Repertorio Español is a theater company founded in 1968 by Producer
Gilberto Zaldívar 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 remained with Repertorio until 2022 when he retired as Executive Director.
History
In 1972, Repertorio Español moved to the Gramercy Arts Theatre where the company has since remained.
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 middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...
'' was a critical success.
From its earliest days, Repertorio has maintained a dramatic ensemble, attracting many talented veterans and emerging Hispanic actors, including
Yolanda Arenas and Ofelia González, who was the first actress to win an
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
without having performed in English. Another addition was
Pilar Rioja
María del Pilar Rioja del Olmo (Torreón, Mexico, September 13, 1932) is a Mexican dancer who focused her career on Spanish dance.
Biography
Her training included mastering all branches of this dance: the bolero school, the folkloric, the classi ...
in 1973. 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 o ...
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, the company has expanded its repertoire to include a range of new work.
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 actor.
Biography
Francisco grew up in Santa Clara. He is a son of a Canarian father, and mother ...
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 Ri ...
(
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
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 across collective Broadway, off-Broadway or off-o ...
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.
HOLA's Directory of Talent was created in ...
(HOLA).
[
As of 2017, the company had produced more than 250 plays and in 2022, Robert Federico was succeeded by Rafael Sanchez.]
Notes and references
Further reading
*
External links
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