Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Repertorio Español (Theatrical company : New York, N.Y.)
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by producer Gilberto Zaldívar and Artistic Director René Buch to introduce the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theatre to a broad audience in New York City and across the country. Robert Weber Federico joined the company two years later as Resident Designer and Associate Artistic Producer and is currently the organization’s Executive Director.
From its earliest days, Repertorio has maintained a dramatic ensemble, attracting many talented veterans and emerging Hispanic actors, including Ofelia González, the first actress to win an OBIE Award without having performed in English. Another addition was Pilar Rioja in 1973, marking the beginning of a relationship that has established Ms. Rioja as a legend in Spanish dance. In 1980, Pablo Zinger, Musical Director, initiated a musical ensemble that presented zarzuela, operas, and elegant musical anthologies, and in 1992, Jorge Alí Triana of Colombia’s Teatro Popular de Bogotá began an association with Repertorio and since then has adapted and directed some of the company’s most epic works.
Repertorio Español received the 2011 OBIE Award for Lifetime Achievement; a 1996 Honorary Drama Desk Award for presenting quality theater; along with many citations by ACE (Association of Hispanic Theatre Critics) and HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors). The company has also received an ENCORE Award for Excellence in Arts Management and Theater Communication Group’s Theater Practitioner Award for Messrs. Zaldívar and Buch’s contributions to the development of American theater.