Trinity Rep Presents World Premiere of La Broa’ (Broad Street)

Providence: Trinity Repertory Company’s first production of 2024 will be the world premiere of La Broa’ (Broad Street) by Orlando Hernández, inspired by “Latino History of Rhode Island: Nuestras Raíces," oral histories collected by Marta V. Martínez. Directed by resident artistic company member Tatyana-Marie Carlo, La Broa’ draws from real-life stories of Providence’s Spanish-speaking immigrant communities over the span of 60 years.

“This play is a love letter to La Broa,’ the other Latinx neighborhoods of Rhode Island, and the people who made them what they are today,” playwright Orlando Hernández said. “It’s an attempt to understand how history is shaped by the decisions we make every day, and the ways we relate to each other and our surroundings. It’s a celebration of transformation.”

La Broa’ (Broad Street) runs January 18 – February 18, 2023 in the Dowling Theater. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Ticket Office on 201 Washington St., online at trinityrep.com/labroa, or by calling (401) 351-4242.

About La Broa’ (Broad Street)
Doña Rosa’s Market on La Broa’ (Providence’s Broad Street) is where Rhode Islanders of “la comunidad Latina” have gathered for decades. It is there that they share their stories – from the experience of recent immigration to those of Americans whose threads stretch much further back. These real-life stories are heartbreaking, heartwarming, and hilarious. La Broa’ (Broad Street) draws from the true tales of Latina/Latino Rhode Islanders who have made this place their home, as documented by Marta V. Martínez in the oral history “Nuestras Raíces (Our Roots).” This world premiere is joyful and touching; it speaks to what connects us at our core, and what keeps us going each day.

“My excitement about seeing ‘Nuestras Raíces’ on stage comes from so many perspectives, starting with seeing local Latinx theater talent on stage and ending with the stories of the Latino and Latina pioneers whose stories are being portrayed,” said oral historian Marta V. Martínez. “What is most important to me is that we see this play as a rude awakening and a call to action for today’s Latinx young people. I hope audiences can look beyond the love stories of ‘la comunidad Latina,’ and hear the stories of Latinos struggling for civil rights, social justice, and equality; stories that recount experiences of discrimination, racism, and systemic inequalities. Experiencing these stories on stage can be a wake-up call for those who may not be aware of the persistent challenges that the early Spanish-speaking pioneers faced when ‘La Broa’ was known just as ‘Broad Street.’”

The Creative Team and Cast
Orlando Hernández is a performer, choreographer, theater-maker, musician, and writer currently based in New York City. At Trinity Rep, he performed in past productions of A Christmas Carol and Like Sheep to Water, or Fuente Ovejuna. He also has worked with Teatro en El Verano, Rhode Island Latino Arts and Trinity Rep’s Spanish/English bilingual summer theater program. As a playwright and translator, he adapted William Shakespeare’s La Tempestad/The Tempest for Teatro en El Verano.

Tatyana-Marie Carlo is a proud Puerto Rican director from Miami, Florida. A resident company member since 2021, she directed past productions of The Inferior Sex, Sueño, and Fade at Trinity Rep. Other recent credits include Pride & Prejudice (Hartford Stage), La Gringa (American Stage), Vámonos (INTAR Theater), Carmela Full of Wishes (Children’s Theatre Company), and Behold, A Negress (Everyman Theatre). She also directed Tanta Bulla…Y Pa’ Qué?/Much Ado About Nothing and La Tempestad/The Tempest for Teatro en El Verano.

Tatyana will work with music director Matthew Requintina, scenic designer Patrick Lynch, costume designer Amanda Downing Carney, lighting designer Christina Watanabe, sound designer Germán Martinez, video designer Peter Sasha Hurowitz, and dialect coach Cynthia Santos DeCure.

The ensemble cast of 10 features guest artist Alina Alcántara as Doña Rosa, a character inspired by Josefina "Doña Fefa" Rosario. Doña Fefa founded Providence’s first Latina-owned business and has been called "The Mother of Providence's Hispanic Community." Rosalyn Tavarez, a second-year student in the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program, will play Ana, a character based on Marta V. Martínez when she was a young Providence College student first discovering Providence’s Latino community. Rounding out the cast are guest artists Jen Anaya and Jeff Ararat; past Teatro en El Verano performers Rudy Cabrera, Alexander Crespo-Rosario II, Arturo Puentes, and Marina Tejada; Brown/Trinity Rep MFA student David Bertoldi; and recent alum Madeleine Russell (The Inferior Sex). These actors play multiple roles, inspired by the real-life stories of the people of La Broa’.

Special Performances
Continuing Trinity Rep’s tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will hold a Pay What You Wish performance of La Broa’ (Broad Street) on Thursday, January 18, at 7:30 pm. Pay What You Wish tickets go on sale at 2:00 pm the day of the performance and are limited to two per person.

New this season are Neighborhood Nights, where Rhode Island residents can get a 20% discount based on where they live. Providence County residents are eligible for a Neighborhood Night discount for every Sunday evening performance. The Neighborhood Night performances for Kent County, Washington County, and Bristol & Newport County residents are on January 28, February 4, and February 18. Guests may claim this discount by entering their county name in all capital letters at checkout (i.e. PROVIDENCE). For this production, the theater will host special community engagement events after evening shows around these dates.

Open Captioned performances are on February 14, 17, and 18 at 2:00 pm; and February 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 at 7:30 pm. The Sensory Friendly performance of La Broa’, designed to meet the needs of guests with sensitivities to light and sound, will be held on February 7 at 7:30 pm

Through Trinity Rep’s Project Discovery program, schools can arrange for students to experience this live production with tickets to a student matinee performance, a study guide that can be used in the classroom to prepare for the play, and a post-show discussion with the production team. The Project Discovery performance dates for La Broa’ (Broad Street) are February 1, 7, and 8 at 10:00 am. Visit www.trinityrep.com/project-discovery  for more information and to book your school.

Trinity Rep’s 2023-24 Season is sponsored by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) with supporting sponsorship by the Providence Tourism Council. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Trinity Rep.

About Trinity Repertory Company
Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.

Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.

Trinity Rep’s 60th Anniversary Season runs through June 2024, and includes productions of The Good John Proctor, Becky Nurse of Salem, A Christmas Carol, La Broa’ (Broad Street), August Wilson’s Fences, and La Cage aux Folles. For more information, visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.