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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Francisco Ramos, shown at left, booked a role in the film Blood and Stone (directed by Claude Desparois and written and produced by Stephanie Wolfe). In addition, he booked an international commercial for J&B scotch whisky.

Caridad de la Luz (also known by her nom de poésie et de musique La Bruja) hosted a night of poetry called Justicia Poética at El Boricua, located in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico (near the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras campus).

Esteban Rodríguez Alverio completed work on the feature film Three From the Block (featuring three stories written and directed by Antonio De La Cruz).

Allison Strong can be seen in a national Multigrain Cheerios commercial.

Milteri Tucker and the Bombazo Dance Company will be performing on Sunday, September 2, 2012 at the Hilton New York Hotel (located just outside Rockefeller Center in the Midtown West area of Manhattan) as part of the the 12th Annual New York International Salsa Congress. For more information, 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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

WELCOME NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS - JULY AND AUGUST 2012

Below is a list of new (and returning) HOLA members who joined between July 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012. (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): Carla Caraballo, J.W. Cortés; (second row, left to right): Cecilia De Feo, Beatriz de la Cruz; (third row, left to right): Aniela González, Iván Goris; (fourth row, left to right): Cedric Leiba, Jr., Carol López; (fifth row, left to right): Julissa López, Simone Lorenzo; (sixth row, left to right): Elizabeth Marino, Marisol Miranda; (seventh row, left to right): Jordi Naro, Gladys Idelis Nieves; (eighth row, left to right): Cristina Oliver, Juan Carlos Pinedo; (ninth row, left to right): Ray Quiñones, Paty Quiroga; (tenth row, left to right): Cristina Ramos, Esteban Rodríguez Alverio; (eleventh row, left to right): María Salas;  Nancy Smith; (twelfth row, left to right): Judy Torres, Liam Torres; (bottom row, left to right): Karen Vigo, Aamira Welthy.

Dallas meets Dexter: A serial killer mix “maid” Latin style!

Check out this interview conducted by David Zayas of his good friend Marlene Forté (both are coincidentally 2012 HOLA Award honorees)  in Popular Hispanics by clicking here.

Forté, shown at right with Zayas, talks about her career, her star-making turn in the TNT "Dallas" reboot and mothers (and sexy grandmothers). HOLA gets a mention in the interview as well.

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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Félix Solís, shown at right, is a series regular of the upcoming CBS television series "Made in Jersey." The series will air Friday nights in the U.S. In addition, he is a 2012 HOLA Award honoree for Excellence in Television along with Marlene Forté (of the TNT series "Dallas").

Omar Pérez is appearing in Truant Arts: Fast and Loose. Produced by Truant Arts and Access Theater, it is a series of 13 short plays, inspired, written, rehearsed and performed in 48 hours. The event is scheduled to run at the end of August at the Access Theater, located in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. For more information (including playwrights, directors and other actors), click here, here or here.

Susana Pérez, shown at left, is joining the cast of All About Meat (The Garcías). Written and directed by Michelangelo Alasá, the show stars Alasá, Mario Bósquez, Antonio Miñino, Pooya Mohseni, Mark Moore, Facundo Rodríguez and Andrés de Vengoechea and is scheduled to run from October through December at the Duo Multicultural Arts Center, located in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood. She booked the gig after reading the casting notice on the e-mail announcements that HOLA sends to its members and self-submitting. For more information, click here.

Working Artists Lab is presenting the West Coast premiere of Mel Nieves' By The Dawn's Early Light, a pair of two one-acts (Los Embrujados [The Haunted Ones] and Midnight Mass), dealing with 9/11. Directed by Héctor Rodríguez and produced by Ángel Fajardo and Jeremy Tomás, the cast stars Lorenzo Callender, Erick Carillo, Gerry Del Sol, Adriana Díaz-Chapa, Fajardo, Misha Gonz-Cirkl, Eddie Martínez, Francisco Medina, Nadia Padilla, Jordan Preston, Ayanery Reyes, and Will Vásquez. The production will have a September run at The Missing Piece Theater in Burbank, California. A portion of the proceeds will benefit a 9/11 rescue workers relief fund. For more information, click here or here.

Like Dinosaurs (Como los dinosaurios), a short film written, starring and directed by Jordi Naro, recently screened at two film festivals: in June at the Collective Film Festival at the Centro Español in New York (in Manhattan's West Village) and in August at the Festival Intrernacional Cinematográfico de Toluca in Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico, Mexico. For more information on the film, click here or here. If you would to see the film, click on the video below (caution: some slight strong language).

