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.

J.W. Cortés and 2013 HOLA Awards recipient Vanessa Verduga, shown above from left to right, were selected as Club Leaders of the Future–New York 2014 by Latino Leaders magazine.

Luis Carlos de La Lombana was cast to play the role of Botín in the film Seve (directed by Stephen Evans and produced by Renaissance Films), based on the life of Spaniard golfer Seve Ballesteros. He will be shooting in Cantabria, Spain later this month and in October.

Ayanery Reyes is acting in the film Onkar (written by Kali Baker-Johnson and directed by Reghu Shanker), currently filming in Los Angeles.

Andrea Navedo, shown at right, will star in Superfast, a Fast and Furious spoof from the writing-directing team of Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, where she will play the Michelle Rodríguez character from the film franchise. To read an article in The Hollywood Reporter about the film project (and in which Navedo is featured), click here.

2013 HOLA Awards recipient Alfonso Rey will be directed the Isaac Chocrón play O.K. The three-hander will star Eugenia Tempesta, Raimundo Alcalde Puga and Sarah Barlondo and be presented in November as part of the Venezuelan Arts Festival at the Marilyn Monroe Theater/Lee Strasberg Institute.

Mafer Rodríguez is starring opposite Edward Azcorra, William Pérez, 2013 HOLA Awards recipient Elena Mohedano, Rooki Tiwari and Ariana Rey-Rodríguez in the Alejandro Sieveking play La remolienda. Directed by Peter A. Dubó, the play will be produced by Grace Theatre Workshop and presented in October at The Producers' Club Theater in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Lucio Fernández and Ruth Kavanaugh will star in the two-hander Till Death. Written by Fernández and directed by Peter A. Dubó, the play will be produced by Grace Theatre Workshop and presented in November at The Producers' Club Theater 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 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.

LaMicro Theater and Equilicuá Productions are presenting Nocturnal Creatures. Written by Juan Mayorga and directed by Jerry Ruiz, the production stars Pietro González (shown at right), Berioska Ipinza, Puy Navarro and Francisco Reyes. The play will have an October and November run at Teatro Círculo, located in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here.

E3Outlaws is presented Bodas de sangre by Federico García Lorca as part of its Lorca Al Desnudo Festival. Directed by Enmanuel García Villavicencio, the play features Alexandra Manzano, Piedad Castaño, Anny Gómez de Benítez, Alejandro Martínez, Yvette Quintero, 2013 HOLA Award recipient América Barrera, Johanna Ramírez, Paul Montoya, Kathy Tejada, Premier Solís, 2013 HOLA Award recipient Caridad Del Valle, Telba Cavero, Yanet Betances, Liana Lutfullina, Alejandro Moscoso, García Villavicencio, Oscar Zamora and Nelson Hernández in the cast. García Villavicencio is also directed a mostly male cast version of García Lorca's La casa de Bernarda Alba. That production features García Villavicencio in the title role, as well as 2013 HOLA Award recipient América Barrera, Raúl Rivera, Serxh Velázquez, Emir Cruz, Paul Montoya, Claudio Marcel Weisz and Héctor Luis Rivera in the cast. Both shows will run in October at Teatro Soy in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. For more information, click here.

2013 HOLA Award recipient Teatro Tocando Puertas is presenting Daniel Barros Grez's Mientras más vieja que verde. Freely adapted by Elías Balladares, the play is directed by Cecill Villar and stars Edison Carrera, Gloria Ospina, Franco Galecio, Fior Marte, Lissette Montolío, Ana Montero, Jhonny Granizo, María Teresa Silva, María Sosa and Ángel Villagómez in the cast. The theater company's twentieth anniversary production will run in October at the Red Carpet Theater in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood. For more information, click here (link is in Spanish).

J.F. Seary recently performed a spoken word poetry gig at Pomona College in Claremont, Califorinia.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez booked an on-camera Rent-A-Center commercial which can be seen 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 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.

Javier E. Gómez, shown at right, was profiled in Latin Trends magazine, where his new hosting gig on "Diálogo abierto" (BronxNet) was highlighted. To read the article, click on the article at right (the article will enlarge upon clicking).

The film The Death of April (written and directed by Rubén Rodríguez and co-executive produced by Lucio Fernández) will be screened at The Producers' Club Theater, located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan on Monday, October 7, 2013.

