This year’s Latin Performing Arts Festival will be hosted in a new location and offer a gift to the community: Free admission.
The festival, presented by the Winter Park nonprofit Open Scene, will this year run Sept. 22-28 at the Art & History Museums — Maitland.
“This year marks the festival’s fifth anniversary, and in celebration, we are offering an international, completely free program that will transform the entire museum campus into a global stage,” said Open Scene founder and executive director Thamara Bejarano. “We chose to make this edition free not only to honor this milestone, but also because in difficult times we believe the world needs more generosity, more art and more love.”
The idea, she said, is to transform the A&H grounds into an immersive experience that blurs the lines between performances, art installations and audience members. Helping in that endeavor is AOA, a Winter Park studio founded by former Disney Imagineers that specializes in immersive-experience design in the themed entertainment industry.
Brazilian playwright Corpo Cenico’s “Afonso Quirino’s Will” will make its U.S. premiere at Open Scene’s fifth Latin Performing Arts Festival. (Courtesy Open Scene)
The festival, which is abbreviated as FLAE — its Spanish acronym — will offer physical theater, flamenco, drumming and cabaret. It’s the signature event for Open Scene, which Bejarano founded in 2019 with a mission of expanding the presence of international artistry in Central Florida while making art more accessible to everyone.
The fifth edition of FLAE will feature international, national and Central Florida premieres. Each performance is followed by an artist talkback to fulfill another aspect of Open Scene’s mission: Expanding artistic dialogue between cultures. An AI-powered translation will make the talkbacks accessible in more than 25 languages, no matter what language is being spoken.
Using the whole A&H campus means interactive art installations will be available to experience throughout the entire festival. Although it’s a performance-based festival, visual art also plays a part. This year’s official poster, Saad said, was designed by Venezuelan illustrator Roberto Weil.
“Souvenirs,” a nonverbal physical-theater work by French artists Claire & Antho will make its U.S. premiere at Open Scene’s fifth Latin Performing Arts Festival. (Courtesy Open Scene)
Local vendors will sell food and drink during the festival, which is supported in part by the cultural tourism program of Orange County, South Arts and United Arts of Central Florida.
“Thanks to our generous funders and community partners, we’re opening every door and lifting every curtain so everyone can experience world-class performances you won’t find anywhere else,” said Open Scene general producer Mariela Saad in a news release. “Milestones are meant to be shared.”
Although events are free, patrons are asked to RSVP at openscene.org to reserve a seat.
Here’s a look at the schedule; all events start at 8 p.m. except for the closing night show, which is at 6 p.m.
Sept. 22: Invitation-open launch party
Sept 23: Public events begin with a screening of “El Mal Querer” by Venezuelan filmmaker Andres Moros. Making its U.S. premiere, the movie is described as a “bold Gen Z take” on Federico Garcia Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” the famed tragedy about a bride who runs off with a lover on her wedding day and reignites a deadly family feud. Bring a dish to share for a community potluck.
Sept. 24: The play “Afonso Quirino’s Will” by Corpo Cenico of Brazil will make its U.S. premiere through a livestream performance. In this joyful Brazilian play, streamed live from Goiás, a troupe recounts the legacy of a rural family with wit and music. The show is also accompanied by a potluck meal.
Sept. 25: The eight performers of New York City-based Tambor y Caña present their Afro‑Caribbean dance and percussion in “Drums of Fire,” making its Orlando premiere.
“A Beny Moré Story,” a 1950s Havana-style cabaret saluting the Cuban singer, will close out this year’s Latin Performing Arts Festival from Open Scene. (Courtesy Open Scene)
Sept 26: Flamencodanza comes from Spain to present the world premiere of a fusion show in which flamenco dance meets bolero voice.
Sept. 27: “Souvenirs” by Claire & Antho, blends physical theater, dance and shadow play in this unique nonverbal performance from France that is making its U.S. premiere.
Sept. 28: In “A Beny Moré Story,” Miami’s Arca Images stages a 1950s Havana‑style cabaret with seven musicians and actor Franklin Virgüez that honors Cuban singer Moré.
More information and to RSVP: Openscene.org
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