Susan Rybin appeared on the CNN en Español program "Notimujer" where she was named "Mujer de la Semana" (Woman of the Week). The video of her interview with Adriana Hauser can be seen below.

CNN Español - NotiMujer con Susan Rybin from Susan Rybin on Vimeo.

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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? 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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Sarah Nina Hayon

Sarah Nina Hayon, shown at right, will appear on stage in Ten. Produced by Partial Comfort Productions in commemoration of its tenth anniversary, the series of ten short plays written by ten playwrights (Samuel D. Hunter, Thomas Bradshaw, Robert O'Hara, Laura Marks, Chad Beckim, Ross Maxwell, Edith Freni, Jonathan Caren, Greg Keller and Sam Marks, respectively) and directed by ten directors (Pirrone Yousefzadeh, Tamara Fisch, Robert O'Hara, Mia Rovegno, Laura Savia, Jessika Doyel, Erica Gould, Kareem Fahmy, Stephen Brackett and Alice Reagan, respectively) will have a September run at The Wild Project in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. The cast will include Curran Connor, Jessica Frey, Andrew Garman, Jo Mei, Jeffrey Nauman, Peter O'Connor, Cynthia Silver, Jenny Seastone Stern, and Jeff Wilburn. For more information, click here.

Jurukán Films produced the short film Hope's Revenge. Written and directed by Rubén Dario Cruz II, the film stars Mariana Buoninconti and will have a special screening at Linden Boulevard Multiplex Cinemas in the East New York section of Brooklyn. The film was co-produced by the Cypress Hills-Fulton Street Senior Center and contained some of the residents as actors in the film. For more information, click here. To see the trailer, click on the video trailer below.

Soledad López

David Vega

Alfredo Huereca

Juan Villarreal

Work is being completed on the new SAG-AFTRA webseries "¡Madre mía!" Written by Francisco Lupini Basagoiti and Francisco Fuertes and directed by Lupini. The webseries stars Soledad López, David Vega, Alfredo Huereca, Juan Villarreal and Esther Montoro. The actors shown here found out about the project while receiving the casting notice in the e-mail announcements that HOLA sends to its members. For more information on the project, click here, here or here.

In addition to the above, Juan Villarreal booked a print job for Lincoln Hospital.

The Jaime Espinal play No Problem, Amigo is being presented in August and September in Colombia as part of International Theater Festival at Manizales. After the run, the play will tour in Medellín and Bogotá. Directed by Ángel Gil Orrios (who helmed the bilingual world premiere at Thalía Spanish Theatre in the Sunnyside area of Queens back in May and June), the play stars Espinal, Susan Rybin, Alicia Kaplan, Premier Solís, Francisco Fuertes, Jesús E. Martínez and Sevans Martínez.

A.B. Lugo will be one of the contributors performing his work at the reading and book signing event for the poetry anthology Me No Habla With Acento. Edited by Emanuel Xavier (who will also be hosting the event) and published by Rebel Satori Press/El Museo Del Barrio, the event will take place on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at La Casa Azul Bookstore in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood. Other contributors performing that evening include John "Chance" Acevedo, María Rodríguez, Urayoán Noel, Roberto F. Santiago, Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas and Myrna Nieves. For more information on the event, click here. To buy the poetry anthology, click here or 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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? 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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Florencia Lozano, shown at right, will appear on stage opposite Tony Award nominee (and Drama Desk and Obie Award winner) Kathleen Chalfant and Alfredo Narciso (a 2012 HOLA Award recipient) in Red Dog Howls. Written by Alexander Dinelaris and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, the off-Broadway production will have a September and October run at the New York Theater Workshop in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here.

Suni Reyes appeared in Transit Stories. Written and produced by Michelle Francesca Thomas and directed by Jonathan Braylock, the show took place in August. She followed this up in September with 1-800-LONDON Goes Salsa Dancing, where several talented improvisers will be creating work based on her stand up comedy and storytelling. The former show took place and the upcoming show will take place at The People's Improv Theater in the Rose Hill section of Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Soledad del Río wrapped up work on the film A Few Kind Words (written and directed by Arnold Pitre).

