Gustavo Ott, GALA Hispanic Theatre’s Artistic Director, proudly announces the theater’s 51st season, which “reflects the anxieties swirling around us, a solid artistic, theatrical, and literary offering, but also a political and influential one, conceived from within our community during one of the most defining moments for the Spanish language in this country.” “We’ll journey from the power of art to save the world in Garbo to Eva Luna confronting the fears of her age and era. From the legend of Pancho Villa and the value of memory in battle, to fortitude in the face of adversity in No One Writes To The Colonel. We will retell The Odyssey from a classroom in Takoma Park and return to the Columbia Heights Botiquín/Bar, this time with mariachi music and stories rooted in our community, from the 1991 uprising in Mount Pleasant to the resistance of our neighbors in DC against ICE,” Ott shares. “And as if that weren’t enough, we will present our first cycle of staged readings, NUEVA ERA, dedicated to unpublished and unproduced new plays by Latino playwrights in the US.” Artistic Director Gustavo Ott under GALA’s historic Tivoli dome. Photo by Camilo Montoya. Ott continues, “From García Márquez to Isabel Allende, from Zúñiga to Chabaud, Pedreira and new playwrights, today’s authors walk hand in hand with the greats of Latin American literature. Yes, GALA’s season looks different from others, perhaps because it is a singular and distinctive vision of Hispanic culture from the capital of the United States in a moment marked by authoritarian resurgence and the return of emperors. [This] season…in the face of despair, offers hope in the best of our culture, drawing themes from contemporary life and infusing them with the idea that, deep down, this is nothing more than the beginning of a new beginning.” GALA’s updated 2026/27 season listings are below. Garbo: El actor que salvó al mundo (Garbo: The Actor Who Saved The World) – MAINSTAGE By Gustavo Ott (Venezuela)Directed by Carlos Celdrán September 3 – 27, 2026 WORLD PREMIEREIn Spanish with English surtitles A frustrated theater dreamer becomes one of World War II’s most brilliant double agents. Using performance, illusion, and audacity, he builds an elaborate deception that helps mislead the Nazi regime. A cinematic, metatheatrical adventure about imagination as resistance — and art as a weapon. Pancho Villa y los niños de la bola (Pancho Villa and The Children of the Revolution) – GALita (Young Audiences)By Antonio Zúñiga (Mexico) Directed by Mauricio PitaOctober 17 – 31, 2026US PREMIEREBilingual An old man, a young man, and a child revisit the Mexican Revolution, resurrecting Pancho Villa through memory, corridos, and myth. As history blurs with folklore, a new portrait emerges — of a revolutionary who understood the power of storytelling. XXII Fuego Flamenco Festival 22nd Annual Flamenco Festival Honorary Producer: Lynne Horning November 5 – 22, 2026 Featuring U.S. and international artists in an expanded three-week festival! SPAIN FLAMENCO ARTS (Spain)La veladaCreated, choreographed performed by Marta GálvezNovember 5 – 8, 2026DC PREMIERE In this show, tradition meets a contemporary vision, and the memory of those who danced before flows through every movement, celebrating their journey, legacy, and love. Dance appears as a place of passage –the past breathes into the present, what is inherited transforms, the body holds experience, and each gesture finds its place in the now. FLAMENCO APARICIO DANCE CO. (USA)Entre dos sombras November 13 – 15, 2026 WORLD PREMIERE Choreographed and directed by visionary artist Edwin Aparicio, a tribute to Paco de Málaga and Ana Martínez who ignited DC’s Flamenco scene in the late 1970s. FLAMENCO EN FAMILIANovember 14, 2026 Sara Jerez, Richard Marlow, and guest dancers introduce the origins and history of flamenco and several traditional Spanish dances. Come practice palmas, zapateo, and learn about the use of castanets, fans, and traditional and contemporary flamenco instruments. FREE for children and families! CRISTINA CAZORLA (Spain)Danzas solemnesCreated, choreographed performed by Cristina CazorlaNovember 20 – 22, 2026 A journey through the most elegant and racial dance from different places in Spain. A representation of the classic and iconic music by J. Rodrigo, C. Debussy, J. Turina, and P. Luna, among others. GALA Film Festival: Latin American InnovationLineup schedule TBDDecember 2 – 6, 2026All films in Spanish with English subtitles Six contemporary films by emerging directors and a classic from the Mexican Golden Age. Join GALA for exclusive talkbacks with producers, artists, directors, and experts, and receptions after the screenings. Nueva