Elisa Bocanegra News

Lovingly skewering the not-so-subtle art of telenovelas, Karen Zacarías' winning play DESTINY OF DESIRE---now being performed at Orange County's South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through November 13---compresses an entire series' worth of over-the-top melodramatic goodness into a two-act play that, not surprisingly, comes off as an intentionally hilarious comedy.

Destiny of Desire has been called "cheekily charming" (MD Theatre Guide) and "ridiculously funny" (Broadway World) for its fresh take on telenovelas, popular the world over. The latest play by Karen Zacarias, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela on the Segerstrom Stage, is a co-production with Chicago's Goodman Theatre and is a west coast premiere. Tickets are available now at www.scr.org.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announces the 2016 Round 4 recipients of the Leadership U[niversity]-One-on-One program.

Hero Theatre announced today that the company will end its 2016-2017 season with a full production of The Conduct of Life by famed Cuban American playwright, Maria Irene Fornes. The production will star Nick Tarabay (Castle, Spartacus and Syfy's The Expanse), and will be directed by the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Center, Jose Luis Valenzuela.

Recently appointed member of the National Council on the Arts Diane Rodriguez, Latino Theater Company's Jose Luis Valenzuela and Juliette Carrillo are part of the roster of directors for Hero Theatre's Festival Irene: Celebrating Maria Irene Fornes with Her Plays, Panels and the Words of Her Students. More festival directors include Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Beth Lopes, Sylvia Blush, Yetta Gottesman and Elisa Bocanegra.

Adam Rodriguez (Empire, Jane the Virgin, CSI Miami) and Lesley Fera (Pretty Little Liars) are set to join Jane the Virgin star Ivonne Coll in Hero Theatre's Festival Irene: Celebrating the Legacy of Maria Irene Fornes.

Jane the Virgin star Ivonne Coll is amongst several television celebrities cast in Hero Theatre's Festival Irene: Celebrating the Legacy of María Irene Fornés.

Recently appointed member of the National Council on the Arts Diane Rodriguez, Latino Theater Company's Jose Luis Valenzuela and Juliette Carrillo are part of the roster of directors for Hero Theatre's Festival Irene: Celebrating Maria Irene Fornes with Her Plays, Panels and the Words of Her Students. More festival directors include Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Beth Lopes, Sylvia Blush, Yetta Gottesman and Elisa Bocanegra.

Hero Theatre announced today that the company's 2016/2017 season will commence with Festival Irene: Celebrating the Legacy of Maria Irene Fornes. The festival of plays will be presented as staged readings. It will include some of Fornes' most celebrated works in addition to featuring plays written by some of her students who are amongst some of the most prominent Latina/o writers in America today. Esteemed dramaturg, literary agent and founder of This Distracted Globe Consultancy, Morgan Jenness, will serve as consultant on the project.

HERO Theatre announced today the full cast of its upcoming production of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty'. Charlie Hofheimer ("Mad Men"), Robin Gammell ("How to Get Away with Murder") and Dion Mucciacito (Lincoln Center's "Golden Boy") are part of a cast that includes Elisa Bocanegra (Roundabout's "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore"), Alan Blumenfeld ("The Interview"), Nick Caballero, Johnny Ray Gill (Sundance Channel's "Rectify"), Ephraim Lopez, Shannon Lucio ("True Blood"), Jonathan Medina and Jerry Nessis. Performances begin January 23rd, 2015 and will be held at the Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles, CA.

HERO Theatre announced an upcoming presentation of 'Waiting for Lefty' by Clifford Odets that will be featured in a production titled 'An Evening of Clifford Odets: Waiting for Lefty and other Odets Classics.' 'Waiting for Lefty' will be featured in its entirety alongside scenes from Clifford Odets favorites 'Golden Boy,' 'Awake & Sing' and 'Paradise Lost.' It will be directed by Korey Jackson. The show dates are January 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and February 1st. It will be presented at the Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles, CA.