A.B. Lugo is directing two skits for Jeannie Sol's cabaret show. The show features talent such as Anthony Ruiz, Marilyn Torres, Janderie Gutiérrez, Rokafella, Advocate of Wordz, Andrés Chulisi Rodríguez (a 2012 HOLA Award recipient) and others. The show is scheduled for an August run at Teatro LATEA, located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood.


 

Mauricio Pita and Ximena Mieles, shown above from left to right, will next be on stage in Drawn From Water. Written by Rosebud Ben-Oni and directed by Bob Teague, the play, which boasts an all-HOLA member cast, will run in October (as part of Hispanic Heritage Month) at the Kathy Murphy Amphitheater, located in the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Rodney Roldán will appear in an upcoming episode of "Elementary" (CBS).

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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Betcha Didn't Know...?

Some of the most notable names from the dawn of film and television are of Latino descent. Here are some of them.

In this edition, politicians (a president of a non-Latino nation, a White House Chief of Staff, a governor, a mayor and a representative of Congress).

Éamon de Valera (1882–1975), born Edward George de Valera Coll al estilo latino, was the third president of Ireland (and the first to not be born in Ireland) from 1959-1973. Born in New York City in 1882 to an Irish mother, Catherine Coll (an immigrant from  Bruree, County Limerick), and Juan Vivion de Valera (a Cuban settler and sculptor of Spanish descent), he was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth-century Ireland. His political career spanned over half a century, from 1917 to 1973; he served multiple terms as head of government and head of state. He also led the introduction of the Constitution of Ireland. His father died in 1885 leaving the family in poor circumstances. He was taken to Ireland by his uncle before his third birthday. Even when his mother married a new husband in the mid-1880s, he was not brought back to live with her but reared instead by his grandmother Elizabeth Coll, her son Patrick and her daughter Hannie, in County Limerick. At the age of sixteen, he attended Blackrock College. He later graduated in mathematics from the Royal University of Island in 1904. He taught mathematics at the university level before embarking on his political career. was a leader of Ireland's struggle for independence from Britain in the War of Independence and of the anti-Treaty opposition in the ensuing Irish Civil War (1922–1923). In 1926, he founded Fianna Fáil, and was head of government from 1932 to 1948, 1951 to 1954 and 1957 to 1959. His political creed evolved from militant republicanism to social and cultural conservatism. He was inaugurated President on 25 June 1959. He was re-elected president in 1966 aged 84, still a world record for the oldest elected head of state. At his retirement in 1973 at the age of 90, he was the oldest head of state in the world. He died in Blackrock, County Dublin in 1975 and is buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery.

John H. Sununu (1939- ), born John Henry Sununu Dada al estilo latino in Havana, Havana, Cuba to a Palestinian father and a Salvadoran mother. He served as the 75th Governor of New Hampshire (1983–89) and later White House Chief of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. He is the father of John E. Sununu, a former senator from New Hampshire. He was the Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party from 2009 to 2011. He was the first White House Chief of Staff for George H.W. Bush, serving from 1989 to 1991, and is considered to have engineered Bush's mid-term abandonment of his 1988 campaign promise of "no new taxes". He also co-hosted CNN's nightly series "Crossfire" from March 1992 until February 1998. He earned a bachelor of science degree in 1961, a master of science degree in 1963, and a Ph.D. in 1966 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), all in mechanical engineering. From 1968 until 1973, he was Associate Dean of the College of Engineering at Tufts University and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He served on the Advisory Board of the Technology and Policy Program at MIT from 1984 until 1989.

Bill Richardson (1947- ), born William Blaine Richardson López al estilo latino in Pasadena, California, U.S.A. to a father of English and Mexican descent and a mother of Mexican and Asturian (Spanish) descent. Raised in both Mexico and the United States, served as the 30th Governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. Before being elected governor, he served in the Clinton administration as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary. He has also served as a U.S. Congressman, chairman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. He earned a Bachelor's degree at Tufts University in 1970, majoring in French and political science. He went on to earn a master's degree in international affairs from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971. He was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. When he took office in 2003 as Governor of New Mexico, he was the only governor of Latino/Hispanic descent. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential election but dropped out on January 10, 2008 after lackluster showings in the first primary and caucus contests.

