HOLAfestival: Staged Reading of MENTIRAS BELLAS (BEAUTIFUL LIES) by Mel Nieves

HOLAfestival
Abrazo Interno Gallery
Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center
107 Suffolk Street, Second Floor
(between Rivington and Delancey streets), NYC

AN OFFICIAL EVENT OF THE
2011 NYC LATIN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT WEEK
(OCTOBER 3-9, 2011).

FREE ADMISSION, BUT RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED
FOR MORE INFO OR TO RSVP, CALL (212) 253-1015

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION
Monday, October 3, 2011 at 6pm

(Photos of HOLA member-playwright shown at right.)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Mentiras Bellas (Beautiful Lies)
Written by Mel Nieves
Directed by Paula Pizzi

In a community in the South Bronx, a family struggles to reconcile with their only son, a former gang member trying to go straight. A mother in prison prays that her damaged lifestyle hasn't ruined her daughter's chance for a healthy life and a young man fights to keep his balance between two worlds, trying to find in which one he truly belongs.

MEL NIEVES was born and raised in New York City. Graduate of the William Esper Studios and a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company since 1993. As an actor his work includes Pulitzer Prize finalist Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue at Luna Stage; SANGRE, a contemporary retelling of Federico García Lorca’s Blood Wedding written by Mando Alvarado as part of City Parks Foundation SummerStage. As a playwright his work has been presented by the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival (2005-2008), Repertorio Español (2006-2007), LAByrinth Theatre Company’s Summer Intensive Workshops at The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (2001-2003) & Bennington College (2005-2008) and Bard College (2009-2011). His plays include Tours Of Duty (co-winner, best short play 2005 Downtown Urban theatre Festival), directed by fellow LAByrinth Company member Padraic Lillis; Midnight Mass (2006 Metlife Foundation Nuestras Voces National Playwrights award); W.A.C. Iraq (2008 world premiere, Santa Ana, California, presented by Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble); Night Train (2008 LAByrinth Barn Series Festival at The Public Theater), directed by fellow LAByrinth Theatre Company member Félix Solís, By The Dawn’s Early Light: Los Embrujados & Midnight Mass, presented by The Apple Core Theatre Company on Theatre Row. For more info, go to www.MelNieves.com.

Abrazo Interno Gallery Hours: 3:30pm-10pm DAILY

Re-Imaginings Photo Art Exhibit
Curated by Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA),
María F. Nieto and Luis Carle

Photography by Luis Carle
Concept and Styling by María F. Nieto
Makeup by Ura Yoana Sánchez and Ashton Pina

Re-Imaginings is a photographic art exhibit with the unifying theme of visualizing a world where Latinos were already more fully integrated into the mainstream entertainment culture. The photographic art exhibit would take iconic television cast images and "re-imagine" them, showing Latinos as part of the re-imagined cast. The photos would strike a visual chord of familiarity while also showing how seamlessly a Latino actor could be integrated into the shows' universal themes of the human experience.

[PHOTO: Photographer Luis Carle talks with Tom Schubert behind the scenes of the Re-Imaginings photo shoot. Photo by A.B. Lugo.]