Repertorio Español Presents PROBATION, Now thru 9/27

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL has announced the New York production of Yoshvani Medina's PROBATION. PROBATION will begin tonight, July 12 (7pm) at Repertorio Español's Gramercy Arts Theater (138 East 27th Street, btw. Lex. & 3rd). PROBATION plays through September 27, 2012. The play will be directed by the playwright and its cast includes Hannia Guillén as Yenny, Alfonso Rey as Pancho & Sandor Juan as Freddy. Probation is the first production at Repertorio to be presented in Spanish with subtitles via Repertorio's new in-seat Simultext Captioning System. Tickets are on sale now.

Probation is a timely story about compromising moral values for the sake of getting rich quick. A Cuban man keeps his promise to bring a friend's son to the United States. After the young immigrant gets a real taste of hard labor, he decides to accept a job offer as a director of a medical clinic conscious of the job's dubious nature. He begins to enjoy the benefits of quick earned cash, but his world is turned upside down when he is arrested by the FBI accusing him of Medicaid fraud. After being released on probation, he realizes that he must make a difficult decision, whether to stay in the country and face prosecution or return to his former life in Cuba. Generational, political, and moral differences collide in this modern day drama.

The production features scenic design by Jorge Noa and Pedro Balmaseda, costume design by Robert Federico, and lighting design by Robert Federico. Zulema Clares is the sound designer and Fernando Then is the stage manager.

Tickets for "Probation" start at $27 and may be reserved online at www.repertorio.org/probation; by phone, calling 1-212-225-9999 or in person at Repertorio Español's Gramercy Arts Theatre located at 138 East 27th Street in Manhattan, New York between Lexington and Third Avenues (9am-7pm Sun-Thurs | 10am-9pm Sat-Sun). Special offer if reserved before July 15th, 2012: Buy one ticket at the regular price and get the second ticket for only $5 courtesy of MetLife Foundation.

YOSHVANI MEDINA (playwright & director ) (1967-) is a playwright, director and theater professor born in Pinar del Río, Cuba. He holds a degree from the Dramatic Arts Conservatory in Paris, France. Medina has won awards including Puerto Rico's Literature Biennial Award (2000) for his play "Suicídame" (Suicide Me); the Francophone Award of the Caribbean (2004) for "Merde"; and the Casa de Teatro International Theater Award in the Dominican Republic (2007) for "La cláusula" (The Clause.) Mr. Medina wrote "Circuit fermé" in 2001 as part of a fellowship at La Chartreuse de Villeneuve-Lez-Avignon in France. The play premiered at the Escena Nacional of Fort-de-France and toured to the world renowned Cartoucherie de Vincennes in Paris. He was included in "Next," an anthology of European Contemporary Theatre produced by the International Theater Festival of Sibiu, Romania, along with playwrights such as Jean-Luc Lagarce.

Mr. Medina has lectured in dramaturgy, direction and acting at the Avignon Dramatic Arts Conservatory, the University of Antilles-Guyane, the University of Miami and the Florida International University. His direction credits include Cervantes' "Don Quijote," Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," Pirandello's "Each In His Own Way," Marivaux's "The Game of Love and Chance," Pinter's "The Lover" and Handke's "Public Insult." His play "Sinfonía en Do mayor (y La menor)" was presented in Miami and at the International Theater Festival in Mérida, México in 2001. Mr. Medina is Artistic Director and Founder of the newly inaugurated ArtSpoken Performing Arts Center.

HANNIA GUILLÉN (Yenny) engaged in an acting career at Miami Dade College. There she performed in several plays including "Falsa Alarma" (False Alarm) by Virgilio Piñera and Jean Anouilh's "The Traveler." She garnered attention from casting directors Lori Wyman and Ellen Jacoby, who helped cast Hannia in her first SAG motion picture, "Mysterious"; the show "Burn Notice"; and as a series regular in The Los Angeles based CBS/NBC soap, "Passions" respectively. Before relocating to Los Angeles, she starred in Federico García Lorca's "Yerma" at the Hispanic Theater Festival of Miami. In 2008 Hannia would return to Miami to star in the U.S premiere of Anton Arrufat's "La repetición" (The Repetition) directed by Pulitzer Prize Winner Nilo Cruz and presented at the Actor's Playhouse. She returned to Los Angeles and was soon cast as Conan O'Brien's damsel in distress in his "Tonight Show" sketch comedy. Hannia was introduced to Bobby Moresco by Nilo Cruz and is currently enrolled at his workshop "The Actor's Gym." Her credits with Repertorio include "The Color of Desire," "Doña Flor & Her Two Husbands," and "Probation."

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