HOLAfábrica Workshops - Offerings in May and June

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manuel Herrera

May 7-23, 2013
Six (6) sessions on
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 6:30pm sharp to 8pm

$200 for HOLA members
$325 for non-HOLA members
(HOLA membership will be included with admittance into workshop for non-members)

HOLA Office, located @ Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Suite 302

Workshop will be conducted in Spanish.
(El taller será conducido en español.)

Manuel Herrera, HOLA Special Projects Director, actor, director and voiceover artist, will direct an advanced voiceover 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; character voices, and narration; professional audition and quick study techniques. Previous HOLA voiceover workshop students invited. Applicants should supply blank CD to record work progress. Optional production of demo tape available at additional cost. Actual voiceover copy will be used for this series. Small classes. Spanish language voiceover jobs provide the greatest income potential for the Spanish speaking actor.


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

* * * *

FILM ACTING COURSE WITH
CHARLES CARROLL and TONY PLANA
(Acceptance by audition/interview.)

May 21-June 14, 2013
Eight (8) sessions on
Tuesdays and Fridays 
from 6:30pm to 9:30pm

$199 for HOLA members  
$299 for non-HOLA members

Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Studio 311
 
Interviews Friday, May 17, 2013 (6:30pm-9pm)
and Saturday, May 18, 2013 (11am-1pm)

Register early as there is limited enrollment.
Registration confirmed upon payment.


About the class...
This on-camera acting course is designed to introduce the experienced actor to the fundamental techniques of film acting. In particular, the workshop will delve into the techniques required in any and all work in front of the camera and will cover situations universal within the film industry. Importantly, the workshop will focus on what is expected of the professional actor in any on-camera setting.

* * * *

Both workshops will take place at 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 & American Express cards accepted.
Call HOLA at (212) 253-1015 to register.

# # # #

New HOLA Short-Term Memberships Available!!

HOLA is pleased to announce a special deal that is available for a SHORT, LIMITED TIME ONLY. We are offering short-term memberships lasting for three, six and nine months. Check out our 39-69-99 deal.

Special three-month membership for $39*
Special six-month membership for $69*
Special nine-month membership for $99*

* Does not include a $15 voiceover designation fee.

What do you get for your short-term membership?

• VISIBILITY. Your headshot and resume on our online directory of talent, the HOLA Pages, where you will be seen by casting directors, directors and producers.

• ACCESS. You will be considered for casting notices we receive and/or casting notices we will send to you.

• NETWORKING. Attend events where you can interact with other performers, directors, filmmakers and other people in the industry.

• THE FEELING OF BELONGING. Get mentioned in our acclaimed blog, El Blog de HOLA, and feel part of a group representing the largest growing population in the U.S.– Latinos. According to the U.S. Census, Latinos make up one of every six people in this country.

• THE ABILITY TO RE-UP AS YOU CAN. We know the economy is bad. In order to better serve you, we will let you re-up your short-term membership until the end of the year.


Can one still get a yearlong membership from HOLA?
Of course. A yearlong membership is $125* (the best deal) if you live in the NYC metropolitan area. If you live outside the NYC metropolitan area, you get a yearlong Regional Membership from HOLA at an amazing rate.

How does one become an HOLA member?

It's really simple. Give us a call at (212) 253-1015 and we will do the rest. It's that easy. This special deal is open to new and former members. This offer is open to people in the New York metropolitan area. For those outside the New York metroplitan area, give us a call at (888) 624-HOLA for our Regional Membership (also a fantastic deal).

The 10 Commandments of Being a Good Actor

Credit: Steve Weigl

Check out Secret Agent Man's blog in Back Stage on the Ten Commandments of being a good actor by clicking here.

Why Your Appearance Matters at Auditions

Casting director Marci Phillips
at an HOLA event.

Check out Marci Phillips' blog in Back Stage on the importance of appearance in an audition setting by clicking here.

The 5 Marketing Tools Every Actor Needs

Check out Brad Holbrook's blog in Back Stage about the five marketing tools that every actor needs 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.

Abraham Makany, shown at right, is acting in the play Another Life. Written and directed by Karen Malpede and starring George Bartenieff, the production will be presented in March and April at Theater for the New City, located in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here.

