Cuban Hit CANDELA to Make U.S. Debut in English This Weekend at Teatro Latea

Teatro LATEA's first Fall season opening production, Candela, written and directed by Jazz Vilá, the new musical drama with touches of comedy, comes to the U.S. direct from Havana, Cuba with recent acclaimed success. Teatro LATEA is located at 107 Suffolk Street in Manhattan in The Clemente. Performances in Spanish will be presented on September 8, 9th and 10, in English on September 15, 16 and 17 and the again in Spanish on September 22, 23 and 24. Performance times are 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 8 pm on Sundays. Tickets are priced from $32.70-$52.50 and can be ordered through www.teatrolatea.org.

For its New York premiere, the play will have added English adaptation starring Mr. Vilá as Candela and the multi-award-winning actress Yordanka Ariosa as Perla Rosa. They will offer presentations in both English and Spanish (at different performances) of the play which addresses universal themes of resistance, realization, the value of work and the impact of Artificial Intelligence in the lives of artists.

Gertrudis Calvario, better known as Candela, has spent years trying to consolidate her career as an actress. Despite her difficulties learning lines, she has managed to star in a movie. The night of its premiere, a movie accident destroys their hopes. Perla Rosa, better known as the butterfly of the song, offers a concert in order to present her new album. Although they seem to be in the wrong place, fate will turn the unfortunate meeting of both women into a hymn to the dignity and will of those who fight for theirs.

ABOUT JAZZ VILÁ

Graduated from the National School of Performing Arts in Cuba. Director, producer, and playwright, he is the founder and CEO of the company Jazz Vilá Projects. He made his directorial debut at 17 with his own adaptation of The House of Bernarda Alba at the Alicia Alonso Theater in Havana. He has written and directed several plays in different countries such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Last Night in Spain, Frontera and Life Is a Dream in the U.S. His productions Rascacielos, Eclipse, Farándula, and Candela have been consecutive box office successes and garnered acclaim, making him a benchmark for contemporary Cuban theater. In 2016, he won the “Special Mention” of the theatrical genre at the Casa Teatro International Literary Contest in the Dominican Republic. In 2019 he was a jury member of the Cuórum de Morelia Film Festival in Mexico and in 2017 he was awarded the “Incubator Artist Program” in Texas. He has been invited to prestigious events such as the Avignon Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, the Platino Awards in Mexico, and the Berlinale Talent in Germany. In 2023, Farándula, his film debut, premiered at the Havana Film Festival in NYC. Parallel to his artistic agenda, Jazz is committed to training new talent, supporting social projects, and working as a cultural ambassador through his foundation “Jazz Vilá Por Dentro.

ABOUT LATEA

Teatro LATEA (Latin American Theater Experiment Associates, Inc.) is an ongoing and outgoing 41-year-old American/Latino/Latinx theater located in The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (The Clemente) at 107 Suffolk Street. Founded in 1982 by award winning actors Nelson Landrieu (Uruguay, 1949-U. S, 2019), Nelson Tamayo (Ecuador, 1955-United States, 1991) and Mateo Gómez, LATEA reflects their concern with the underrepresentation of Latinos in North American theater. A Latino cultural staple for close to 40 years, LATEA has served as a producing/presenting venue where countless New York based Latins/Latin American artists and many international and local theater companies create and share multidisciplinary work in a collaborative environment. Theater as well as dance, music, film, word, and visual arts exhibitions/events are produced, co- produced and presented on their stage.

For all information and tickets go to www.teatrolatea.org.

Photo credit: Sergio Jesus Martinez 

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