Adrian Fenty (1970- ), born Adrian Malik Fenty Perno al estilo latino in Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.A. to an Italian-American mother and a father of Bajan (Barbadian) and Panamanian descent. He served as the sixth mayor of the District of Columbia (2007-2011). Before that, he served for six years on the D.C. Council. He is reportedly a distant relative to Bajan singer Rihanna (née Robyn Rihanna Fenty) on his father's side. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Howard University Law School and since leaving office, has joined nationally known Washington D.C. based litigation firm, Klores Perry Mitchell, P.C. He has also embarked on a career as a paid speaker, part-time college professor, adviser for the state and local government practice of an information technology consulting firm.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (1952- ), born Ileana Ros y Adato al estilo latino, is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 18th congressional district, serving since 1989. Born in Havana, Havana, Cuba to parents with Cuban and Turkish Sephardic Jews ancestry, she is currently the most senior Republican woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was the first Republican woman elected to the House of Representatives from Florida. Since 2011, she is chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Her family emigrated to the United States when she was seven years old. She received her Bachelor of Arts in edication and her Master of Arts in educational leadership from Florida International University. She attended the University of Miami where she earned a Ph.D. in higher education.

• Wanna see other editions of "Betcha Didn't Know...?" Click 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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Ydaiber Orozco, shown at right, appeared in a print ad for Mastercard.

Anthony Ruiz played Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú in a skit on "Late Show With David Letterman" (CBS). To see the episode, click here (his segment begins at the 27:07 mark).

The film Under My Nails (written by Kisha Tikina Burgos, directed by Ari Maniel Cruz) won the Best Domestic (U.S.) Feature Film Award from the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF). The film was  and also stars Iván Camilo, Burgos, Maité Bonilla, Rosie Berrido, Marilú Acosta, Dolores Pedro, Enrique Juliá, Miranda Purcell and Antonio Pantojas in the cast.

Elle de Amor is currently in Westport, New York, where she is rehearsing Josefina López's Real Women Have Curves. Directed by Norma Medina, the show will run in August and September at the Depot Theatre. For more information on the production (for which she earned her Equity card), click here.

Teatro Las Tablas and Teatro LATEA will present La Jom Atenda (The Home Attendant). The Letras de Ultramar award-winning play by Diógenes Abreu will be directed by Yolanny Rodríguez and star Mateo Gómez and Ana Montero. The production is slated for a December run at Teatro LATEA, located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida 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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? 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 and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface.

Andy Pérez, shown at right, was the subject of a profile in the 12th Edition issue of Modelixir online magazine. To read the article, click the image at right, or click here, here and here. For more information on the online magazine, click here.

INTAR is presenting the Bright Untamed Festival. The series of new "unapologetically queer plays with an edge" will take place in August at INTAR's eponymous theater, located in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. The festival (produced by David Anzuelo and co-hosted by Pedro Ángel Serrano) includes plays written by Carlos Alberto Valencia, J. Julián Christopher, Susana Cook and Ricardo Bracho, with Aminta de Lara, José Zayas, Cook and Daniel Jáquez, respectively, handling helming duties. The company of actors include Regie Cabico, Raúl Castillo, Cook, Sol Crespo, Virginia Grise, Annie Henk, Anna Lamadrid, Mauricio Leyton, Omar Pérez, Eric Robledo, Orlando Ríos, Charlie Vázquez, and others. For more information, click here or here.

David Vega associate produced the short film Blackout (written by and starring Paula Román and directed by Francisco Lupini). The film screened at the Abingdon Theater (located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan) as part of the New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF), where it earned Best Actress in a Short Film honors for Román. For more information, click here or here.

Aída Álvarez

Adela María Bolet

Carmen Cabrera

Caridad Del Valle

Yvette Quintero

Johanna Ramírez

Eduardo Ramos

Clairet Villamizar

E3Outlaws Productions is presenting Federico García Lorca's famed rural tragedy Bodas de sangre. Produced and directed by Enmanuel García, the production will take place as part of the Tercer Festival de Teatro Hispano del Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en los Estados Unidos, slated to take place in October and November at the Sala Andrés Francisco Requena (also located in the Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en los Estados Unidos) in upper Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. The cast includes Aída Álvarez, Adela María Bolet, Carmen Cabrera, Juan Castaño, Caridad Del Valle, Francis George, Anny Gómez, Jacob Martínez, Samuel Ocasio Mendoza, Yvette Quintero, Johanna Ramírez, Eduardo Ramos, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Ricardo J. Salazar, Ricardo San Miguel and Clairet Villamizar. [Several actors cast in the production found out about the audition through the daily e-mail announcements that HOLA sends to its members.] After its presentation at the theater festival, plans are to present the show for a longer run.

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 are not an HOLA member, why not join? If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?