Raquel Almazán's play La Migra Taco Truck will be presented alongside the eight other award-winning short plays from the Take 10 National MFA Playwrights Festival 2013. For the festival (which is produced by Theater Masters), Almazán, shown at left, was mentored by Theresa Rebeck. The play is directed by Nancy Robillard and stars Paul Cosentino, Alvin Nieves, James Caulfield and Brad Koed and will be presented in April at the Theater Row Studio Theater located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here. To buy tickets for the productions, click here.

Lorraine Rodríguez just finished shooting additional episodes of "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (ABC), hosted by John Quiñones.

Jesús E. Martínez and Omar Pérez will be performing at the end of March alongside legendary Puerto Rican singer Danny Rivera in a concert version of the musical The Harlem Hellfighters on a Latin Beat. Conceived and directed by Rosalba Rolón and with music by Desmar Guevara, it will be presented as the closing event of the 2013 March is Music festival presented by and at Pregones Theater. For more information, click here.

Andy Pérez can be seen in the Giselle Taveras music video for the song "Mala praxis", where he plays the singer's boyfriend. One can take a look by clicking on the video below.



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?

Viggo Mortensen: Why Don't Spanish-Language Films Get Any Respect?

Viggo Mortensen and director
Ana Piterbarg hold the Argentine flag
at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival
screening of Everybody Has a Plan

Check out Lucas Shaw's article in The Wrap where Viggo Mortensen talks of his new Argentine film Everybody Has a Plan/Todos tenemos un plan (directed by Ana Piterbarg) and the lack of respect most Spanish-language films get in the United States with regards to promotion and distribution by clicking here.

HOLAfábrica Workshops - Offerings in May and June

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manuel Herrera

May 7-23, 2013
Six (6) sessions on
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 6:30pm sharp to 8pm

$200 for HOLA members
$325 for non-HOLA members
(HOLA membership will be included with admittance into workshop for non-members)

HOLA Office, located @ Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Suite 302

Workshop will be conducted in Spanish.
(El taller será conducido en español.)

Manuel Herrera, HOLA Special Projects Director, actor, director and voiceover artist, will direct an advanced voiceover 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; character voices, and narration; professional audition and quick study techniques. Previous HOLA voiceover workshop students invited. Applicants should supply blank CD to record work progress. Optional production of demo tape available at additional cost. Actual voiceover copy will be used for this series. Small classes. Spanish language voiceover jobs provide the greatest income potential for the Spanish speaking actor.


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

* * * *

FILM ACTING COURSE WITH
CHARLES CARROLL and TONY PLANA
(Acceptance by audition/interview.)

May 21-June 14, 2013
Eight (8) sessions on
Tuesdays and Fridays 
from 6:30pm to 9:30pm

$199 for HOLA members  
$299 for non-HOLA members

Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Studio 311
 
Interviews Friday, May 17, 2013 (6:30pm-9pm)
and Saturday, May 18, 2013 (11am-1pm)

Register early as there is limited enrollment.
Registration confirmed upon payment.


About the class...
This on-camera acting course is designed to introduce the experienced actor to the fundamental techniques of film acting. In particular, the workshop will delve into the techniques required in any and all work in front of the camera and will cover situations universal within the film industry. Importantly, the workshop will focus on what is expected of the professional actor in any on-camera setting.

* * * *

Both workshops will take place at 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 & American Express cards accepted.
Call HOLA at (212) 253-1015 to register.

# # # #

HOLA on the Airwaves

Check out HOLA Associate Director A.B. Lugo and HOLA Membership Coordinator Soledad del Río as they get interviewed by Ramón Hierro (interview is in Spanish) for the program "La Revista Semanal" (MundoFox).



Check out HOLA Executive Director Manny Alfaro and HOLA Associate Director A.B. Lugo as they get interviewed by Miguel Pérez for the program "The Bronx Journal" (BronxNet).



If you would like to be an HOLA member and live within the NYC metropolitan area, you could either take advantage of our short-term memberships by clicking here, or take advantage of a full-year membership (BEST DEAL!!) by clicking here.

If you would like to be an HOLA member and live outside the NYC metropolitan area, click here.

If you are not an actor and you believe in our mission and want to support our organization, 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, 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.

Gilbert Cruz, shown at right, shot a commercial for the North Shore Long Island Jewish Cancer hospital to air in the Tri-State area (New York-New Jersey-Connecticut).

Olga Merediz, shown at left, will be acting opposite Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker in the film Enemy Way (directed by Rachid Bouchareb).

