Jose Sueiro

Jose Sueiro

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All Things Hugo

            ‘The 22+ Weddings of Hugo’ is another in a long series of victories for GALA Theatre. Under the leadership of playwright Gustavo Ott, the theatre starts the season with an endearing comedy that serves to highlight the performance of one of GALA Theatre’s most indelible and prolific lead actors, Carlos Castillo.

The play, in Spanish with subtitles, deals broadly with the themes of compassion, justice and the immigrant struggle. It is presumably taken from a real life story, but the breadth and structure of the writing makes it feel more like a Cortazar-esque parody, more fantasy than fact.

Oda a Paloma

En el baul de los recuerdos
Se encuentra una alhaja mas.
Bordado en carino y asombro
Adobado con respeto y fervor

Entre castanyos y hiedra, robles y nardos,
descubrimos el mejor de los caminos.
Moscas que pican, pececitos que muerden,
Y senderos que llegan a lugares en ruinas.

The Huguito I knew

“Amigo del alma Huguito, compañero de viaje, caminante eterno y sobre todo sangre de mi sangre - creador, agudo, sensible y de implacable integridad. Yo te canto y te brindo con un llanto triste entre los olivos. Amor, siempre amor Hugo!”

I met Hugo Medrano when he was a very thin, young, curly haired waiter with a look alike pooch on his lap. He had yet to meet Rebecca, his future wife and soul mate. I was a student at George Washington University who helped write a grant for the Hispanic Theatre Program at the university. Even early on, it was clear to me I wasn’t cut out to spend the rest of my life dedicated to the theatre and was desperately seeking someone to share the opportunity with. A year or so passed and –already partnered with Rebecca- they began working together with a group called The Back Alley Theatre, run by Naomi Eftis, an epic whirlwind of a theatre activist in this town.  

Flamenco Men Part 2 of the Fuego Flamenco Series at GALA Theatre

          It has taken Edwin Aparicio 18 years to craft a world-class flamenco ensemble right here in the nation’s capital. Credit GALA Theatre for having nurtured this project for so long and continuing to present Edwin & company to audiences at their theatre. The latest Aparicio confection, ‘Flamenco Men’ made its debut at the theatre on Friday, November 4 for one weekend only.

            Flamenco Aparicio Dance Co. presented a solid, authentic and daring show. The group consisted of the soulful singer from Malaga, Amparo Heredia, with the wonderful nickname ‘La Repompilla’ and the equally remarkable voice of Francisco Orozco, ‘El Yiyi’, who sang marvelous flamenco renditions while playing the ‘cajon’, a typical percussive instrument in the flamenco idiom. The troupe added a piano player who also doubled on the cello, Gonzalo Grau, somewhat innovative and outside the normal flamenco instrumentation.

            The dance ensemble consisted of four male performers. Aparicio, who appeared in a few of the group pieces and performed one major solo toward the end of the show, the short, curly haired powerhouse, Ricardo ‘El Niño’ Osorio, a veteran of the company, whose performance of ‘Ambiguo’ with Aparicio was perhaps his most impressive rendition. The other two dancers, Ivan Orellana and Gabriel Matias were mesmerizing on stage.

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