Repertorio Español to Present ¡VIOLENCIA! and ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE This Summer
The two shows are 2026 Van Lier Fellowship Productions, and will be helmed by directors BT Hayes and Geo Rivera.
Repertorio Español has revealed the upcoming productions of the 2026-2027 New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship. This summer, young directors BT Hayes and Geo Rivera will take the stage to helm two powerful contemporary plays written by celebrated female playwrights Valeria Loera and Quiara Alegría Hudes.
The Van Lier Directing Fellowship supports young Latinx/Latiné directors in New York City by providing mentorship and a professional platform to mount full productions. The 2026 cycle focuses on contemporary voices, bringing stories of mental health, family legacy, and the immigrant experience to the forefront.
THE PRODUCTIONS
¡VIOLENCIA!
By Valeria Loera | Directed by BT Hayes
Violencia López is a composer struggling with depression, a recent breakup, and her mother's upcoming wedding. Haunted by her late father's jokes and various "versions" of herself inhabiting her apartment, Violencia navigates a technicolor, absurd world.
-
Performance Dates: July 25, 26, 31; August 1, 2.
ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE
By Quiara Alegría Hudes | Directed by Geo Rivera
A Pulitzer Prize finalist, this poetic memory play follows Elliot Ortiz, a nineteen-year-old Marine in Philadelphia wounded in Iraq. The Ortiz family recounts three generations of service-from Korea to Vietnam to Iraq-examining the profound effects of war on the individual and the community.
-
Performance Dates: August 15, 16, 21, 22, 23.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS
Valeria Loera: An acclaimed Mexican playwright and actress, Loera is the recipient of the Gerardo Mancebo del Castillo National Young Playwriting Award. Her work "¡Violencia!" was named Best Mexican Play of the Year (ACPT) in 2023.
Quiara Alegría Hudes: A Pulitzer Prize winner ("Water by the Spoonful") and Tony Award winner ("In the Heights"), Hudes is a defining voice in American theater. Her memoir, "My Broken Language," was a citywide read for "One Book, One Philadelphia."
Videos