University of Arizona’s Dr. Maribel Álvarez on another version of American pluralism as evidenced in the creation and story of the Appalachian Puerto Rican musical, BETSY!

Caridad De La Luz talks about her personal journey becoming Betsy, and the inspiration she has encountered in this play and in these mountains.

Lindsay Cummings looks at the issue of empathy in BETSY!, reexamining its definition, and argues that the play successfully acknowledges gaps and attempts to understand them.

Patricia Davis on House of Desires by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz produced in Spanish with English surtitles by GALA (Grupo de Artistas Latinoamericanos) Hispanic Theatre in Washington D.C. 

Ben Fink explores why the collaboration between Pregones and Roadside works, and what it could mean for the community he works with in southern New Jersey.

Elise Santora explores the women of BETSY!, her experience portraying so many of them, and the poetry with which she is now embracing her own story.

Pregones Theater and Roadside Theater review their twenty-one-year artistic collaboration and their upcoming Off-Broadway production of BETSY!.

Noemi de la Puente outlines her process of writing a musical comedy and the decision to self produce.

Join us for this week's Weekly Howl on Thursday, February 5 at 2pm EST / 1pm CST / 11am PST using hashtag #cafeonda.

Marissa Chibas weighs both the positive and negative sides of reestablishing diplomatic ties with the Cuban government, and what it could mean for people in both Cuba and the United States.

Georgina Escobar talks to Juli Hendren of Tricklock Company about Revolutions, an international festival held each year in Albuquerque, and the exciting symposium this year brings.

HowlRound's Jamie Gahlon spoke with scholar Brian Herrera about what he learned compiling The Latina/o Theatre Commons 2013 National Convening book, and his vision for how others may find it useful. 

About Productions has been staging plays since 1988 about historical characters like Joan of Arc and Antonin Artaud. Properties of Silence turned into an exciting flight into the depths of Sor Juana’s legacy.

We hope 2015 activates us all and that we can continue to function as a digital-stage in which to strengthen our conversations, and augment our visibility. For now, we leave 2014 by offering you some of our favorite excerpts from Café Onda this year.

University of Kentucky director desires a multicultural environment; writes and directs a theatre piece based on Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

The Border. Where people become ambassadors of culture, of politics, of opinions, of languages, of rituals. We are Fronterizos.

South Coast Rep shares model and journey of project El Largo Camino De Hoy with Encuentro 2014 attendees. Roxanne Schroeder-Arce reflects on the overall impact.

I found myself asking: Why can’t my works for the stage mix up forms like Butoh dance, spoken word, and projections of sepia-tinted people? Who says it’s not legit to create evening-length shows comprised of non-linear short-form vignettes?

Ariza spoke in depth about her work in an interview with Diana Taylor, Director of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at The Graduate Center at CUNY. She discussed the nature of peacekeeping and cultural change in Colombia and the difficulties she encountered at the beginning, including getting shot at and thereafter having to wear a bulletproof vest.

Playwright Elaine Ávila illuminates her eye-opening trip to Portugal—wittingly nicknamed Tíaland—as the winner of the DISQUIET International Short Play Competition. There, she is met with historical narratives of overcoming socialized barriers. 

Carol Kearns writes about Zoetrope: Part 1, a drama set in 1951 Puerto Rico, looking at its multimedia aesthetic, bilingual presentation, and political themes.

Teatro Vivo's mission includes these rich conversations after the performances. Our commitment to bilingual, socially relevant plays that are available to both Latino and Non-Latino audiences allows for these conversations to thrive.

As a Black woman, millennial, playwright, and producer who is not Latina, I felt acutely aware of the gestures of absolute inclusivity, both small and large, that comprised my Encuentro experience.

Our art must reflect the communities we serve. As an institution of higher learning, it is our responsibility to serve our students theater that reflects their world—and the world, as we know, is rapidly changing.