Banner Ads Now Available on HOLA Website

Wanna promote your upcoming stage production? Your upcoming film screening? Your upcoming special event?

HOLA members often get publicity in our Members in Performance page, but what if you could promote on our main homepage, or in our directory (The HOLA Pages), where more people can see your ad?

What if you had a project with no HOLA members that you wanted to promote?

What if you wanted to promote something that wasn’t a show (like your production company itself or a new website)?

Now you can do so by BUYING A BANNER AD on the HOLA website.

Banner ads come in half-page and full-page sizes and can be on the HOLA website for one week, two weeks, three weeks or a whole month. HOLA can also link your ad to a particular website at no additional cost.

Prices on the banner ads are affordable. Also, not-for-profit organizations receive a 10% discount on ad prices.

The HOLA website receives thousands of visits each month. The HOLA website is viewed by many professionals in the industry and is a unique way of reaching the Latino/Hispanic and mainstream audiences, which make buying a banner ad a smart investment for you.

Wanna buy a banner ad? Call (212) 253-1015 or e-mail us for prices and ad dimensions.

HOLA Regional Membership Available For Those Outside New York Metropolitan Area

If you are an actor who lives in an area of the U.S. outside of the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey or Connecticut (HOLA's programming and administrative headquarters region), HOLA is proud to announce its Regional Membership level - for only $65 (versus a $125 regular NYC region membership price) for one full year!

As an HOLA Regional Member, you'll be entitled to the following member benefits:

• Your headshot, resume, reel and voiceover demo* showcased on the HOLA Pages, the internet's only concentrated source of Latino acting talent. The directory is a trusted resource for casting directors, producers and talent agents receiving, on average, over 5,000 visits per month. (* There is an additional charge of $15 for adding your voiceover demo.)

• Your performances listed and promoted via HOLA's website and social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) that reaches thousands of people in the entertainment industry.

• Casting notices that will alert you to employment opportunities tailored to the Latino actor.

• Advocacy to combat stereotypes of the Latino/Hispanic community in media and entertainment as well as the opportunity to join in solidarity with the Latino/Hispanic acting community.


Application for regional memberships accepted by telephone order only. Call HOLA toll-free at (212) 253-1015. (VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted.) Please submit your headshot (in .jpg format) and resume in a Word document or in Portable Data Format (.doc or .docx; or .pdf) via e-mail to HOLA.

Why Join HOLA? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About HOLA

WHY JOIN HOLA?

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is HOLA an agency or management company?

No. While we work similarly to an agency or an artist management company, we do a lot more. In essence, HOLA is a membership organization, a not-for-profit arts service and advocacy organization that offers jobs and casting opportunities, workshops and seminars and special events to its membership.

• Does one have to audition for HOLA?

No. HOLA is a membership organization. Just pay the annual membership and you become an HOLA member.

• I am a new actor. Does HOLA apply to me and how so? (Or conversely, I have a fair amount of experience. How does HOLA apply to me?)

HOLA members range from the beginner to the established and everywhere in between. HOLA will apply to you at every stage of your career.

• Do I have to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member?

No. HOLA members speak English only, Spanish only, or both languages fluently. Our Brazilian members speak Portuguese as well as English. There is no requirement for any member to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member.

• What kind of casting notices do you receive?

HOLA receives all kinds of casting notices— from union and nonunion, through the disciplines of film, television, theater and voiceover. The majority of our notices are distributed to our membership. There are some instances, whether because of short notice or because of the search for something very specific, that HOLA makes referrals to certain talent.

• I have signed representation. Would that be in conflict with HOLA?

No. In fact, we would put your signed representative’s name and number on your online profile. It would be another way to promote yourself without conflict.

• If I book a job through HOLA, do I owe you a commission?

No. We are not an agency or artist management company. You are under no obligation to give us a commission. (But if you want to show your appreciation with a donation, we’ll be forced to take it, I suppose.)

