The sixth-annual International Latin Theater Festival is returning to UTRGV, hosted by Latino Theatre Initiatives. Set for Friday and Saturday at the Albert L. Jeffers Theater in Edinburg, the festival highlights the power of Spanish-language theater and the voices of the borderlands.
One of the actors performing in this year’s festival is Luis Javier Arias, a student from the Brownsville campus. For him, taking part in a Latin theater festival like this carries deep personal and cultural meaning.
“Well, it means a lot,” Arias said. “This festival really celebrates what Spanish means to our culture here in the RGV. It’s just part of who we are.”
He is proud to represent Brownsville at the festival, seeing it as an opportunity to show the value of bilingual storytelling ,,in a region where Spanish is part of daily life.
“Representing Brownsville is part of that,” he said. “It’s about representing my community. … Festivals like this give us a chance to celebrate our language.”
Arias also hopes the festival inspires future performers across the Valley, especially those who ,might feel intimidated by the stage.
“My advice is if you’re thinking about doing theater to perform, just go for it and get involved,” he said. “Try for the auditions, go watch the plays, talk to the people. … You won’t regret it.”
While the festival draws talent from across the hemisphere, it’s rooted deeply in the local community, aiming to make theater more accessible in the border region. That mission is ,something one of the festival organizers Karina Molina continues to champion.
“So our main goal of this festival is to celebrate and uplift Latino voices through the power of theater,” Molina said. “We also aim to provide culturally rich and relevant stories that reflect the lived experiences of our community, while also fostering artistic growth and visibility for Latino artists, especially those in our area.”
The event will feature free Spanish live performances, interactive children’s shows and community events by theater groups from the RGV, Reynosa, Monterrey and Torreón.
This is Valeria Tokun Haga for Vaquero Radio.
