Although GALA has presented the diversity of the Hispanic performing arts to audiences in the Washington, DC metro area for 39 years, its current home is only 10 years old. In 1976 GALA began operations in a “café” style space in Adams Morgan that seated about 80 people. Six years later we moved downtown to 7th Street, NW and became an anchor organization at the Lansburgh Cultural Center, where we created a performing space.
After two seasons at the Lansburgh, GALA moved in 1986 to the Sacred Heart School in Mt. Pleasant. “I had discovered that the school’s auditorium was not being utilized and so I approached the parish priest about using the space as a theater for our productions. We stayed there until 2001, when we left because school enrollment had grown and the space was needed for school activities. We were fortunate to be able to return to 7th Street, NW and become a resident company at the Warehouse Theater, which was across from the construction site of the convention center,” states GALA’s co-founder Hugo Medrano.
After four seasons at the Warehouse Theater, GALA raised $4.2 million to build its current space in Columbia Heights. “We opened our new home with a gala event in January 2005 with Honorary Chair Rita Moreno, and our first production was Yerma by Federico García Lorca directed by Hugo in February 2005,” says GALA’s executive director Rebecca Medrano.
Ten years have passed since we made our home in this diverse neighborhood of our city. As we begin a season of celebration to mark GALA’s 40th anniversary we revisit Yerma in a new and contemporary adaptation by Fernando J. López. We hope that you will join us in celebrating our journey and to be part of a unique theatrical experience where forbidden desires flood the GALA stage from September 10 through October 4, 2015.
For more information call 202-234-7174202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org. Purchase tickets now
