The oldest performing arts center in the U.S., the Brooklyn Academy of Music, will for the first time host a play completely in Spanish without subtitles.
Why it matters: It’s a sign of how venues have been betting on a growing interest in Latino and Latin American art. Spanish is the second most spoken language in U.S. homes.
Driving the news: The play “Gaviota,” premiering Wednesday, is an adaptation of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” led entirely by a cast of Argentine women.
What they’re saying: Luis Felipe Farfán, BAM’s chief brand officer and the first Mexican American to serve on the organization’s senior leadership team, says there’s excitement “about what the response will be, since this is a first for an institution that has existed since 1861.”
- “But putting this on, as well as making space for musical acts and other artists from Latin spheres, seeks to reflect that Brooklyn is Latino, and it’s Black, and it’s Jewish – it’s a multifaceted community just like the overall fabric of American society.”
Zoom in: “Gaviota” is set on a dining table surrounded by the audience, to make viewers feel as if they’re directly part of the conversations — and the pointed silences — among the characters.
- The play’s director, Guillermo Cacace, says those emotional beats and sense of experimental theater can show how arts “transcend language to move people” even without subtitles.
What we’re watching: As part of BAM’s Next Wave programming, running through Jan. 19, the organization will also host an installation from multimedia Dominican artist Modesto “Flako” Jimenez next month.
- Farfán adds that BAM will also launch a series of free Latin music concerts starting in January.
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