GALA Hispanic Theatre Leads the Re-opening Efforts, Bringing Latin American Stories Center Stage

Shows are lined up at GALA Hispanic Theatre! The pandemic halted live theater, but with adaptation, innovation, and community, GALA Theatre has proven that the show does, and must, go on.  GALA was the first theater to bring back the action and the audience, a testament to their creativity and commitment. We celebrate their long-standing contribution to DC’s cultural vitality.  

GALA Hispanic Theatre is a Spanish-language theater nestled in the heart of Columbia Heights.  The theatre opened in 1976 and has a deep-rooted history in DC. As the stages went dark, Rebecca Medrano, Founder of GALA, knew it was important to stay connected with the residents and actors during a time of isolation. “As the only Latinx theatre in the community, we wanted to stay open. Our community was impacted in ways that others were not and we could feel it” Rebecca said.  

Determined to stay active and connected, GALA employed various strategies. GALA transitioned from in-person performances to digital showings, recording and editing all their shows on stage for viewers to watch in the safety of their homes, they even provided laptops for students. One of their most successful ventures was Leyendo Con GAlita, an online interactive illustrative series in Spanish. They were free for families and teachers to use, and were watched over 40,000 times, highlighting the need for Spanish language educational series for children. 

Pictured are students of the Pasa Nuevo education program. (Photo credit: GALA Hispanic Theatre)

When vaccines rolled out, GALA helped mobilize the community. GALA was at the forefront. They were handing out infographics, speaking one on one with people, and referring residents to vaccination sites. The GALA’s efforts were particularly important as Hispanic and Black communities are hit the hardest by COVID-19. As a trusted Hispanic company, GALA was crucial in reaching BIPOC communities with the vaccine for vulnerable populations in the District. 

Parents returned to work, but many kids remained home and the isolation has had a negative impact on children’s mental health. GALA was a safe space for youth to return. With social distancing measures in place, the Paso Nuevo  theatre education program reconvened in the summer of 2021.

Kids came together to re-connect and utilize their bottled-up creative energy to write plays about the challenges they endured over the past year. The students performed a staged reading of two plays to an intimate audience exploring issues of mental health for the youth, and also performed Los Papeleros, a play exploring power and inequality. The past year has been a tumultuous time, particularly for adolescents “GALA was the bridge between schools, parents, and kids” Rebecca said.

Pasa Nuevo production of Los Papeleros (Photo credit: GALA Hispanic Theatre)

GALA’s effort to connect residents began before the pandemic. In 2019, GALA launched “Stories from the Park N’ Lots”, a bilingual storytelling circle in which youth, seniors, business owners, artists, and residents gathered in public spaces to discuss the meaning of community, examine what has changed within the District and where they see things going.

With support from the Kresge Foundation, the intention of the program was to spur positive changes, and co-create community driven solutions. Residents discussed affordable housing, survival of small businesses, and gentrification. The pandemic sessions resumed in summer of 2020 to discuss COVID19, racial tensions and much more.  

GALA will use their learnings from the sessions to develop a script in 2022. The perspectives of the residents will be woven into art, and GALA will bring community voices to the forefront to advocate for change, which is especially important now. 

Today, the theatre is open, with a stellar set of shows and COVID safety precautions in place for the audience, actors and staff. Looking ahead, Rebecca expressed her hope and optimism for the rest of the year and into 2022.

Rebecca Medrano, left, executive director of Gala Hispanic Theatre and her husband, Hugo Medrano, the producing artistic director. (Photo credit: Joanne S. Lawton)