Theater Preview Two Hispanic, Two Russian Companies Prepare for New Season by Gary Tischler Two companies with Hispanic roots and orientations are back for full seasons, while two other companies with Russian roots and founders return with unique programs and schedules. Gala Hispanic Theater, under the direction of founder Hugo Medrano, went through its 25th anniversary season at the Warehouse Theater in downtown Washington’s Josephine Butler Parks Center. Now it’s on to the 26th gala season with a different accent, mixing contemporary plays with Golden Age classics and performance art. Gala opens its season with "El Arquitecto y el Emperador de Asiria (The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria)" Sept. 20 to Oct. 14 at the Warehouse. The play, by Spanish playwright Fernando Arrabal, will be directed by Jose Carrasquillo and will star Hugo Medrano and Luis Caram, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain and the Washington Performing Arts Society. This absurdist fable will be followed by Juan Ruiz de Alarcon’s "La Yerdad Sospechosa (The Truth Can’t Be Trusted)," a comedy from the Golden Age of Spanish theater. This will be offered in February. In addition, multilingual singer Lita Downs will perform at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium Nov. 20, with jazz, Mexican folk and contemporary music. Also on tap will be more rounds of "Spoken Resistance," directed by Quique Aviles, featuring young Washington performers taking the stage with poetry, monologues and song in December and March. (All performances, unless otherwise noted, are at the Warehouse Theater, 1021 7th Street NW, Washington, D.C. Call (202) 234-7174 for information or reservations. Meanwhile, Teatro De La Luna, extends into its 11th season with a varied program that includes different locations, new plays, staged readings and family offerings in a season dubbed "In Quest for Our Theatrical Identity." In November, Teatro De La Luna will open "El Invitado (The Guest)" by Argentinean playwright Mario Diament at its Theater on the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive in Arlington, Va. The same site will also feature the production of "Mujeres en el Armario (Women on the Run)" by Eduardo Sarlos in May. In addition, there will be the annual International Festival of Hispanic Theater Feb. 6 to March 16. The traveling arm of Teatro De La Luna—the Experience Theater—will be presenting family productions, such as "Caja de Sorpresas" (Sept. 22 and 27), "Las Aventuras de Pinocho" (Oct. 6 and 13), and "Hansel and Gretel" (Oct. 20 and 27), all at the Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St, Washington. The Mexican Cultural Institute will also be the site of a season-opening staged reading of "Entre Villa y una Mujer Desnuda" ("Between Pancho Villa and a Naked Woman") by Sabina Berman Sept. 14. Also, look for the 10th annual Poetry Marathon, Dec. 8. For information, call (703) 548-3092. Since its start, the Stanislavsky Theater Studio, now in permanent digs at 1742 Church St. NW, Washington, has drawn praise for its unique, original style and productions, which emphasize classical Russian theatrical and mime techniques and choreography with original stagings of classic works. This year, the studio is reprising it’s successful "Don Quixote," directed by and starring Andrei Malaev-Babel and Paata Tsikurishvili, with choreography by Irina Tsikurishvili, who has won two consecutive Helen Hayes awards for choreography. "Don Quixote" opens Sept. 6 and runs through Sept. 30. This will be followed by Nikolai Gogol’s "Dead Souls," a dramatization of a Russian classic directed by Andrei Malaev-Babel, Oct. 31 to Dec. 23. Goethe’s "Faust" runs from Jan. 17 to March 10 and the studio’s own version of "Hamlet," April 3 to May 26. In addition, there will be a special production of Chekhov’s "Kashta nka," a classic Russian pantomime production in 2002. For information or reservations, call (202) 265-3748. Finally, Classika Theater, which presents classic European plays for adults and children under the direction of Inna U. Shapiro and Alyona A. Ushe will kick off its season with J. B. Priestley’s "Dangerous Corner," a drama of suspense, murder and passion, directed by visiting Russian director Yuri Kordonsky. The production runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20. Other offerings include Antoine de St. Exupery’s "The Little Prince," part of Classika’s Family Series, which runs from Nov. 10 to Dec. 30; Nikolai Gogol’s "The Marriage," Jan. 11 to Feb. 23; Carlo Gozzi’s "The King Stag," March 9 to April 16, as well as "Forget Herostraus" by Grigory Gorin, and Sergei Prokofiev’s "Peter and the Wolf." Performances are at the Mainstage, 4041 S. 28th St., Arlington, Va. For more information, call (703) 824-6200. Gary Tischler is the art writer for The Washington Diplomat.