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.

Adriana Sananes, shown at right, has finished narrating the Spanish-language audiobook versions of To Kill A Mockingbird (Matar a un ruiseñor) and Go Set A Watchman (Ve y pon un centinela) for Harper-Collins. Both are written by Harper Lee; the former is an American classic, while the second is the largely anticipated followup novel (also being published in print form for the first time this year) from Ms. Lee. The audiobooks (as well as the print form) will be released in mid-July. In addition, she is starring in Sueño. A Latino musical retelling of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (complete with puppetry), it is directed by Manuel A. Morán and adapted by Norge Espinosa (with English translations by Alan González and Portuguese translations by Adalberto Müller), and features original music by Manuel Calzada and Alejandro Zuleta. The production boasts assistant direction by José A. Esquea, hair and makeup by Jeannie Sol, choreography by Daniel Fetecua, and scenic and puppet design by José López. Sueño will also star Nelson Landrieu, Daniel Soto, and Milteri Tucker, among others, and will be presented outdoors in June at the La Plaza space of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Mônica Steuer will be playing Sylvia Plath to Rebeca Alemán's Frida Kahlo in Néstor Caballero's Musas. Directed by Iraida Tapias, the play imagines a meeting between the Mexican painter and the English poet. The production is an official selection of the New York International Fringe Festival (fringeNYC), scheduled to take place in downtown Manhattan in August. For more information, click here.

Nancy Castro, shown at left, is starring in the feature film Ramona (written and directed by Bujar Alimani). Principle photography is scheduled to take place in fall 2015 in New York City and Buffalo, New York. For more information, click here or here.

Carlo Lorenzo García's comedy webseries "Under Covers", which he produces, co-writes, and in which he stars as Detective Jimmy Cortez, is now an official selection of the Miami Independent Film Festival (Mindie), scheduled to take place in July in Miami, Florida. For more information, click here or here.

The Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en los Estados Unidos (CoDoCul) has just wrapped up its fifth annual Festival de Teatro Hispano del Comisionado, which took place at the Comisionado's Teatro Rafael Villalona, which is located in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The award winners will be announced at Teatro Rafael Villalona on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. The festival has announced the nominations for that festival's awards. Several HOLA members are nominated and are listed below.

• Best Director: Caridad del Valle (Delirio furioso), Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Enmanuel García Villavicencio (Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga), et al.

• Best Actor: Sandor Juan (La boda), Sebastian Stimman (Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga), Franco Yáñez (San Salvador después del eclipse), et al.

• Best Actress: Caridad del Valle (Delirio furioso), Natalia Ivana Escobar (San Salvador después del eclipse), Ángela Pérez (El invierno de Abril), et al.

• Best Scenic Design: Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Paul Montoya (Delirio furioso), et al.

• Best Makeup: Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Paul Montoya (Delirio furioso), et al.

In addition, Best Production nominees are Delirio furioso (La Caja de los Prejuicios), El malentendido (ArtSpoken), El invierno de Abril (Tabula Rasa NYC), Genios: Lorca y Dalí (Teatro del Aire), La boda (Teatro Columna), La que hubiera amado tanto (88 Performing Arts), Las pericas (Havanafama) Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga (E3Outlaws Productions), San Salvador después del eclipse (United Productions). For more information (and the see the full list of nominees), click here, here or here (note that the websites are in Spanish).

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?