Regional Premiere of THE HOMBRES Comes to Gloucester Stage

The Gloucester Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Rebecca Bradshaw and Managing Director Christopher Griffith, will close out its celebratory 45th season in the theater's first-of-its-kind collaboration with Teatro Chelsea, with the regional premiere of "THE HOMBRES" by Tony Meneses and directed by Armando Rivera. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the production will run from September 6 to 29, starting at Gloucester Stage's Theater for the first three weeks before moving to Chelsea Theatre Works for the final week.

Tony Meneses, a contemporary playwright known for his award-winning talent and unique perspective, brings depth and richness to his storytelling. "THE HOMBRES" exemplifies his insightful ability to incorporate elevated ethnic elements into a comedic exploration of male friendships and machismo.

Set against the backdrop of a bustling construction site, "THE HOMBRES" follows three Latino construction workers who unexpectedly find themselves entangled in the world of yoga next door. As tensions rise between the macho crew and the clientele of the neighboring yoga studio, audiences are treated to a hilarious and heartwarming journey of self-discovery and unlikely friendships.

Under the direction of Armando Rivera, who is the co-artistic director of Teatro Chelsea with Mariela Lopez-Ponce, "THE HOMBRES" features Luis Negrón (Pedro), Patrick O'Konis (Miles), Ricardo "Ricky" Holguin (Julián), Arthur Gomez(Héctor), and Jaime José "JJ" Hernández (Beto).

"As we bring to a close our landmark 45th season, Gloucester Stage continues to break new ground by presenting its first full co-production, encompassing all aspects from casting and design to concept development, with our endlessly talented and creative colleagues at Teatro Chelsea," said Gloucester Stage's Artistic Director Rebecca Bradshaw. "We are beyond thrilled to be bringing Tony Meneses' funny and poignant play "THE HOMBRES" to Gloucester Stage in collaboration with Teatro Chelsea, with the hope that its blend of sharp and heartfelt moments will both entertain and provoke important conversations about the beautiful bonds people can create beyond our stages into the greater community."

"This play strikes to the heart of Latin machismo and tries to answer the questions of 'How do Latino men show love between each other? Can we?' In Spanish we have a word: cariño. It means love. It can also mean 'my dear'. I use it often to mean affection. What affection do men share with one another? How does it take shape? Tony's play asks all these questions and more, places them at the intersection of a construction site and a yoga studio, and adds these Hombres to the mix," shared Director Armando Rivera. "Every time I read the show, I see myself in these men. They look and sound like me, my brother, mi papa y mis tios. Our strength, my mistakes, my insecurities, our wisdom, and of course...cariño. I can't wait for Gloucester, Chelsea, and Boston to see this beautiful group of Hombres in September!"

"Teatro Chelsea is thrilled to be collaborating with Gloucester Stage on this production of "THE HOMBRES." In particular, we are excited for our audience to be able to see a show, either at Gloucester Stage or locally at Teatro Chelsea, that speaks to their culture and experiences but also reaches out to broaden the circle - and, in doing so makes us laugh and appreciate our common humanity," said Mariela Lopez-Ponce, Co-Producing Artistic Director, Teatro Chelsea.

The regional premiere of "THE HOMBRES" features scenic design by Kristin Loeffler, costume design by Chelsea Kerl, lighting design by John Holmes, sound design by Julian Crocamo, and prop design by Carolyn Ferris. The play was initially co-commissioned by Two River Theater and NJPAC Exchange, a program of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

The play features community engagement programming in English and Spanish, inviting audiences of all backgrounds to participate in the conversation surrounding masculinity and identity. Additionally, the production will foster collaboration and cultural exchange by holding the first three weeks of rehearsals and the final week of performances at Chelsea Theatre Works.

"THE HOMBRES" will run from Friday, September 6, through Sunday, September 29. Unless noted, all performances from Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 22 are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company, located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Performances from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, September 29 will be at Chelsea Theater Works, located at 189 Winnisimmet Street, Chelsea. Tickets are now on sale at GloucesterStage.com.

The 2024 Season at Gloucester Stage is made possible by the Shubert Foundation, and the Applied Materials Foundation. "THE HOMBRES" is made possible in part by the Applied Materials Foundation.

