Rivera is directing “The Hombres,” by Tony Meneses, a co-production with Gloucester Stage Company that will run Sept. 6-24 in Gloucester and then “tour” to Teatro’s home base, Chelsea Theatre Works, Sept. 26-29. Lopez-Ponce was hired as a freelance director for SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Alexis Scheer’s “Laughs in Spanish,” Sept. 13-Oct. 12, in the Roberts Studio in the Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts.
“For ‘The Hombres’ to work as a co-production with Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea,” Rivera says, “it had to have a bilingual element and needed to connect to Chelsea. We’re excited to have the production perform in both locations.”
“The Hombres” traces the unexpected relationships that develop when a construction crew befriends a yoga instructor at a studio near where they are working. While the clash of stereotypes – machismo versus gay – provides some humor, Rivera says the play uses that easy access to ask more thoughtful questions about male friendship.
All five characters in the play are men, and all are Latino.
“While these men are asking questions like ‘Is it OK to have a gay friend?’ they are also asking questions about what the world thinks of us, what do we think of each other and how do we judge each other, all while doing sun salutations,” Rivera says. “These men are complex, and they offer an opportunity to show the breadth of what Latinos look like — Caribbean, Mexican, Central American Puerto Rican – each culture is distinct, and that adds another layer onto assumptions around how these men should act.”
Both Rivera and Lopez-Ponce say Teatro Chelsea is sometimes called when theater companies are looking for Latino actors.
“We have a really strong Latino theater community,” Rivera says. “This is my dream cast, friends I’ve known for a long time but never had the opportunity to work with, including Arthur Gomez, Jaime José “JJ” Hernandez, Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin, Luis Negrón, and Patrick O’Konis.”
“Part of Teatro Chelsea’s mission,” says Lopez-Ponce, “is opening doors for Latino actors that allow them to take on roles outside of the stereotypes.”
Both Rivera and Lopez-Ponce encourage actors to tap into the well of their own culture.
“Being multi-lingual is a secret weapon we want them to embrace as a part of their skill set,” says Rivera.
Lopez-Ponce, who won an Elliot Norton Award for her direction of “Don’t Eat the Mangos” at Apollinaire Theatre and has also appeared on many local stages as an actor, says “Laughs in Spanish” appealed to her for its multicultural flavor.
“I was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami,” she says, “and I loved the way [playwright] Alexis captures what it means to live in that multi-ethnic environment.”
The comedy takes place in Miami during Art Basel, an international art fair that connects galleries, artists, and collectors. When an ambitious young gallery owner discovers her exhibit has been stolen the night before her grand opening, she and her intern (who is also a talented artist) scramble to complete final details for their opening reception as if nothing has happened. Mayhem ensues, of course, complicated by the arrival of her mother, a famous actress who has never been much of the nurturing sort.
“There’s lots of fast-paced humor, and we play with code-switching,” Lopez-Ponce says, “but at its heart it’s a story of a mother-daughter relationship, of finding the love that’s there.”
While both plays toy with stereotypes, Lopez-Ponce says the stories have broad appeal.
“The characters happen to be Latino,” she says, “but the topic of male friendships and navigating your relationship with a parent cross ethnic and cultural boundaries.”
Of course, says Rivera, Teatro Chelsea is eager to activate audiences in other Latino communities outside of Chelsea.
“It’s exciting to perform in front of an audience of my peers,” he says. “And we are thrilled that a growing number of Latinos feel welcomed into theaters and are claiming their space.”
THE HOMBRES
Gloucester Stage Company and Teatro Chelsea, Sept. 6-29, Tickets: $18-$70. 978-281-4433, www.gloucesterstage.com.
LAUGHS IN SPANISH
SpeakEasy Stage Company, Roberts Studio, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, Sept. 13-Oct. 12. Tickets: $25-$85. 617-933-8600, https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/shows-and-events/laughs-in-spanish/