El Gringuito, the self-penned solo show by Éric-Dominique Pérez (directed by A.B. Lugo and assistant directed by Billy Martin Mejía) will be presented on Friday, June 21, 2013 at the Union City Museum Art Gallery and Concert Hall, located at the William V. Musto Cultural Center in Union City, New Jersey. For more information, click here.

Cedric Miró will be playing Bobby De Luca in Casey–30 Years Later. Written and directed by Beverly Bonner and based on Ms. Bonner's character in Frank Henenlotter's cult horror film Basket Case, the production will take place in March at the Broadway Comedy Club, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

The Grace Theater Workshop is presenting the play Busco amigo. Written, co-directed (with Pedro A. Dubó) and starring Lucio Fernández, the play features choreography by Megan Fernández, who also co-stars, alongside Fernando Contreras and Amy Smith. The production will have a June run at The Producers' Club Theaters, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information on the production, click here.

José Roldán, Jr. is presenting his self-penned solo show Father Forgive Me For I Have Sinned. Directed by Dante Albertie, the show will be performed on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at The People's Improv Theater (The P.I.T.), located in the Rose Hill area of Manhattan. He will follow this up with an April date in Lehman College in the Bedford Park area of the Bronx. For more information, click here.

Ricardo Alvarado will be acting in the short film Facing the Toad (written and directed by Savannah Winchesters).

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, 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.

LAByrinth Theater Company just wrapped up their New York New York Festival (NYNY Fest). A week of staged readings and discussions regarding plays with New York themes and culminating in a 48-hour marathon of staged readings, the theater company presented the works of Israel Horovitz, Stephen Adly Guirgis, John Patrick Shanley, Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin, María Irene Fornes, John Guare, Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, David Henry Hwang, Jack Kerouac, Sidney Kingsley, Kenneth Lonergan, Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill, Clifford Odets, Dawn Powell, Miguel Piñero, Sam Shepard and others. Actors in the festival included Gilbert Cruz, Florencia Lozano, Tony Plana, Liza Colón-Zayas, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Vanessa Aspíllaga, Craig (muMs) Grant, Sarita Choudhury, Kieran Culkin, Tony Danza, Elizabeth Rodríguez, Julia Stiles, Marlo Thomas, Yul Vázquez, and others. For more information, click here.

Lucio Fernández, shown at right, was the subject of a profile and interview in The Hudson Reporter. He is highlighted as both an artist and as Commissioner of Public Affairs in Union City, New Jersey. To read the article, click here.

Teatro SEA is presenting Los títeres de Cachiporra/The Billy-Club Puppets. Written by Federico García Lorca and directed by Manuel A. Morán, the play stars Jesús E. Martínez, Morán, Luis Alberto González, Jorge Castilla, Indra Palomo and Sinuhé Padilla and will have an April run in Teatro SEA's eponymous theater located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Susana Pérez let us know that she booked a voiceover for McDonald's. She is also shooting the short film Tiny Actions (written and directed by Lexie Grace). For more information about Ms. Pérez, click here.

Omar Pérez is set to act in Cowl Girl. The play, written by Anna Capunay and directed by Ana Jomolca, which is scheduled for an April run at Theater 3, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan.

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?

‘First Latino pope,’ son of Italian immigrants, revives debate in the US: What makes a Latino?

Cartoon by Walt Handelsman.

Check out this article by Jesse Washington of The Associated Press regarding Pope Francis, the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine-born and -raised son of Italian immigrants and whether or not that makes him Latino by clicking here.

Also, check out the response to the story by the Rebeldes at Latino Rebels by clicking here.

Pilot Season: Network Casts Gain Diversity

Michael Peña, left, and Nicole Beharie, right, are among the
actors cast in several network pilots for consideration this year.

"It's becoming less about filling a quota and more about why this person is amazing." –Fox Senior V.P. of Casting Tess Sánchez

Check out Lesley Goldberg's article in The Hollywood Reporter on how there is a rise in diversity with regards to casting of network pilots this season 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.

The hit solo show Be Careful! The Sharks Will Eat You! is being turned into a musical. Written and performed by Jay Álvarez, shown at right, and directed by Theresa Gambacorta, the piece will now have compositions written for it by multiple Grammy winner Paquito D'Rivera and Gaby Gold. A workshop of the piece will be produced by Centro Cultural Cubano de Nueva York in May at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater Space at Symphony Space in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Joining D'Rivera and Álvarez on the stage will be Tony nominee Olga Merediz and Broadway star Tony Chiroldes. For more information on the event, click here or here.