Era: New Play Festival – STAGED READINGS December 11 – 13, 2026WORLD PREMIEREIn English and Spanish Three Latino Plays Staged Reading Events, including new and unproduced works. La fiesta de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) – GALita January 3, 2027 Join GALA for its annual Three Kings Day Celebration! This festive end to the holiday season will feature the timeless story of the Magi, performances by local musicians and dance companies, a neighborhood street parade, and a gift for every child. FREE! Eva Luna – MAINSTAGEBy Isabel Allende (Chile) Adapted by Caridad Svich Directed by José Zayas February 4 – 28, 2027In Spanish with English surtitles Born into poverty, a fearless young woman reinvents herself amid political upheaval and improbable love. Sweeping, sensual, and defiant, this adaptation of Isabel Allende’s novel follows her rise from invisibility to influence — and her refusal to let the world define her fate. La Odisea contada como sea (The Odyssey, Any Which Way) – GALita (Young Audiences)By Francisco Pedreira (Argentina)Music by Elena ZagoDirected by Juliana MoralesMarch 13 – 20 March 27 – April 1, 2027WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATIONBilingual A professor accidentally walks into the wrong class and must teach The Odyssey from memory and the help of a Janitor. What begins as panic turns into a wildly imaginative adventure, as desks become ships and classrooms transform into epic battlegrounds. A joyful celebration of creativity under pressure. QuinTangoApril 2 – 3, 2027 Five virtuosic musicians ignite the stage with contemporary chamber tango — blending classical precision, rhythmic fire, and bold storytelling. Sensuous, playful, and fiercely expressive, this electrifying performance reimagines tango for today. El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (No One Writes To The Colonel) – MAINSTAGE By Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia)Directed by Gustavo OttApril 29 – May 23, 2027WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATIONIn Spanish with English surtitles For 15 years, a retired colonel waits for a pension that never comes. Sustained by dignity and a fighting rooster left by his son, he endures. A spare, poetic portrait of resilience, hope, and quiet resistance. Botiquín de Mariachis de Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Mariachi Bar) – MAINSTAGE By Jaime Chabaud (Mexico)June 16 – July 3, 2027WORLD PREMIERE. COMMISSIONED BY GALAIn Spanish with English surtitles Inside a neighborhood bar pulsing with rancheras, heartbreak and resistance share the spotlight. Blending live mariachi music with local history and heroes, this immersive experience celebrates Columbia Heights’ resilience, community pride, and the power of song as social justice. PASO NUEVO YOUTH PROGRAM Under the direction of artist Chris Ríos, GALA’s FREE after-school youth program offers bilingual training in drama, movement, writing, and technical theater to youth ages 14 to 19. Students create new, original works and perform for the public in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. The Summer showcase will be Thursday, July 30, 2026; the Fall/Winter showcase will be Wednesday, December 16, 2026; and the Spring showcase will be Wednesday, May 19, 2027. Paso Nuevo is the winner of the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Arts Program Award. GENERAL INFORMATION SCHEDULE: Main stage season productions are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Columbia Heights Mariachi Bar runs Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. For other performance times, visit http://www.galatheatre.org or call (202) 234-7174. All schedules are subject to change. TICKETS: Single tickets to mainstage and Flamenco performances are $50 Premium Center, $45 Orchestra Standard, $35 Orchestra Value, and $25 Balcony Value; $35 Seniors (65+), Military, Teachers, and Groups (10+); $25 25 and Under; Noche de GALA: Chosen ticket price + $5 (per person). Tickets for the GALita performances are $10 for children and $12 for adults. Tickets to the film festival are $10 each, and tickets to additional programs vary per show. To purchase tickets, visit www.galatheatre.org or call (202) 234-7174. LOCATION, PARKING METRO: GALA Theatre is located at 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. Discounted parking of $4 is available in the secure Giant parking garage directly behind the theater. The entrance is located on Park Road and Holmead Street, NW (you must validate your parking ticket at the theater lobby). GALA is located one block north from the Columbia Heights Metro station (Green/Yellow Lines). ...read more read less