Arte/Cultura - Arts/Culture

See the excellent calendar of events of the Mexican Cultural Instituto in DC for the month of December. www.sre.gob.mx/eua/instituto/

AN EVENING OF FLAMENCO Dancers Edwin Aparicio and Anna Menendez performing their own production of BAILES INEDITOS with Richard Marlow on guitar and singer Jessie Montoya as a special guest artist.

The three most promising stars of the East Coast flamenco firmament have finally arrived. Edwin Aparicio, Anna Menendez and Richard Marlow have teamed to create a trult world-class flamenco spectacle. Accompanied by another world-class singer brought in specially for this ocassion from Southern California, Jesus Montoya, a Spaniard from Seville, who is called the Pavarotti of flamenco, Anna, Edwin and Richard produced on of the most brilliant, innovative, modern and universal flamenco shows ever seen.

Energy -the energy of youth and artistic power- radiated through the stage of the Jack Guidone Theater at the Joy of Dance Center. The theater was packed and, in concert with the youth of the artists, was packed with young people. Flamenco is spreading, and particularly among young people. Flamenco is becoming universal, bore by the fact that, with the exception of the singer, no one onthe stage was originally from Spain. And the "duende", emotion and depth of flamenco is felt throughout the theater where the audience spontaneously bursts into cheers, whistles and applauses.

Anna demonstrated again her elegance, strength, and incredibly profound artistic talent. Her presence on the stage is magical; she rapts the audience with her lithe and ethereal body. Magnificent.

Edwin is pure power. When he hits the stage with his powerful kick on his Alegrias solo segment, joy itself takes over. It is incredible the immense amount of energy Edwin displays. And his innovative moves, his powerful stride and his joyful stance carry the audience with him. There is not enough of Edwin on the stage; we feel the need for more and more.

And, watch out Tomatito. Richard Marlow has become the best flamenco guitarist on the East Coast, and we dare to say, the US. Studying in Spain with Gerardo Nuñez, Richard has polished his style to incredible heights. His guitar produced sounds very quickly embodied within sounds. He carried the show on his shoulders with an ease only world-class professionals like Gerardo, Tomatito and the Flamenco Pope himself, Paco de Lucía can show. Outstanding.

Jesus Montoya, a Sevillian, the only Spaniard on the stage, sang with a powerful, wonderfully modulated and explosive voice. His Martinete and Soleá exceeded expectations. His sevillanas "recreás" were beautiful and his Alegrías, danced by Edwin, brought the house down. Jesús is probably the best Flamenco singer in the US today.

Completing the cast, Marta Chico, Sara Jerez and Lisa Scott projected the same youth, energy and talent exhibited by the masters. All in all, a magical evening of flamenco dancing, singing and guitar playing. This group is ready for a world tour.

A corpse. A silent young man.
And a detective who becomes his own worst enemy…

GALA Hispanic Theatre
presents
El ángel de la culpa
(The Angel of Guilt)
By Marco Antonio de la Parra
Directed by Gabriel García

GALA Hispanic Theatre presents the American premiere of El ángel de la culpa (The Angel of Guilt) by Marco Antonio de la Parra, Chile’s renowned social critic. Directed by guest director Gabriel García, this riveting work will be onstage for three weeks, from December 5 thorough December 21, 2003 at the Warehouse Theater. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 4:00pm. Press Night and Noche de GALA, hosted by the Embassy of Chile is Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 pm. Friday, December 5, will be a “Pay-What-You-Can” Opening. The Warehouse Theater is located at 1021 Seventh Street, NW.

This production is made possible, in part, with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

ABOUT THE PLAY AND THE PLAYWRIGHT
In the tradition of film noir of the 1930s and ‘40s, this tale is a detective story gone awry. The detective, played by GALA company member Manuel Cabrera, is called to a crime scene and finds a corpse and a young man he believes to be the assassin. As the investigation progresses, the lines that distinguish the victim from the accused become blurred and one asks: Who was the true victim of the crime? As in life, nothing is as it seems and the detective is caught in a web of intrigue of his own creation and sense of guilt.
In this work, de la Parra departs from his signature comedy but preserves his unique theatricality. As we delve into the realms of the conscious and the unconscious, it is not surprising to discover that the playwright is also a psychiatrist.
Marco Antonio de la Parra, also a short story writer and novelist, first established his reputation as a writer in 1978 with his work Lo crudo, lo cocido, lo podrido. The play caused a scandal and the -more-
Catholic University in Santiago banned its performance one day prior to its official debut. Considered one of Chile’s greatest living playwrights, he chose to remain in Chile during its oppressive decades of military dictatorship. Given the political nature of this period, most of his works are rich in metaphors that seek to express the reality he and his compatriots were living.
De la Parra was awarded the Premio Max Hispanoamericano de las Artes Escénicas in 2002 for his dedication to theater as a writer, actor, and director. In 1979, he received an award from Theatre of Latin America (TOLA), and in 1994 and 1995 from the Consejo Nacional del libro. In 1993, he was named Chile’s Cultural Attaché to Spain. In 1997, he founded el Teatro de Pasión Inextinguible and is Artistic Director of the Proyecto Transatlántico, a group dedicated to cultural exchange between Spain and Chile. A newspaper columnist, he has written extensively about Chile. He currently teaches writing at several Chilean universities and his plays have been produced to great acclaim around the world.
This is the third play by de la Parra that GALA has produced. In its 1997-98 season, GALA produced the American premiere of Matatangos, which later was presented at the Kennedy Center as part of Washington Front and Center and Joseph Papp’s Festival Latino in New York in 1990. In its 1988-89 season, GALA produced the United States’ premiere of La secreta obscenidad de cada día, which was awarded Chile’s Premio de Periodistas de Espectáculos for Best Play in 1987.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Gabriel García returns to GALA where he directed Así que pasen cinco años, La noche de los asesinos and Los hermanos queridos. His work, La noche diaria, received a successful staged reading under the auspices of GALA at the Kennedy Center’s New Play Festival. A film and television director, he is working on his first short film, Timeless. He is also a recipient of an Emmy Award and a JF Peabody Award for two of his documentaries.