Elaine Del Valle performed stand up comedy at Governor's Comedy Club in Levittown, New York.

Milteri Tucker and Bombazo Dance Company will be performing Leró. The dance piece, choreographed by Tucker, will have its world premiere at Casita María in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. For more information, click here.

J.F. Seary has been busy as of late. She performed at Dance Speaks. Produced by In It For Life Productions, the event took place in March at Saint Clements Theatre, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. She will follow this up with spoken word performances in the final weekend of March at the Baha'i Unity Center (near Manhattan's Union Square) and at Barnard College (located in Columbia University in Manhattan's West Harlem area), presented by Urban Juke Joint and The Latino Authors & Writers Society, respectively. Finally, she will be acting in a production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues/Los monólogos de la vagina. The show will alternate performances in English and Spanish and will take place in May at La Casa Azul Bookstore in Manhattan’s El Barrio neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Josean Ortiz will be starring opposite Maribel Quiñones and Luis Muñoz in the Amigos del Corralón production La Pasión de Jesucristo según Judas. Written by Ortiz and directed by Luis Caballero and Josean Ortiz, the production is slated for a late March run at the Corralón de San José in the Viejo San Juan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

El Gringuito, the solo show written and performed by Éric-Dominique Pérez, shown at left, was awarded third place in the Best Play category at the 2013 Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF). The play, which performed to a sold out house, was directed by A.B. Lugo and assistant directed by Billy Martín Mejía. One can read the BroadwayWorld article (in the off-off-Broadway section), in which the award recipients are listed, by clicking here.

Ed Trucco has just been cast in Mariquitas. Written by Eduardo Machado and directed by Michael Domitrovich, the play (also starring Liam Torres) is scheduled for an April and May run in Theater for the New City, located in Manhattan's East Village.


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?

New HOLA Short-Term Memberships Available!!

HOLA is pleased to announce a special deal that is available for a SHORT, LIMITED TIME ONLY. We are offering short-term memberships lasting for three, six and nine months. Check out our 39-69-99 deal.

Special three-month membership for $39*
Special six-month membership for $69*
Special nine-month membership for $99*

* Does not include a $15 voiceover designation fee.

What do you get for your short-term membership?

• VISIBILITY. Your headshot and resume on our online directory of talent, the HOLA Pages, where you will be seen by casting directors, directors and producers.

• ACCESS. You will be considered for casting notices we receive and/or casting notices we will send to you.

• NETWORKING. Attend events where you can interact with other performers, directors, filmmakers and other people in the industry.

• THE FEELING OF BELONGING. Get mentioned in our acclaimed blog, El Blog de HOLA, and feel part of a group representing the largest growing population in the U.S.– Latinos. According to the U.S. Census, Latinos make up one of every six people in this country.

• THE ABILITY TO RE-UP AS YOU CAN. We know the economy is bad. In order to better serve you, we will let you re-up your short-term membership until the end of the year.


Can one still get a yearlong membership from HOLA?

Of course. A yearlong membership is $125* (the best deal) if you live in the NYC metropolitan area. If you live outside the NYC metropolitan area, you get a yearlong Regional Membership from HOLA at an amazing rate.

How does one become an HOLA member?

It's really simple. Give us a call at (212) 253-1015 and we will do the rest. It's that easy. This special deal is open to new and former members. This offer is open to people in the New York metropolitan area. For those outside the New York metroplitan area, give us a call at (888) 624-HOLA for our Regional Membership (also a fantastic deal).

Phil Austin Speaks To NBC Latino About His Role in OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

“I read for several different parts in the film and then my agent called to tell me I had been cast for the vice president role. I never read for it and I did wonder if they would change the character’s name. I’m straight up Caucasian and there was no attempt to play any sort of ethnic spin. The script did say Charlie or Charles Rodriguez, but the fact I wasn’t Hispanic was never discussed or brought up on set.” –PHIL AUSTIN, talking to NBC Latino about his role as U.S. Vice-President Charlie Rodríguez in the action thriller film Olympus Has Fallen

To find out what else Phil Austin said in his interview with Nina Terrero of NBC Latino, plus any comment from the film's distributor, click here.

Also, read what the Rebeldes at Latino Rebels wrote about the situation (and where El Blog de HOLA gets a mention and a quote) by clicking here.