The documentary Latinos Beyond Reel: Challenging a Media Stereotype (produced by Edwin Pagán, Ronelle Rodríguez Torres and Lorena Manríquez and directed by Miguel Picker and Chyng Sun) is available for rent or purchase via Vimeo On Demand. For more information or to rent or buy, click here.

Natasha Waisfield will be performing her self-penned solo show Love Frantic on Saturday, October 26, 2013 and Monday, October 28, 2013 as part of the Legros Cultural Arts Short Plays and Monologues Festival, scheduled to take place at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, located in the West Side of Manhattan. For more information (or to buy tickets), click here.

Marlene Forté recently guest-starred in an episode of TNT's "Major Crimes" (starring 2013 HOLA Awards honoree Nadine Velázquez). In addition, the film Times Like These (written and directed by Lorena Gordon and in which she stars alongside Jayson Simba, Nancy Castro and Ethan Rosero), is currently in post-production.

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?

Luis Antonio Ramos, Star of ABC's "Lucky 7" and the upcoming A MIRACLE IN SPANISH HARLEM

By A.B. Lugo.

Luis Antonio Ramos

On the night of the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, an evening that honors the best of U.S. television, I had the opportunity to speak with my friend, the actor Luis Antonio Ramos. He spoke to me from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he is shooting on location. The star of stage and screen has a career that is red hot right now. He is a series regular on the new ABC television series "Lucky 7", produced by ABC Studios, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Rollem Productions and set to have its premiere on Tuesday, September 24, 2013. He will also star in the upcoming film A Miracle in Spanish Harlem (directed by Derek Vélez Partridge and set for release nationwide on Friday, December 6, 2013).

Puerto Rican-born and Bronx-raised, Ramos has had a long career in film, television and theater. Oftentimes, in film and television, he was relegated to the stereotypical roles that Latino actors have played for decades (e.g. gangsters, criminals, villains). In 2008, his mother passed away and, feeling that playing the same kinds of characters had "run its course", he left Hollywood and moved back to New York, taking some time off from film and television. He returned to the stage, most recently in the HOLA Award-winning solo show Growing Up Gonzales. Shortly thereafter, he booked "Lucky 7" and A Miracle in Spanish Harlem.

Luis Antonio Ramos, at right, and the
cast of the ABC series "Lucky 7"

In "Lucky 7", he plays Antonio Clemente, one of seven gas station employees in Queens, New York City, who play the lottery every week and who wind up winning a jackpot prize. Ramos says he loves playing Antonio, a former baseball player who has since become a family man with a wife and two children. In A Miracle in Spanish Harlem, he portrays Tito, a single dad who dotes on his two girls but yet is also experiencing a loss of faith. The roles are a far cry from the one-dimensional villain roles he played in the past.

But even with those roles, Ramos said he would try to bring "a sense of humanity" to those roles by "infusing contemporary characters with classical training". Ramos studied at a conservatory, took classes at New York University and studied with James Moody, Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen. In fact, it was Berghof who once told Ramos that it would take him 25 years or more for him to find his way in the business. Ramos, who is also a competitive long distance cyclist, thought, Sign me up! As someone who once biked 110 miles in the rain up and down hills, Ramos reminded me that being in this business called show is not a sprint, but a marathon.

Luis Antonio Ramos in
A Miracle in Spanish Harlem.

He also says, in addition to stating that a career in acting is a long process that one must also not stand in one's own way. "How can I prepare for the inevitability of my success?"

Ramos loves the fact that the diversity of characters (ethnic, racial and otherwise) in "Lucky 7" is a realistic representation of the diversity of New York City in 2013. He said that ultimately, the diversity of the cast is not even the main point of the series-- he describes the series as being filled with "real people going through real stuff", that the diversity should show not our differences, but our common similarities as human beings.

 Luis Antonio Ramos is an
award-winning actor of
stage and screen.

He stated that the image of Latinos in the media is "the most vital thing in the world" and that it is the Latino actor's responsibility to "bring out the truth" in the characters he/she portrays.

He further emphasized to me that it was important as Latino artists to support one another and to stay away from the "crabs-in-a-barrel" mindset where one is often more likely to want to be jealous and/or sabotage another person's success as opposed to seeing that one person's success helps to open the doors to others. He adds that, ultimately, one's success serving as a catalyst to help others is bigger than one's individual ego.

