, and elegant musical anthologies.
In 1984, the company began to present and commission new plays by Hispanic American playwrights, and in 1991 it inaugurated an infrared simultaneous translation system that provides an opportunity for non-Spanish-speaking audiences to enjoy the company's vast selection of plays.
More recently, Repertorio presented the world premiere in Spanish of Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama ''Ana en el trópico'' (Anna in the Tropics). The play's cast included celebrities such as Spanish TV soap opera star
Francisco Gattorno
Francisco Alejandro Gattorno Sánchez (; born October 12, 1964), better known in the show business world plainly as Francisco Gattorno, is a Cuban-Mexican actor.
Biography
Francisco grew up in Santa Clara. He is a son of a Canarian father, an ...
and
Denise Quiñones
Denise Marie Quiñones August (born 9 September 1980) is a Puerto Rican actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2001. Prior to winning the Miss Universe pageant, she represented her hometown of Lares in the Miss Puerto Ric ...
(
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...
2001).
Repertorio Español received the 2011 OBIE Award for Lifetime Achievement; a 1996
Drama Desk Special Award
The Drama Desk Special Award is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements by an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway pr ...
for presenting quality theater; a 1996 Obie Award for the play series ''Voces nuevas'' (New Voices); the New York State Governor's Award; as well as many citations by the
Asociación de Cronistas de Espectáculos (ACE) and the
Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors
The Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) is an active arts service and advocacy organization founded in 1975. It is in the United States and is dedicated to Hispanic artists, actors and actresses. It is not to be confused with H.O.L.A., ...
(HOLA).
[
]
Works or publications
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Notes and references
Further reading
*
*
External links
* Th
Repertorio Español records
are available at th
Cuban Heritage CollectionUniversity of Miami Libraries
This archival collection contains audiovisual materials from the Repertorio Español theater company, including DVDs with television commercials; media coverage; and excerpts, scenes, and full performances, as well as materials not related to theater. The collection also consists of fundraising records, show files, photographs, clippings, programs, scrapbooks documenting the operation of the theater, as well as audio and video cassettes.
Repertorio Español website
* Creator page fo
Repertorio Español
in th
Cuban Theater Digital Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Repertorio Espanol
Theatre companies in New York City
Hispanic and Latino American culture in New York City