Global Box Office Hits Record in 2012 as Hispanic Attendance Grows in U.S.

Check out this blog by Andrew Stewart of Variety on the record-setting year the global box office had last year and how the Latino/Hispanic attendance surged by clicking here.

ESPN Deportes: WBC Championship Game Was Network’s Most-Watched Baseball Game Ever

Check out this blog by the Rebeldes over at Latino Rebels on how the World Baseball Classic Championship Game (Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico) was the most watched baseball game on ESPN Deportes by clicking here.

It is also interesting to note that during this series ESPN made history by running the simulcast of the ESPN Deportes Spanish-language coverage of an earlier game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico on the flagship network. It was the first time a sporting event was run not in English on a mainstream network. Unfortunately, it also arose some racist comments from the Twitterverse.

Olympus Has Fallen and the "Latino" Vice-President

Phil Austin, who plays U.S.
Vice-President Charlie Rodríguez
in the soon-to-be-released thriller
Olympus Has Fallen.

Olympus Has Fallen is a new action thriller film set to be released this weekend. It stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd and is directed by Antoine Fuqua (best known for directing the film Training Day). It takes place in the White House. We find it a bit odd that a character named Charlie Rodríguez who is the U.S. Vice-President in the movie and he is being played by a non-Latino. (Not saying that all Latino actors must only play Latino roles or even the converse, but was a Latino actor even sought for this role?)

After all of the controversy regarding the casting of the movie Argo, you would think that Hollywood would try to find a Latino actor to play this role. It's not like there are a dearth of them. One could have selected Tony Plana or Jimmy Smits or someone along the line of, say, José Yenque (who most recently played the President of Colombia in the NBC series "1600 Penn"). Or, really make a statement and hire Judy Reyes, Lauren Vélez or Marlene Forté as Vice-President Charlie Rodríguez.


Latinos make up 25 percent of moviegoers even though they’re only 16 percent of the population. The average Latino moviegoer makes it to 5.3 movies a year, compared to 3.7 movies per year for African Americans and 3.5 movies per year for white moviegoers. Click here or here for more info.

The point is Hollywood is trying to reach this audience and make money off of them (it is the American way, now isn't it?). The problem arises when Hollywood thinks they can throw a Rodríguez here or an Aguirre there and maintain the status quo with regards to casting. THAT WILL NOT WORK. We want and need to see OUR FACES on the big and small screen. It is a new day, o mejor dicho, es un nuevo día (more than 50% of the population of California consists of people of color) and Hollywood MUST change accordingly.

Report: Prime Latino Media Salon - Webisodes (March 2013)

From left to right: Grob, Verduga,
Nieves-Powell, Perego Moreno.

On Wednesday, March 20, 2013, NALIP New York, Tío Louie and the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) presented the March edition of the Prime Latino Media Salon. This edition took place at Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) El Barrio Firehouse Media Center in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood and was filmed for posterity and later airing. The topic of the salon was "Webisodes: The Future of Content is Now". Moderated by Louis Perego Moreno (Tío Louie), the panelists included Julia Ahumada Grob, creator-showrunner-star of the webseries "East WillyB"; Vanessa Verduga, creator-producer-writer-star of the webseries "Justice Woman"; and Linda Nieves-Powell, producer of the webseries "Happy Cancer Chick".

Prior to the live recording, as is common at a Prime Latino Media Salon event, there was time to network and reconnect with other Latino multimedia-makers. Once the recording began, Tío Louie spoke with Grob, Verduga and Nieves-Powell individually, and showed clips of the respective project of each producer. He then had a roundtable discussion with all of them and then posed previously-prepared questions from the audience.


The big question of the evening was how can one monetize through making webisodes. While all the panelists agreed that (a little bit) of money could be made from making webisodes, one shouldn't go into the business of making web content if one's desire is to make money. The panelists also spoke of being women in power and the pluses and minuses that go with it, as well as the unique position of being the star and the boss at the same time.
After wrapping up the taping, Tío Louie fielded a few more questions from the audience before closing off the studio and leading everyone outside into the lobby where people had an extended networking session. HOLA would like to thank so many people for making the event a success– including Iris Morales, Betsy Salas and the staff of the MNN El Barrio Firehouse Media Center; Laura Riveros; Raúl Brunet, Jr.; and especially all the Latino multimedia-makers in attendance.

