Two for one for GALA's "Weddings"!

 Carlos Castillo (Hugo) and Giselle Gonzalez in GALA's 22+Weddings of Hugo/Stan Weinstein, photo

Get your tickets while they’re hot!  Two for the price of one through Sunday when the show closes at 2 p.m.

The play is 22+ Weddings of Hugo by Gustavo Ott, GALA’s producing artistic director, and it's based on a true story about a man who married more than 22 times because he ... ?

It's the world premiere in Spanish (with English surtitles) and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

But, not to fear, playgoers: You are not sitting through 22 weddings!  Nor even one!  

"Only" three of Hugo's marital partners participate at GALA in a clever flashback style, and a lively bunch they are! They "discuss" amidst the incredible home set by Grisele Gonzales and Ilyana Rose-Dávila.

Yaiza Figueroa (Irene) and Carlos Castillo (Hugo) in GALA's 22+Weddings of Hugo/Stan Weinstein, photo
  

Hugo is a genuinely good guy, a postal worker, who wants to help his friends gain citizenship, family, respectability, and feel "at home."

The first mate we see is Irene (Yaiza Figueroa), spouse #18. She's likeable enough, even if her boyfriend is somewhere near (!) and she's carrying his? child.  What's going on here?

Spouse #17 is the dogmatic and fearless Wafa (Giselle Gonzalez) with whom Huge maybe meets his match. Wafa seems to enjoy criticizing others.

Next up is Hugo's gay mate, #16 Elmar (Victor Gonzalez) who leaps from a curtain leading to the bedroom to a gasp and giggle from the audience, rather surprised by his getup. Elmar wears a big smile and a gorgeous apron which covers his royal blue underwear.

He's a right jolly old self. 

As usual at GALA, the acting is splendid, and the set is homey (for an understatement), filled with plants in the kitchen, appliances, a living area and, hanging haphazardly from the ceiling, windows and doors.

Hugo's mates all have families and grandchildren and extended families.

The characters' stories lay out their relationships and the importance of taking care of each other. The lights go on and off and in a visiting prison scene, a mysterious voice echoes in the room, reminding the prisoner and his visitors that "touching" which they do in more ways than one, is not allowed.

Hugo's 22 weddings is a nice counterbalance to all the venom we encounter on what's the stage of the United States.  Plus, it's got humor, lots and lots of humor!  With 22+ spouses, it's gotta have humor!

GALA'S creative team for Hugo includes the director, José Zayas; lighting designer, Hailey LaRoe; costumes by Rukiya Henry-Fields; and sound, Koki Lortkipanidze.

Also, hair and makeup, Andre Hopfer; technicals, Jon Townson; assistant director, Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez; stage manager, Cat Moreschi; assistant stage manager, Mel Mader; 

house manager, Joel Galvaz; and company manager, Camilo Montoya.

What: 22+ Weddings of Hugo

When: Now - Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024

Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Tickets: $48, or seniors (ages 65+), students, teachers, military, and groups (10+), $35. Ages 25 and under, $25. To purchase, visit galatheatre.org or call 202-234-7174.

Handicapped accessible: GALA has four wheelchair accessible spaces and an elevator to transport people from the entrance to the lobby and to the house.

Duration: About two hours plus one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights is one block from GALA on the Green and Yellow lines. Or, get off Metro at McPherson Square, take bus #52 or #54 up 14th, or, walk the two miles from McPherson Square and save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking: Discounted parking for $4 at Giant's garage around the corner on Park Road with ticket validation in GALA's lobby. Additional parking is available at the Target garage also on Park Road NW, between 14th and 16th Street NW.

For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org

A Nancy Pelosi interview last week

Kadia Goba interviews Nancy Pelosi at Semafor Sept 18, 2024/By Patricia Leslie

Wednesday Nancy Pelosi was at Semafor to promote her new book, The Art of Power: My Story as America's First Woman Speaker of the House (free copies were distributed to attendees) and to answer questions from Semafor's politics reporter, Kadia Goba.

Pelosi said she had just come from a leadership meeting to discuss the Jimmy Lai sad situation in China.(Editor's note: On the news later, Lai's son said that the Chinese had held his dad in solitary confinement for more than three years. Jimmy Lai, 76, is a diabetic.)