• I am in the process of getting my citizenship. Could I still join HOLA?

Yes. As long as you can legally work in the U.S., you can join HOLA.

• Does HOLA have a social media presence?

Yes. We are on Facebook, Twitter and have our own channel on YouTube. In addition, we are on Wikipedia and have our own blog, titled El Blog de HOLA.

• What if I am not an actor but I like what you do?

You could support HOLA by becoming a Friend of HOLA and donating to the organization. If you are a producer or director, a Friend of HOLA donation allow us to promote your productions!

All About Becoming an HOLA Member or a Friend of HOLA

Wanna be an HOLA member? Wanna know more about HOLA first?

HOLA is a not-for-profit arts service and advocacy organization founded in 1975.

HOLA members get their headshots and resumes on our web directory. In addition, HOLA receives casting notices from various sources that we pass on to our members (or in specific cases, help refer actors to the casting director).

HOLA offers low-cost workshops and seminars, professional counseling, special events and networking activities. We also produce the HOLA Awards which honor outstanding achievement by Latinos in entertainment.

HOLA has a Facebook page and a Twitter page in addition to this blog (imaginatively titled El Blog De HOLA). Whenever a member is doing a project, we can promote via e-mails we send out, through our Members in Performance page on the website or in El Blog on our HOLA Member Bochinche column (only good bochinche, never bad bochinche). It functions as another outlet to promote your work. HOLA is also on YouTube and on Wikipedia.

What if you are not an actor? You can support HOLA by being a Friend of HOLA. For more information, click here.

To become an HOLA member online (New York metropolitan area), fill out the member application form here.

WELCOME NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS – JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2017

Below is a list of new (and returning) HOLA members who joined between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2017. (Note that "returning members" refer to those members who have returned to HOLA after having their memberships expire for some time and do not include renewing members.)

(Top row, left to right): Erick Betancourt, Eliana González; (second row, left to right): Al Lanfranco, Jesica Levi; (third row, left to right): Gaspar Méndez, Héctor Palacios; (bottom row, left to right): Alexandra Rosario, Shoova Stanton.

 

Meet Jharrel Jerome of the 2017 Academy Award-winning Best Picture MOONLIGHT

Jharrel Jerome.

Earning raves as the teenage Kevin in the 2017 Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight, Jharrel Jerome, the Bronx-born and -raised actor of Dominican heritage, has picked up a SAG Award nomination and won the Film Independent Robert Altman Award as part of the ensemble of the same film. A graduate of LaGuardia High School of Musica, Art and Performing Arts and student of Ithaca College, he will star in the upcoming Anthony Mandler film Monster, the Olivia Newman film First Match, and has joined the cast of the David E. Kelley series "Mr. Mercedes" (The Audience Network), based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. To find out more about this rising star, click here, here and here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Caridad de la Luz (also known by her nom de poésie et de musique La Bruja), shown at right, will be performing at Momma's Hip Hop Kitchen. Now in its tenth year, the annual event (subtitled this year "Still I Rise"), Momma’s Hip Hop Kitchen (MHHK) is a multifaceted hip hop event designed to showcase women artists, especially women of color. MHHK serves as a social justice community-organizing platform that educates and empowers women of color on issues that impact their lives, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive justice. La Bruja will be joined on stage by Carina Vázquez De La Luz, who, besides being an artist in her own right, is de la Luz's daughter. This year's event will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the Hostos Center for Arts and Culture, located in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. For more information, click here.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez will have his award-winning play Barceló on the Rocks presented for a workshop presentation by Raíces Theatre Company. Directed by Victoria Pérez, it will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at Manny Fried Playhouse in Buffalo, New York. For more information, click here.

Milteri Tucker and Cedric Leiba, Jr., shown at left, back to front, in performance, will be performing with Bombazo Dance Company at the Confetti Paints: Bomba Jam & Paint event. The event, a fundraiser for Bombazo, will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at Confetti Party Place in the Middletown/Pelham Bay Park area of the Bronx. For more information, click here.

