Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is proud to announce that it will reopen its Mainstage series this summer with ¡FUÁCATA! or A Latina’s Guide to Surviving the Universe, a humorous one-woman tour de force starring Elena María García. The production will play August 18 – September 12, 2021.
Originally produced by Zoetic Stage in 2017, ¡FUÁCATA! brings more than 20 Latina women to glorious life on stage by weaving together tales of love, marriage, immigration, and identity through eccentric stories and whimsical song. A collaboration between Zoetic Stage artistic director Stuart Meltzer and highly celebrated, three-time Carbonell Award-winning Cuban-American actress Elena María García, ¡FUÁCATA! finds endless humor in what it means to be Latina in today’s America, where politicians speak of building walls while tourism booms in Havana.
“Elena María García is one of the funniest actors that I’ve ever seen on stage, and I couldn’t have asked for a more resonant and hilarious show to reopen our Mainstage with,” said Actors’ Playhouse Artistic Director David Arisco. “We absolutely can’t wait to welcome guests back to the Miracle Theatre for our Mainstage productions after being shut down for more than a year due to the pandemic.”
The creative team for ¡FUÁCATA! includes Scenic Design by Michael McKeever, Lighting Design by Rebecca Montero, Original Sound Design by Anton Church, and Production Stage Management by Amy Rauchwerger.
This event is made possible with the support of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners for Major Cultural Institutions, and is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, with support of the City of Coral Gables, and the following sponsors: Azamara, Bacardi U.S.A., NBC 6 South Florida, Zeta 92.3 and WPBT2.
TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices range from $30 to $75. Tickets can be purchased by calling (305) 444-9293, visiting www.ActorsPlayhouse.org, or at the Actors’ Playhouse Box Office (280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134). The theatre offers 10 percent off all weekday performances for seniors and $15 student rush tickets to any performance 15 minutes prior to curtain with identification. Group discounted rates are offered for ten patrons or more through the group sales department at (305) 444-9293 ext. 1 or onwww.ActorsPlayhouse.org.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Preview performances will take place August 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. The show will open on Friday, August 20 at 8 p.m. and the final performance will take place on September 12. Evening performances will be held Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.
ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE’S REOPENING PLAN FOR THE MIRACLE THEATRE
Actors’ Playhouse’s top priority is the health and safety of its guests and employees. The company has implemented a new series of safety measures as part of its “New Normal” re-opening plan for the Miracle Theatre. All guests will be required to maintain their distance, wear a face mask and participate in a temperature check upon arrival. Seating capacity is very limited, with the Actors’ Playhouse ticketing system now set to automatically block off surrounding seats upon ticket purchase. For more details, visithttp://bit.ly/APNewNormal.
About Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Actors’ Playhouse is an award-winning nonprofit regional professional theatre company celebrating 33 years of artistic excellence. Located in the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile in downtown Coral Gables, Actors’ Playhouse is a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization and one of 13 major cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County. The company produces five Mainstage and four professional Children’s Theatre productions annually, a year-round Theatre Conservatory and Summer Camp Program, educational arts outreach programs, and the Young Talent Big Dreams countywide youth talent contest in partnership with The Children’s Trust. To learn more about Actors’ Playhouse, visit www.ActorsPlayhouse.org.
Biographies:
DAVID ARISCO (Artistic Director) has been Artistic Director of Actors’ Playhouse for 33 years, 26 of them here at the Miracle Theatre. His diverse career spans over 40 plus years as director, actor, musical director, stage manager, symphonic conductor and instrumentalist. Stage acting credits include Edna Turnblad in our production of Hairspray, as well as a starring role in our production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Arisco has directed over 150 shows here at Actors’ Playhouse, including the Carbonell awarded productions of In the Heights (2013), Les Misérables (2009), AIDA (2005), Floyd Collins (2003), Violet (2001), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2000), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (1998), West Side Story (1997) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1991), all of which won for Best Production of a Musical. In 2009, Mr. Arisco was the recipient of the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.
ELENA MARÍA GARCÍA (Elena, Playwright) is a first generation Cuban-American artist/ Mami of two amazing women/ a working professional/ creative chef/ life coach/ lawn manicurist/ cleaning service/ mechanic/ school project engineer/ cupboard stocker/ hair stylist AND colorist/ chauffeur/ holistic healer/ fortune teller/ assistant professor/ magician/ and wife of 27 years disguised as a super Latina super hero! Dale! She is thrilled to be back at Actors’ Playhouse after a really long, long time! She is honored to be working with Stuart Meltzer once again on their baby- ¡FUÁCATA! Elena is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Carbonell award (City Theatre and Zoetic Stage) and the Silver Palm award (Zoetic Stage). Elena also has presented her one-person show, Do You Speak Mexican? throughout South Florida and will be touring in January. She has appeared in numerous national commercials and films. Elena is the Improv Coordinator for Zoetic Schmoetic Improv Troupe and will continue to work closely with Zoetic Stage. She was the founding member of Separate Checks Improv Troupe, Quien Sigue A Quien, (the first Spanish speaking improv troupe in the US) and the first all-female improv troupe on the East coast, Big Purse and Matching Shoes. She has taught improvisation and acting for over 30 years and was last seen in The House of Blue Leaves at Palm Beach Dramaworks (nominated for Best Female Actor). She is currently Assistant Professor of Theatre at Barry University and is a member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity Association. Follow at Instagram @egarciaimprov. #neveragain #marchforourlives #dreamers
STUART MELTZER (Playwright, Director) is the Artistic Director and a founding member of Zoetic Stage. He is the proud recipient of numerous Carbonell Awards for Best Director. He is also a Carbonell Award winner for Best New Work for his play The Goldberg Variations. Meltzer’s collaboration with Elena María García, ¡FUÁCATA! or A Latina’s Guide to Surviving the Universe, was world premiered at Zoetic Stage where it enjoyed a sold-out run, later receiving a second production produced by the Adrienne Arsht Center. In all, he has been honored with eighteen Carbonell nominations. His directing credits include American Son, The Wolves, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Dracula, Fun Home, Dancing Lessons, Wrongful Death and Other Circus Acts, Topdog/Underdog, The Caretaker, Sunday in the Park with George, After, Passion, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Stripped, Betrayal, Trust, Detroit, The Great God Pan, Assassins and Fear Up Harsh. He is the recipient of five Silver Palm Awards for his work as the Resident Director of Zoetic Stage. Meltzer started his theatrical career as a spotlight operator at Actors’ Playhouse in Kendall.