[Photos on this blog by Alphabeta Photography. Additional photos can be seen on the HOLA Facebook page by clicking here.]

Things I Wish I Had Been Told in Theatre School

Check out Callam Rodya's blog regarding all the things about being an actor he wished he had learned while in theatre school by clicking here.

A Word From the Vatican....

Even Pope Francis knows who we are... do you?

w w w . h e l l o h o l a . o r g

* Special thanks to Walt Handelsman for the above cartoon, an editorial (yet unintentional) papal shout out.

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.

Vanessa Verduga, shown at left, is excited to report that "Justice Woman" (the webseries which she created, wrote, directed and in which she stars) is an Official Selection of the Los Angeles Web Series Festival 2013. The festival is scheduled to take place in late March at the Radisson Hotel in Los Angeles, California. For more information, click here, here or here.

Loren Escandón, shown at right, most recently interviewed Gina Rodríguez of the film Filly Brown (also starring Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips and the late Jenni Rivera) for her column in Viva Colorado. To read the interview (which is in Spanish), click here.

Basílica Bliachas is set to act in At Least He Didn't Die with Antlers on His Head. The play, written by Tommy LeVrier and directed by Giovanna Aguilar, is part of Take Ten, a series of ten-minute plays produced by Between Us Productions. The production will have a March run in the Roy Arias Theaters, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Antonio Miniño and Maieutic Theater Works are producing The Picture of Dorian Gray. For more information, click here. Adapted and directed by Glory Kadigan from the original work by Oscar Wilde, the show stars Heather Massie, Maureen O'Boyle, David Stallings, Francesco Andolfi, Christopher Leidenfrost, Eric Percival, Will Schnurr, Erin Soler, Michael Whitney and Kelly Zekas and will have a March and April run in The WorkShop Theater located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. 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?

Towards a "Majority-Minority" Status

Photo credit: John Lund/Getty Images.

"Welcome to the new off-white America.

"The latest census data and polling from The Associated Press highlight the historic change in a nation in which non-Hispanic whites will lose their majority in the next generation, somewhere around the year 2043.

"'Numerically, the U.S. is being transformed. The question now is whether our institutions are being transformed,' said [Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, a global expert on immigration and dean of UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies]."

"The numbers already demonstrate that being white is fading as a test of American-ness:

• More U.S. babies are now born to minorities than whites, a milestone reached last year.
• More than 45 percent of students in kindergarten through 12th grade are minorities. The Census Bureau projects that in five years the number of nonwhite children will surpass 50 percent.
• The District of Columbia, Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Texas have minority populations greater than 50 percent. By 2020, eight more states are projected to join the list: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey and New York. Latinos already outnumber whites in New Mexico; California will tip to a Latino plurality next year.
• By 2039, racial and ethnic minorities will make up a majority of the U.S. working-age population, helping to support a disproportionately elderly white population through Social Security and other payroll taxes. More than 1 in 4 people ages 18-64 will be Latino.
• The white population, now at 197.8 million, is projected to peak at 200 million in 2024, before entering a steady decline in absolute numbers. Currently 63 percent of the U.S. population, the white share is expected to drop below 50 percent by 2043, when racial and ethnic minorities will collectively become a U.S. majority. Hispanics will drive most of the minority growth, due mostly to high birth rates, jumping in share from 17 percent to 26 percent."

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/03/17/2465772/rise-of-latino-population-blurs.html#storylink=cpy

Read more of the article by Hope Yen of the Associated Press by clicking here.

Television producer Nubia de Lima
in her Rio de Janeiro apartment.
Photo credit: Felipe Dana/Associated Press.

In the above article, the nation of Brazil was cited as a developing nation which has crossed the threshold to "majority-minority" status. The article also mentions that "[i]n Brazil, where multiracialism is celebrated, social mobility remains among the world's lowest for blacks while wealth is concentrated among whites at the top."

"People aren't used to seeing black people in positions of power," said Globo television network producer Nubia de Lima, herself a dark-skinned Brazilian. She added that upper middle-class black people like herself are in a kind of limbo, too affluent and educated to live in favelas (hillside slums) but still largely excluded from high-rent white neighborhoods.

To read more about the situation, check out the article by Jenny Barchfield of the Associated Press by clicking here.

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/03/17/2465772/rise-of-latino-population-blurs.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/03/17/2465772/rise-of-latino-population-blurs.html#storylink=cpy