Washington, DC.- Paso Nuevo, GALA’s Youth Program, is proud to present Showcase 2022, an evening that highlights work developed by Paso Nuevo participants in 2022 and a new work inspired by the Rubén Blades’ song “Pedro Navaja.” The showcase will be presented in Spanish on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 7 pm at the GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW in Washington, DC. Admission is free and patrons must follow our COVID safety practices listed below.
“The works presented to recap the year are fun, thoughtful, and entertaining,” states Paso Nuevo Program Director Pablo Guillén. “Many of our students in this show are new to the stage, but they are eager toshare what they learned this session with an audience.”
The evening will include excerpts from the Paso Nuevo production of El puente (The Bridge) by Carlos Gorostiza, a play presented by Paso Nuevo students in May 2022. El puente follows two families fromdifferent socio-economic backgrounds connected by the construction of a bridge. Set in Buenos Aires in1947, the familial and social tensions of the play run parallel to the economic crisis which hit Argentina in the era of Peronism.
The show also includes a new work developed by the Paso Nuevo participants inspired by the famous salsa song “Pedro Navaja” by Rubén Blades. The song is recognized throughout Latin America for its dark humor regarding issues of life and death.
GUEST ARTISTS
The Paso Nuevo presentation is preceded by a guest artist performance by Coro de la Comunidad, a Latinx youth choir launched in 2021 by Alliance for New Music Theatre in partnership with GALA. Coro de la Comunidad engages children in grades 3-12, and they have been fully integrated into the development of Alliance’s bilingual opera, On the Road to Arivaca, by Latino multi-Grammy nominated composer and arranger Rosino Serrano from Mexico City and DC’s librettist Susan Galbraith. This Fall, members of the choir were featured in a recital sponsored by the EU’s cultural arm (EUNIC) in a special recital version of the opera’s first act as centerpiece and catalyst for discussion at an international conference on refugees and global migration. Maestro Leo Herrera leads the choir in Spanish.
ABOUT PASO NUEVO
The Paso Nuevo Youth Program is GALA’s free, year-round program offered to students between the ages of 14 and 19 that involves the teaching of all aspects of the theatrical process, from conception to technical direction and marketing. This bilingual, inclusive theater education program provides a safe environment in which youth can explore issues of identity and cultural differences, articulate their values, increase self- esteem, and gain skills that will enhance their academic performance and future career opportunities.
Paso Nuevo is made possible with generous support from the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Impact100, PEPCO/Exelon, the International Monetary Fund, the Rotary Club of Washington DC, OST Learn 24, the Nora Roberts Foundation, and Wells Fargo.
COVID-19 SAFETY PRACTICES
The wearing of masks is optional IF you are fully vaccinated, pursuant to CDC guidelines, and have received an updated bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine. The wearing of masks is required IF you are fully vaccinated, pursuant to CDC guidelines, but have NOT received an updated bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine, or if you are not vaccinated.
All patrons ages 5 and up MUST provide either proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID test (taken within 72 hours prior to show time) to be admitted to the theatre. Children 0-4 years old accompanied by fully vaccinated parents do not need to show proof of a negative COVID test.