Manuel Cabrera last appeared at GALA in Así que pasen cinco años. Previous appearances include El burlador de Sevilla, La dama boba, and Los hermanos queridos. An avid filmmaker, he recently collaborated with García in Timeless, and is currently immersed in his latest project, Se habla español, a full length feature film. Sebastián Rodríguez makes his GALA debut.

Set design is by Milagros Ponce de León, who designed El loco y la triste at GALA last season. Light design is by GALA’s Resident Designer, Ayun Fedorcha, whose work in La chunga was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award, and costumes are by Resident Designer Alessandra D’Ovidio, a 2000 and 2003 Helen Hayes Award nominee.
TICKET INFORMATION AND SPECIAL SERVICES
Single tickets are $28.00 each. Tickets for students and senior citizens (65+) are $18.00 (Thurs/Sun) and $20.00 (Fri/Sat). Additional discounts are available to groups of ten or more. Tickets may are available at TICKETplace. Tickets for the Noche de GALA and reception are $40.00 ($75/couple). Proceeds will benefit GALA’s educational and community outreach programs. All performances are in Spanish with free, simultaneous interpretation in English available on individual audio phones.

GALA at the Warehouse is located at 1021 Seventh Street, NW. The closest Metro station is Mt. Vernon Square, on the green and yellow lines.

FOR INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS CALL 202-234-7174 / www.galatheatre.org
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GALA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The National Endowment for the Arts, private foundations, corporations and individuals. GALA is a member of the League of Washington Theaters, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, the Theatre Communication Group, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the Council of Latino Agencies.
AmericanAirlines® is the official carrier for GALA Hispanic Theatre.

Enrique Codas, Premio por investigaciones sobre la población latinoamericana en los Estados Unidos , Universidad de Maryland, Baltimore

Mi gratitud a la Escuela de Trabajo Social por haberme nominado y a la Universidad de Maryland por haberme concedido este premio. Me siento muy agradecido a ambas.

Fue sobrecojedor entonces y lo es aún más ahora saber que mis estudios sobre la población latinoamericana en Baltimore, en Maryland y en los Estados Unidos han iniciado múltiples llamadas -a mí mismo así como a otros- de servicio a nuestra gente.

Esta circunstancia me ha sugerido dos reflexiones para esta noche. La primera es sobre la separación del mundo del conocimiento y del mundo de la acción o práctica -un desafortunado curso histórico que se se convitió en cultura académica pero también de vida. Sin embargo, ambos, conocimiento y acción, reconocen una raíz común, las necesidades humanas. Conocemos por necesidad y es por necesidad que actuamos. Conocimiento y práctica también comparten un destino común, hacer posible lo humano.

Un nuevo curso histórico puede corregir lo que no ha sido más que un errado camino de la historia. Y, tal vez, una universidad, como la nuestra, que congrega disciplinas y profesiones de servicios humanos pueda iniciar un decidido esfuerzo hacia la reconciliación del conocimiento y la acción, de la teoría y la práctica. Si lo hiciera, contribuiría a corregir una distorción esculpida a través del tiempo y a reconciliar estas dos dimensiones, hoy separadas, de una misma condición humana. Desde su misión de ocho siglos, el conocimiento, las universidades son llamadas a servir a la gente.

La otra reflexión es sobre nuestro continente americano que también clama por reconciliación, una entre el sur y el norte. Dos modalidades diferentes de ser americanos han generado dos mundos separados no tanto por geografías, historias y lenguas como por vastas diferencias de posibilidades humanas entre los dos. También por recíprocas ignorancias y suspicacias, justificadas o no. Otra iniciativa que las universidades del norte como las del sur pueden emprender con igual empeño es el intercambio de conocimientos en áreas tales como leyes de inmigración, salud y servicios humanos, preservación ecológica, ciencia y tecnología, ciencia económica, social y política, literatura y artes, en fin, la cultura toda y la sabiduría de nuestra América.

Es con humildad que recibo tanto el premio como el reconocimiento. Los latinoamericanos en este país, contribuidores a la construcción de esta nación desde horas tempranas, somos, a partir de nuestra diversidades étnicas, culturales y nacionales, un pueblo único pero múltiple, cuya humildad compara a su dignidad, industrioso y trabajador, y no raras veces talentoso. Provenientes de una historia de opresiones -desde adentro y desde afuera- hemos llegado a este país libre y generoso, aunque tantas veces contradictorio.

Deseo dedicar este premio a mis hermanas y hermanos latinoamericanos en este país, especialmente a aquellos más necesitados, y a cuantos en nuestro continente todavía se arriesgan imaginar y a trabajar por un mundo más justo, en paz, y, en definitiva, por una sociedad global más humana.

(Traducción del original en inglés)

Enrique Codas

Premio por sus investigaciones sobre la población latinoamericana en los Estados Unidos
Universidad de Maryland, Baltimore
Octubre 23, 2003