About the Artists:

Tony Meneses (Playwright) was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in Albuquerque and Dallas. His plays include Guadalupe in the Guest Room, twenty50, The Hombres, El Borracho, The Myth of the Two Marcos, and A Thousand Maids. He is an alumnus of the Soho Rep. Writer/Director Lab, Ars Nova Play Group, Sundance Institute Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation, The Playwrights Realm Writing Fellowship, and Ensemble Studio Theatre's Youngblood, and his work has been previously developed at the Lark Play Development Center Playwrights' Week, Berkeley Repertory Theatre's The Ground Floor, Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company's Colorado New Play Summit, The Old Globe's Powers New Voices Festival, and South Coast Repertory's Pacific Playwrights Festival and New SCRipt Series. He is a two-time recipient of The Kennedy Center Latinx Playwriting Award, is published by Dramatists Play Service and Theatrical Rights Worldwide, and has been previously commissioned by Denver Center, Two River Theater, South Coast Rep, and The Juilliard School. He is currently under commission from The Old Globe. Education: The University of Texas at Austin, Iowa Playwrights Workshop, Juilliard. He is currently the Interim Head of Playwriting at Fordham University.

Armando Rivera (he/him) (Director) is a Boston-based director and actor who serves as Co-Artistic Director of Teatro Chelsea, a bilingual Latino theater company in Chelsea, MA. His current focus lies in uplifting new Latine narratives highlighting the bilingual experience and resonating with diverse communities. Select directing credits include Fade (Kitchen Theatre Company) and 619 Hendricks, Revitalized, Sonia se Fue (Teatro Chelsea), and Latin American Folktales, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Apollinaire Play Lab). Select acting credits include Machine Learning (Central Square Theatre), Hamlet (Apollinaire Theatre), and Sword in the Stone (B Street Theatre)

Arthur Gomez (he/him) (Héctor) a Boston-raised and based actor, director, and collaborator. As a creative, he's worked with a wide range of theaters in the New England area, and as a collaborator he's been lending ideas and assisting a multitude of companies and groups. He currently serves as a member of the Actor's Equity Association, a board member of StageSource, and a friendly shoulder to lean on. Arthur feels strongly about the representation of BIPOC artists in the theater community and is striving to promote and assist in their growth and cultivation in the Boston area.

Jaime José "JJ" Hernández (he/him) (Beto) appeared in Gloucester Stage's recent production Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and last summer in Tall Tales From Blackburn Tavern. Other regional stage credits include John Proctor is The Villain (The Huntington), As You Like It (Actors Shakespeare Project), Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), The House of Ramon Iglesia (Moonbox Productions), Sweat (Gamm Theatre), Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (Lyric Stage Company of Boston), The Arboretum Experience (American Repertory Theatre), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Hub Theatre Company of Boston), Romeo & Juliet (Apollinaire Theatre Company) and Vicuña (Zeitgeist Stage Company). His television credits include Power Book II: Ghost (STARZ) and S.W.A.T (CBS). Jaime is a founding member of Teatro Chelsea.

Ricardo "Ricky" Holguin (he/him) (Julián), most recent Boston credits include The 52nd Annual Midwinter Revels: A Solstice Celebration (Revels), and The Inheritance (SpeakEasy Stage Company.) Other Boston credits include 1776, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof directed by Austin Pendleton (New Repertory Theatre), Altar Boyz (Greater Boston Stage Company), Kiss of the Spider Woman, LaChiusa's The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions), and Guys and Dolls (Reagle Music Theatre). Ricky has been praised and work-shopped by Richard Maltby, David Shire, Didi Conn, and Tony Award Winner, Adam Guettel. He obtained his M.F.A. in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory.

Luis Negrón (he/him) (Pedro) was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is fluent in Spanish, as it was his first language. Luis started acting and modeling at the age of 15. He has done many independent films, commercials, and new media projects. Luis is based in Boston and New York where he continues to hone his craft. Luis is best known for his roles as Chris Garcia in the short film "Micks Out" and as Ayman in the feature film "Selah and the Spades."

Patrick O'Konis (he/him) (Miles) debut at Gloucester Stage. His Off-Broadway credits include A Chain Around the World(Sperenza Theater), Act A Lady (Connolly Theater), A Map of Virtue (Irondale Center), Weasel Festival (The Public Theater) with his Regional credits including Indecent (Wilbury Theatre Group); Escape to Margaritaville (Cumberland Theater); Like the Last (Ivoryton Playhouse) with Immersive Theater credits including Stranger Things Experience (Netflix/Fever); The Polar Express Train Ride (Universal/Rail Events). Patrick received his MFA from Brooklyn College, and BA from College of the Holy Cross. He also serves on the faculty at College of the Holy Cross.

Performance Times and Locations

Unless noted, all performances from Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 22 are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company, located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Friday, September 27 through Sunday, September 29 performances will be at Chelsea Theater Works, located at 189 Winnisimmet Street, Chelsea. For detailed ticket information, visit www.gloucesterstage.com.

ºStage Directors and Choreographers Society (S.D.C.) Union Member

*Actors Equity Association (A.E.A.) Union Member

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