Luis Antonio Ramos won the 2009 HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Award for his previous work with the anticipation of further greatness to follow. He remarked that he wanted to leave behind a legacy of work that will stand the test of time. With over 30 years of acting on stage and screen under his belt, and his exciting two upcoming projects, we foresee an even lengthier career of even more greatness to come.
For more information about Luis Antonio Ramos, click here.

A Miracle in Spanish Harlem will hit movie theaters Friday, December 6, 2013.

"Lucky 7" will have its season premiere tomorrow, Tuesday, September 24, 2013.

#SupportLatinoWork

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.

2013 HOLA Awards recipient Vanessa Verduga, shown at right, was profiled in Latin Heat, where she spoke about her award-winning webseries "Justice Woman", her role as actor and co-producer of the film H.O.M.E. (written and directed by Daniel Maldonado) and the 2013 HOLA Awards. To read the interview, click here.

Héctor Luis Rivera booked a supporting role in the film Encubiertos (directed by Leo Rod).

The film Alma & Alex (directed by Chris Chan Roberson and starring Juan Carlos Díaz), will be screened on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at Anthology Film Archives, located in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here.

Abdel González can be seen playing Agent Sánchez in "Grand Theft Auto V" (RockStar Games).

The new, eagerly awaited webseries "Pushing Dreams" (written and directed by Adel L. Morales) premiered online. The webseries stars Luis Antonio Ramos, Selenis Leyva, Caridad de la Luz, Flaco Navaja, Víctor Cruz, Plinio Villablanca, Angela Cove, Mónica Walter, Gabriel Sloyer, Bobby DeJesús and Loren Escandón. Take a look at the first webisode below. (Strong language and adult situations. Discretion is advised.) For more information, about the webseries (produced by HollyHood Productions), 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?

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.

David Zayas, shown at right, was profiled in The Hollywood Reporter, where it was announced he will join the cast of the FX situation comedy "Saint George" starring George López. To read the article, click here.

Pablo Andrade booked a role on the film A Paradise Without You (written and directed by Mariana González).

Gilbert Cruz booked a print ad from Vedo skin cream.

Mônica Steuer, shown at left, was profiled in Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día for the film 200 cartas (written and directed by Bruno Irizarry), in which she stars alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dayanara Torres, Jaime Camil, Alfredo De Quesada, Irizarry, Mayra Matos Pérez and Iris Chacón. To read the article (which is in Spanish), click here.

Francis Mateo is reading from his self-published book of poetry at the Ubre Urbe event on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at Word Up Community Bookshop in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Ramón Hierro is now the host of the television program "Vistazo culinario". His first episode airs on Friday, September 20, 2013 on MundoFox. 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 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?

Gus is Chilean?! And other questions about Race and Representation in “Breaking Bad”

The hit series, created by Vince Gilligan, has
received seven Primetime Emmy Awards and
three Primetime Emmy nominations
for Outstanding Drama Series.

From left to right: Giancarlo Esposito as
Chilean drug distributor Gustavo "Gus"
Fring and Bryan Cranston as Walter White.

 
 
Check out this blog in From Philly to Chile regarding the AMC hit series "Breaking Bad" (set to air its series finale on September 29, 2013) and how the series represents Latino characters (portrayed by actors who speak Spanish terribly, or don't speak at all, as in they are mute; Mexican characters with non-Mexican accents; caricaturish portrayals) by clicking here.

PBS Documentary Series "LATINO AMERICANS" Premieres Tonight

Check out this preview of the six-hour PBS documentary series "Latino Americans" (narrated by Benjamin Bratt), set to premiere tonight (check local listings), by clicking on the video below. To read an article by Julia Preston of The New York Times about the series, click here. For more information on the series, click here (in English) or here (en español).

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.

IATI Theater and Dramatic Adventure Theater are presenting A Girl Without Wings. Based on an Andean folk tale, the play is presented with support from the Jim Henson Foundation and written by Jason Williamson and directed by Kathleen Amshoff. The production stars Janice Amaya, Matthew Stannah, Laura Riveros (shown at left), Andrew Clarke, Christen Madrazo, Michael Axelrod and Ivano Pulito and will be presented in October at IATI Theater in Manhattan's East Village. The production was also subject to a profile in BroadwayWorld.com. To read the article, click here.

Raquel Almazán, shown at right, booked a guest-starring role on "The Michael J. Fox Show" (NBC).