Playwrights' Arena, in association with Greenway Arts Alliance at Greenway Court Theatre, presents the World Premiere of PAINTING IN RED by Luis Alfaro, opening tonight, October 18, 2014. Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, the production will star Elisa Bocanegra, Cristina Frias, Joe Hernandez-Kolski, Justin Huen, Jayme Lake, West Liang and Rodney To.

Playwrights' Arena, in association with Greenway Arts Alliance at Greenway Court Theatre, presents the World Premiere of PAINTING IN RED by Luis Alfaro, opening Saturday, October 18, 2014. Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, the production will star Elisa Bocanegra, Cristina Frias, Joe Hernandez-Kolski, Justin Huen, Jayme Lake, West Liang and Rodney To.

Emmy award-winning director/writer Larry Charles (Borat, Religulous, Bruno, Seinfeld) and his son Francesco DeSantis join forces for the first time to pen the world premiere of 'Treason or Reason'. 'Treason or Reason' is part of HERO Theatre's Classic Film Project, world premiere scenes inspired by classic films performed live on a historical soundstage today, September 7th, 2013 in Los Angeles for two shows only.

Emmy award-winning director/writer Larry Charles (Borat, Religulous, Bruno, Seinfeld) and his son Francesco DeSantis join forces for the first time to pen the world premiere of 'Treason or Reason'. 'Treason or Reason' is part of HERO Theatre's Classic Film Project, world premiere scenes inspired by classic films performed live on a historical soundstage on September 7th, 2013 in Los Angeles for two shows only.

In Stephen Adly Guirgis' wickedly funny, intensely riveting 2011 dark urban comedy THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT -- now enjoying a superb, profanity-laced new production at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through January 27 -- the idea of personal growth is explored mostly through the (cuss) words and actions of recovering addict Jackie, a volatile yet vulnerable NewYorican ex-con in desperate need to change himself and his wretched lot in life. Unfortunately, though, in this brilliant play, his optimistic trajectory is pretty much hindered by inescapable behavioral and environmental circumstances.

Comedy often comes out of desperate circumstances. Laughter can follow as people try to change those circumstances by making better choices in life. That's the heart of Stephen Adly Guirgis' play The Motherf**ker with the Hat, the Broadway hit at South Coast Repertory Jan. 6-27. The production is directed by Michael John Garcés, artistic director at Cornerstone Theatre Company.

HERO Theatre announced the full cast for their benefit staged reading of Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings" to be led by Emmy Award winner William H. Macy, star of Showtime's Shameless and Joe Manganiello of HBO's True Blood and feature film Magic Mike. The cast includes Tim Bagley, Stephanie Beatriz, Elisa Bocanegra, Dan Donohue, Brent Jennings, and Sam Murphy. The director is John Frank Levey. The benefit will be held on Sunday, July 29 at 6pm at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, CA and will include a silent auction.

HERO Theatre presents a benefit staged reading of William Shakespeare's KING LEAR tonight, May 21st at 7:30PM to be held at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre/Laura Pels Theatre, 111 West 46th Street. Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis will play the title role and director Austin Pendleton will direct a cast featuring special guest artists performing alongside HERO Theatre company members.

HERO Theatre announced today that the cast of the "King Lear" benefit staged reading starring Olympia Dukakis and directed by Austin Pendleton will include Louis Cancelmi (Sarah Kane's "Blasted" at Soho Rep), Lynn Cohen ("Sex and the City," Tina Howe's "Chasing Manet'), Dashiell Eaves ("Becky Shaw", "A Behanding In Spokane"), Paul Lazar (Classic Stage Company's "Three Sisters", "Silence of the Lambs") and George Morfogen ("Freud's Last Session", CSC's "Three Sisters", and HBO's "OZ"). The cast also includes Elisa Bocanegra, Seth Duerr, Korey Jackson, Albert Jones, Thomas Kopache, James Martinez, Desiree Matthews, Anya Migdal, Liam Mitchell and Bobby Plasencia.