Lucio Fernández will be presenting a screening of the documentary Bahía de Cochinos: Nuestra perspectiva. Directed by Ricardo Bacallao and Fernández, the screening will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at the Teatro Rafael Villalona at the Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU (CoDoCul), located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Luis Salgado and Javier E. Gómez, shown above, from left to right, were featured in the monthly New York newspaper Queens Latino, as a result of their participation in a panel discussion about Latinos on Broadway. The panel, presented by R.Evolución Latina, was part of BroadwayCon 2017, which took place in January at the Jacob Javits Convention Center (located in Manhattan's West Side) and moderated by Salgado. Besides Gómez, the other panelists were Academy Award winner (and former HOLA awardee) Alexander Dinelaris; Doreen Montalvo; and Andy Señor, Jr. To read the article, which is in Spanish, click here.

Angie Regina, shown at right, appeared in an article in the daily New York newspaper El Diario/La Prensa, as a result of her starring role in the solo show Pedro Animal Falls in Love/Pedro Animal se enamora. Written and directed by Manuel A. Morán, the play is based on Dominican and Puerto Rican folktales and will be presented on Saturday, February 25, 2017 as part of the Teatro SEA's Micro Teatro For Young Audiences festival at Teatro SEA's namesake theater in The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. To read the article, which is in Spanish, click here.

Juan Francisco Villa, shown at left and also see below, is co-starring in the Jaime Estades play Five Sessions. Directed by Edward Torres, the play will take place in March at the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center located in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood. For more information (including how to get tickets), click here.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez and Juan Francisco Villa (also see above) were two of the people participating in a roundtable discussion of Latinx working actors for the Include This podcast. To listen to the podcast, click on the image below (caution: strong language).



If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Why Latinos Are The Multibillion-Dollar "New Mainstream" Audience Hollywood Is Missing

The cast of "One Day at a Time" (Netflix).

Latino financial impact is enormous. Today, Latinos wield an estimated $1.3 trillion in buying power. Latinos are responsible for 29 percent of the growth in U.S. real income since 2005. We are the fastest-growing demographic, and we love the movies. In 2015, one in every four movie ticket buyers was Latino. Overall, Latinos represent 20 percent of all media consumers. 

We are the new mainstream.

So why aren’t film studios trying to target us? Why aren’t our stories told? Why hasn’t a Latina ever won the Oscar for best actress? Behind the camera, the Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu broke ground with his Oscar wins, but the onscreen visibility of Latinos just isn't there. –Media executive and businessman HERB SCANNELL of Latino Donor Collaborative 

To find out more of why Herb Scannell thinks that Latinos is the "new mainstream" audience that Hollywood is missing, read his guest column in The Hollywood Reporter by clicking here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Raquel Almazán, shown, third from left, in the photo at right, was highlighted in Broadway World, where the developmental reading of her play La Negra (previously presented as part of the 2013 HOLAfestival) in February was mentioned. Presented by Lone Star Theatre Company and La Lucha Arts, the presentation was directed by Fernando Parra Borti, featured the acting talents of Adriana Sananes, Juan Francisco Villa, Gilbert Cruz (shown at left, second from left, and fifth from left, respectively, in the photo at right), Annabel Guevara and Greg Barone, and was presented at Jack Dempsey's, located in Manhattan's Garment District. To read the article, click here.

Luis Salgado, shown at left, was featured in a the New Jersey Stage blog, where his role as director-choreographer in the upcoming Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) production of the Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes musical In The Heights was highlighted. The production (which co-stars Maite Uzal as Abuela Claudia) will take place in March at Axelrod's eponymous theater in Deal Park, New Jersey. To read the article, click here.

