A Spanish-Language Adaptation of 17th Century Play ‘Fuenteovejuna’ Comes to the East End

OLA of Eastern Long Island (Organización Latino Americana) and Guild Hall in East Hampton are teaming up to launch a historic Spanish-language collaboration bringing a contemporary, community-generated version of “Fuenteovejuna,” a 17th-century play by Spain’s celebrated playwright Félix Lope de Vega, to the local stage.

The co-production, reimagined as “Fuenteovejuna: East End,” is the brainchild of co-directors Margarita Espada, founder and director of Teatro Yerbabruja, and Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA, who are Guild Hall’s 2025 Community Artists-in-Residence (CAiR). The play will be performed in Spanish at Guild Hall on May 16 and 17, at 8 p.m.

“Fuenteovejuna,” an essential work of the Spanish literary canon, is based on a dramatic historical event that took place in 1476 in a Spanish village. It tells the story of the villagers’ revolt against the tyrannical and violent rule of their local commander, who is not only cruel and abusive but a rapist. The play examines the abuse of power, the dangers of unchecked authority and power dynamics in relation to social class and gender. It also celebrates courage, justice, community solidarity and the power of collective action. “Fuenteovejuna: East End” updates Lope de Vega’s language to be more accessible to a contemporary audience.

Auditions for the play took place in Hampton Bays and East Hampton in October and November 2024 and drew Latino community members from all over Long Island, ranging from those with no formal acting experience or training to others who have acted professionally. Rehearsals have begun and will continue until the May performances.

“This is a dream come true for me,” said Perez, who holds a degree in Theater Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and ran her own theater company in New York City for eight years. “I’m thrilled to stage this play at Guild Hall as it will mark the first-ever Spanish-language theater production on the East End.

“Given the rise of authoritarian regimes around the world and in our own country, now is the perfect time to rely on the arts to build community and to convey the importance of mutual respect and individual dignity,” she continued. “The demonstration of bravery and strength of women in this 17th-century play is another reason this work resonates so profoundly. ‘Fuenteovejuna’ is ultimately about solidarity and unity — and about how a community has the power to hold political leaders accountable.”

In addition to acting in theater, film and television, Perez has directed and produced independent films and local theater productions, including the only Spanish-language version of “The Vagina Monologues” performed on the East End as well as the English version featuring cast members Brooke Shields, Blythe Danner and Julie White.

OLA also has a history of collaboration with Espada of Teatro Yerbabruja, an organization focused on using the arts as a tool for social change. Espada, who holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Stony Brook University and is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Women’s, Sexuality and Gender Studies, has led OLA community theater workshops for teens and adults on the East End, most recently in Greenport in collaboration with the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation, better known as CAST. Espada, who hails from Puerto Rico and is based on Long Island, is an award-winning performer, educator, researcher and activist in the fields of physical theater, body and embodiments, settlers and colonialism, race, ethnicity and migration.

Guild Hall’s CAiR program supports the creative economy, imagination and civic life on the East End by commissioning regionally based artists to develop socially engaged or participatory work. It provides artists with creative mentorships, administrative support, a commissioning fee, and a shared studio/workspace on the Guild Hall campus. OLA, the East End’s foremost Latino immigrant advocacy organization, includes an arts focus as part of its mission in order to celebrate Latino, Latin American and Spanish-language arts and culture as well as to build bridges among different sectors of the community. Guild Hall and OLA have a history of collaboration that includes Guild Hall hosting film screenings during OLA’s annual Latino Film Festival of the Hamptons, a flamenco guitar and dance performance, immigration-focused panel discussions and more.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Minerva Perez and Margarita Espada as 2025 Guild Hall Community Artists-in-Residence,” said Anthony Madonna, Guild Hall’s theater director and curator of performing arts. “Through both their creative and community work, Perez and Espada have built trust, comradery and change within and for their communities. Over the past few weeks, we have seen their work in action here at Guild Hall, as they’ve welcomed people of all ages for auditions and rehearsals. We are thankful to be part of their process and ready to support them as they bring to life ‘Fuenteovejuna: East End.’”

Tickets to “Fuenteovejuna: East End” at Guild Hall will go on sale March 1. Visit guildhall.org/fuenteovejuna for details. Guild Hall is at 158 Main Street in East Hampton.