Claudio Marcel Weisz will sing with the Raf Astor Band on Sunday, September 15, 2013 at Havana Central Upper West Side Restaurant, located close to Columbia University in the Manhattanville/West Harlem area of Manhattan.

Joel Luna acted in the NYFA student short film Thief (written and directed by Dennis Feitosa).

2013 HOLA Awards recipient Vanessa Verduga premiered the trailer for the second season of her webseries "Justice Woman" (which she created, wrote and directed and in which she stars as the titular character). The trailer can be seen below. For more information on the webseries, 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 and On-Camera Workshops in November and December

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manuel Herrera

November 5-21, 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.)

LISTEN TO THE BELOW PROMO FROM MANUEL HERRERA

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

Camera Level One
Wednesdays and Fridays
6:30-10PM
November 6-December 6, 2013
EIGHT (8) SESSIONS

Camera Level Two
Tuesdays and Thursdays
6:30-10PM
November 5-December 5, 2013
EIGHT (8) SESSIONS

Interview/audition required (except for returning students)/sides provided
Friday, November 1, 2013 from 6:30 to 9pm

There will be no classes the week of Thanksgiving.

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

Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Studio 311
 

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 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.

The J.W. Cortés-helmed short film Conscientious Objector will be screened at the 2013 Latino Show Expo taking place at Saturday, September 21, 2013 at the Museum of the Moving Image in the Astoria area of Queens. The film starred and was written by Cortés, shown at right, and was filmed by Edwin Pagán. The move also starred Cortés as well as Giselle Rodríguez Forté, Mônica Steuer, Martín Chávez, Jorge Humberto Hoyos, Kutcha, Marisol Carrere, Gilbert Cruz, Michael Galante, Irene Pérez, Jaime Santana and Kareem Saviñón. For more information on the film, click here or here.

Manny Alfaro booked a radio voiceover for New York Life Insurance Company.

Johanna Tolentino, shown at left, was interviewed by BlogTalkRadio, where she spoke of her upcoming webseries "Whatever It Takes" and her role in the HBO pilot "Taking East New York". To listen to the interview, click here or here.

Jay Álvarez is continuing to perform his self-penned solo show Be Careful! The Sharks Will Eat You! The show (directed by Theresa Gambacorta) will start its fall season in September at Stage Left Studio, located in the Garment District of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Gladys K. Nilsen, shown at right, booked a role in the feature film Fort Tilden (directed by Charles Rogers) due to an HOLA referral.

Bones Rodríguez is hosting Fall for Your Fairytale. The bachelor/bachelorette auction is a charity event for WGIRLS Inc. and the Young Women's Leadership Network. The event (the organization's seventh annual event) will take place on Thursday, September 19th, 2013 at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. For more information about the event, 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?

Why Hollywood and Mainstream Critics Don’t Get MISSION PARK

Joseph Julián Soria and Will Rothhaar
in a scene from the film Mission Park

Check out this blog by Bel Hernández of Latin Heat regarding the reviews of mainstream critics of the film Mission Park (written and directed by Bryan Anthony Ramírez), currently in U.S. movie theaters 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.

Marisol Carrere and Carlos A. González, shown above from left to right, star alongside Sofía Rodríguez, Gabrielle Ruiz, Susan Rice and Juan Diego Cano in Sex, Love and Salsa (written and directed by Adrián Manzano). The film will be screening at two film festivals on the same week– Thursday, September 12, 2013 at the Harlem International Film Festival (at Harlem's Maysles Theater in Manhattan) and Saturday, September 14, 2013 at the San Francisco Film Festival (at the Opera Theater in San Francisco, California). The film will also screen at the latter festival on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at the Galeria de la Raza (also in San Francisco, California). For more information about the screenings, click here or here. For more information about the film, click here or here.

Francis Mateo filmed an international commercial for Vodafone.

Gredivel Vásquez will be acting alongside Wanda Arriaga, Dalia Davi, Hannia Guillén, Sandor Juan and Nelson Landrieu in the new production of Carlos Ferrari's La nena se casa. Directed by José Zayas, the production premieres in September at Repertorio Español (located in the Rose Hill neighborhood of Manhattan). For more information, click here.

Aamira Welthy is starring in Be A Good Little Widow. The play is written by Bekah Brunstetter and directed by Elena Araoz, the dark comedy will have a September run at The Wild Project in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. 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 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?