At the beginning of her talk (to the swooning crowd), Pelosi said, "I think that’s it’s really important for us to show that most of this language that is provoking violence is coming from a very extreme place in our country." (Springfield did not come up during her talk.)

"We try to find common ground in a democracy which you do non-violently." She mentioned the assault on her husband, Paul, in their home in San Francisco in 2022, turning to the audience and asking to "imagine someone coming into your home, going into your bedroom" before an attack.

"How disrespectful they were about the assault on my husband," she said, speaking of opposition leaders. "What it does to your children."

She thought the Republican party would try to "lower the temperature" of violent talk and mentioned Charlottesville where one person was killed. "The president of the United States would not condemn those actions."

Goba said since "everybody" expects the Republicans to take the Senate, what does Pelosi think?

"Well," Pelosi smiled and turned to the audience who applauded:  "Not everybody," she said slowly.   

"I speak without any authority because I am not in the Senate," said Pelosi. "You’ll have to ask them about prospects.  I am more optimistic than 'everybody thinks we’re going to lose.' I don’t say that. No.”

January 6 was a topic Goba refused to abandon, bringing it up several times. Pelosi noted that more than 100 Capitol Hill police were injured. Trump did not seek National Guard help (despite his recent statements to the contrary).

California has 52 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives of whom 40 are Democrats and Pelosi is working to elect more. She represents San Francisco.

"Whatever happens in this election, we must accept the results. It’s one reason why Hakeem Jeffries [present U.S. House minority leader] must have that gavel on January 6. If I didn’t have the gavel on January 6, who knows what would have happened? 

"Everything is at risk in this election," she said. People are concerned about jobs," and everyday issues. "What does your candidate mean to me?" voters ask.

For some reason, moderator Goba seemed stuck on Pelosi's relationship with Kamala Harris and asked the former speaker repeatedly about how close they are. (What does it matter?) 

Pelosi said she knew Harris officially, not personally, Pelosi praising Harris and Harris's "eloquence" conveying ideas and policy.

What happened to the open primary Pelosi promoted? Goba wanted to know.

"Yes, people could have jumped in," Pelosi said, "and some people were sort of preparing [to do that] but she [Harris] took off with it. Actually, it was a blessing because there's not that much time between then and the election. It wasn't that we didn't have an primary. It's just that [to loud applause] nobody else got in.

"The president endorsed her [Harris] and that’s a big deal because Joe Biden is the most consequential president of modern times. He’s accomplished so much more. Even Barack Obama in his eight years in service would admit [what Joe Biden has done] in this short period of time."

She said it was not only legislation Biden has achieved, but executive actions "and how you get things done."

Biden knows the job from being vice president, Pelosi said.

Back to January 6 again: "He [Trump] had the right to go to court. Every court turned him down. He just didn't have a case."

"Nobody," she emphasized the word, "ever expected that the president of the United States would incite an insurrection that would send people to do violence....It was not just any old day.

"We're talking serious stuff here. Elections are about the future."

Switching to a topic of eating preferences, who knew Peolosi was crazy about hot dogs? Yes, she is!

"I had one for lunch today. I have one almost every day and chocolate ice cream (very dark chocolate, she paused and whispered the words a few seconds later) for breakfast." 

But she does not want her grandchildren to practice what grandma does! Nor should anybody, for that matter, she cautioned.

"Growing up in Baltimore in an Italian neighborhood, food was very important to us." 

She was told she should not write a book now since it would exclude so much of what is happening (Trump and the attack on her husband) and the former speaker said she'll just have to write another book.

For those who disagree with her content : "Write your own book" (to audience laughter).

She emphasized that "recreate" and "recreate" are the same words, but we all need to "take a time off to re-create" which "I hardly ever do" but she recommends it to others.

Pelosi ended her talk with lines from the Star-Spangled Banner composed by Francis Scott Key in the Baltimore harbor in 1814. 

There was "proof through the night that our flag was still there," adding "with liberty and justice for all, whatever the results of the election are, we will be for a peaceful transfer." She left the stage to a standing ovation. About 150 attended.

patricialesli@gmail.com