A.B. Lugo, shown at right, acted in a workshop presentation of Eugene Rodríguez's play The Princess and the Clown. Directed by José A. Esquea, the presentation also featured the acting talents of Iván Goris, Belange Rodríguez and Jazmine Villegas, and took place in February at the ArtSpace PS 109 space in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood.

Edna Lee Figueroa, shown at center in the photo at left, was interviewed by Broadway World, where she spoke of her role in Txemi Parra's libidinous comedy La terapía. Directed by Gerardo Gudiño, the all-HOLA member cast also features Edmi De Jesús and Jerry Soto (shown flanking Figueroa, left and right, respectively, in the photo at right), and is being presented in March and April by and at Teatro SEA as part of their Micro Teatro New York series at its namesake theater in The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. To read the interview, click here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manny Herrera

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manny Herrera

April 18-May 4, 2017 (new dates)
Six (6) sessions on 
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 6:30pm sharp to 8:30pm

At the HOLA Office (address below)

$200 for HOLA members

$250 for non-HOLA members

The workshop will be conducted in Spanish.

(El taller será conducido en español.)

Manny Herrera's Spanish Language Voiceover Workshop was instrumental in my career development. Since I took this workshop, I have booked a number of Spanish-language commercials, industrials, dubbing, and special projects. In the past year alone, based only on my voiceover demo (which is on file at a commercial media company), I was offered a television campaign and was brought back three times. As a result I earned over $30,000. Take this workshop. Manny is an excellent teacher, and you can be sure to increase your skills and earning capacity. –Actor, playwright, director, producer and voiceover artist MARIO GOLDEN

Manny Herrera, Voiceover Motivator, HOLA Special Projects Director, actor, director and voiceover artist will direct an advanced voice-over technique workshop for the experienced actor who wishes to fine-tune his/her technique. The workshop covers: diction and voicing in Spanish; interpretation and rhythm; and narration; professional audition and quick study techniques. Previous HOLA voiceover workshop students invited. Applicants should supply USB drive to record work progress. Optional production of demo tape available at additional cost. Actual voiceover copy will be used for this series. Small classes.

Workshop held at HOLA using the "WhisperRoom". Register early as there is limited enrollment. Registration confirmed upon payment. 

The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center,
located at 107 Suffolk Street 

(between Rivington and Delancey streets), Lower East Side, NYC.

(F to Delancey / J M Z to Essex / 

M9, M14A buses)
Visa, Mastercard and 

American Express cards accepted. 
Call HOLA at (212) 253-1015 to register.

# # # #

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Luis Salgado and Maite Uzal, shown above, left to right, were featured in a photo article from Broadway World where his role as director-choreographer and her role as Abuela Claudia in the upcoming Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) production of the Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes musical In The Heights are highlighted. The production will take place in March at Axelrod's eponymous theater in Deal Park, New Jersey. To read the article, which feature rehearsal photos, click here.

Lucio Fernández and MeLu Films/The Grace Theatre Workshop produced the documentary Bahía de Cochinos: Nuestra perspectiva. Directed by Ricardo Bacallao and Fernández, the documentary recently aired in February on Silver Star Television in Peru.

Elizardi Castro appeared with Emeline Ramos (shown right to left, in the photo at left) in the HOLAciudad! Orlando blog where his comedy video titled "Terapia de papeles: Rollo de papel– ¿Por arriba o por abajo?" about the classic conundrum regarding which way to put in a roll of toilet paper (above or below). To read the blog and see the accompanying video, which are both in Spanish, click here.

Judy Torres will have a busy evening on Saturday, March 4, 2017. She will start her evening singing her freestyle dance hits as one of the headliners (along with TKA/K7, Cynthia, George Lamond and Noel) at the Forever Freestyle 11 concert. The concert will take place at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located in the Bedford Park area of the Bronx. She will then do her second concert appearance of the evening as one of the headliners (along with Corina and Lisette Meléndez) at the Freestyle Music Reunion concert at Rise nightclub in Lodi, New Jersey. For more information regarding these two appearances, click here and here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?