Home in Tivoli GALA Unveils Permanent Location at Renovated Theater by Fresia RodrÌguez Cadavid This month, the curtain will rise on the production "Yerma," written by Spainís Federico Garcia Lorca, at the GALA Hispanic Theatre, one of the countryís leading centers for Hispanic performing arts. Not only will it rise on the actors, it rises on the occasion of GALAís new home at the historic Tivoli Theater in the Columbia Heights area of Washington, D.C. After 29 years of entertaining audiences locally, nationally and around the globe, GALA last month opened the doors to its new home at the Tivoli Theater on the corner of 14th Street and Park Road amid neighborhood celebrations. GALA, which stands for Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos, will become the first national center for Latino performing arts in its restored state-of the-art structure, which was originally built in 1924. According to Carlos PrÌo Odio, GALAís marketing director, the theater company is still awaiting designation as a national center for Latino performing arts from Congress. "Weíve always been [national] to a certain extent. This will be a permanent home in which Latino artists from all over the countr y can come here and perform," he said. Since its inception in 1976 in an Adams Morgan neighborhood townhouse, GALA has staged more than 150 works from Spain and Latin America in both Spanish and English. The relocation closes a dramatic chapter in the search by the performing center for a permanent home. Four years ago, GALA was forced to leave the auditorium of the local Sacred Heart School in Mount Pleasant, where it had staged productions for nearly two decades. After moving to the downtown Warehouse Theatre and holding performances there for three seasons, it launched a $3.3 million capital campaign to renovate its new home. Notable fundraisers who aided the effort include Puerto Rico-born star Rita Moreno, honorary chair of the campaign. A former member of the GALA board of directors, the 73-year-old Moreno is the only actor ever to receive Tony, Grammy, Oscar and Emmy awards. The new space, which will include a 270-seat theater, will be located under the balcony of the existing theater and will sit directly below the historic Tivoli dome, which spans the entire width of the building. A community landmark that was once one of Washingtonís most elegant movie houses, the Tivoli Theater had been left neglected, yet standing, after the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The former 2,000-seat movie house now has a more contemporary ambience with a familiar eleganceómuch like the GALA Theatre troupe itself. "We wanted to express what GALA was aboutóa combination of contemporary urban grit with a rich tradition behind it," said David Greenbaum of the SmithGroup, the architects behind the design. And that it does. Metallic mesh hangs on the ceiling and sides of the new lobby, concession area and theater, making the space more modern and chic. "Focus of course is always on the stage, so we wanted something fairly simple yet very strong," Greenbaum said. The walls, carpeting and seating are burgundy, capturing the boldness of GALA and its theatrical performances. Smooth wood paneling lines the concession area, while colorful and vibrant pictures of performers welcome those entering the theater. The new theater will also feature rehearsal and workshop space, an archive collection room and a script library. Within the new space, the theater will stage a variety of performances, such as spoken word, lectures and film showings. With an upcoming film series in the works, GALA will become the only film house in the area that exclusively shows Spanish and Latin American films. In addition, the theater will feature a simultaneous interpretation system and an exhibition space for visual artists. The underlying theme, according to GALA founder and Artistic Director Hugo Medrano, was "having a center for the Hispanic performing arts so it could reflect the different artsóthe dance, the music and theater." For the Argentinean-born Medrano, the homecoming is heartfelt. "We started in Adams Morgan, then we came to Mount Pleasant and now we are coming to Columbia Heights. We have always been working around the heart of the Hispanic community. Coming back here is such a pleasure. I know everyone around here and they know me, and they know GALA too," he said. And now the whole world can see GALA in its entire splendor, as it has finally come home. For more information on GALA Theatre and for a listing of its 2005 performances, please call (202) 234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org Fresia RodrÌguez Cadavid is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.