A photo of both the English and Spanish casts of GALA Hispanic Theatre's first ever play La Fiaca, written by Argentinian playwright Ricardo Talesnik. The photo was taken in 1976, the year GALA opened. (Source: Photo courtesy of Dubraska Vale and GALA Hispanic Theatre.) — A photo of both the English and Spanish casts of GALA Hispanic Theatre's first ever play *La Fiaca*, written by Argentinian playwright Ricardo Talesnik. The photo was taken in 1976, the year GALA opened. (Source: Photo courtesy of Dubraska Vale and GALA Hispanic Theatre.)

GALA Hispanic Theatre: Celebrating Latin American Culture in the Arts

Jenna Furtado

The 1970s and 1980s saw increased Latin American immigration to the United States, and to D.C. in particular. At the time, there was limited access to Latin American performing arts, something that Rebecca Read and Hugo Medrano sought to fix when they founded Grupo de Latinoamericanos Artistes (GALA) in 1976. They never expected, though, that GALA would take off and eventually become the National Center for the Latino Performing Arts. Their journey to becoming cultural icons in D.C. also coincided with the changing Latin American community in the District.

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Last Updated: March 10, 2023