Anita Gonzalez

Draft and Sophie, two feisty woman spirits, one white and one black, invent a character (in the spirit of Zora) name KEY. KEY is a dispirited Black woman who owns a beauty chair she calls a shop and rents out rooms for cash after cleaning up white folks’ houses in Washington DC. When shoe shine salesman Malik rents a room in Key's place, the two of them change up the story. The writers conjure up a dance contest and a hair show to show off Key's talent, but in the end Key makes her own space a - place for survival.

Picture frames and haunting memories emerge from the embers of the Atlanta Fire as a mother and daughter remember the legacy of African American photographer Thomas Askew. His photos of their dignity endure when all is lost and the world is aflame.

An immersive musical about the rise of unionism and the healing of racial divides in 1918 Tampa. Aspiring activist Luisa brings us to Ybor City where factory workers labor under harsh work conditions. Catalino seeks to organize a union, while Afro-Cuban Pedro struggles for acceptance by the white Cuban community. Catalino's sister Teresa longs to bring her songs to the world and when a stranger comes to town, he offers new possibilities. Then, violence erupts. Pedro and his wife Irina don't know what side to take. The community must bond to effectively fight for decent working conditions for all.

4 African-American women +1 set off to the Caribbean for a family vacation. In the midst of fun-in-the-sun, old rifts are revealed. Like many families, they have to deal with the frailties of an aging relative. Ancestors and ancient rituals long-forgotten sooth their wounds.

It all started when Lynette listened to her sister Maryse and agreed to travel to the Caribbean for Thanksgiving. It sounded ok. Distant relatives heading to the beach to get away from work and family strife. At first all is good. But once everyone settles in at the hotel, spats and bickering collide with piña coladas and shared vulnerabilities. To top it off, Aunt Nettie’s mental state keeps everyone on edge. Maryse and Lynette regurgitate old wounds and honor their shared childhood experiences. Eventually, the celebrants reach Sunset Dreams beach and immerse themselves in salty ocean waves. Except they don’t know how to swim.4 African-American women +1 set off to the Caribbean for a family vacation. In the midst of fun-in-the-sun, old rifts are revealed. Like many families, they have to deal with the frailties of an aging relative. Ancestors and ancient rituals long-forgotten sooth their wounds.

A young, pregnant teenager makes a choice to seek out a curandera and find out how her water flows. A poetical exploration of choices we make about life and death.

Ayanna Kelly tells the story of Ayanna, an Afro Caribbean woman who travels to Liverpool to search for her father after the death of her mother. She leaves behind a boyfriend named Robert as she begins her quest for self. When Ayanna lands in Liverpool she meets a man named Monroe who leads her into a magic pub. There, the two of them begin a journey where they meet ghosts “playing” in past worlds in which they are expected to play a part. Together, Ayanna and Monroe rehearse Shakespeare scenes in tea gardens, sing Caribbean songs in council house flats, play Mersey beat in the Cavern Club, evoke sea shanties on a phantom ship and a fight over a trip hop start named Wikkid T. Eventually Ayanna finds her father but he is not what she expected.

It’s Juneteenth. Olivia, a Chicago-based African American doctor, returns to her childhood home in Houston’s Third Ward for her Grandma Rose’s memorial service. Her ex-boyfriend Barron hopes to rekindle their relationship as they reminisce and pack her grandmother’s living room. When Olivia falls asleep and dreams of her ancestors, she awakens with a new understanding of home and heritage.

Le Hot Blu is an American syncopated musical about a Harlem neighborhood and a 1947 bebop club. FRANKLIN runs a nightclub where his daughter, VINCY, sings. VINCY wants something more from her life, and when DOC, an aspiring jazz pianist (and the Jewish boy next door) plays at the club, a musical love affair begins to bloom. Doc’s MOM tries to protect her son from the neighborhood characters, but when the mob threatens, she rallies with the BAND, the BOPPETTES, and the SPIRIT of HARLEM to save their favorite musical spot - Le Hot Blu

KUMANANA! pays tribute to Victoria and Nicomedes Santa Cruz, who played a pivotal role in the resurgence of Afro-Peruvian arts during the 1960s and 1970s. Through their poetry, music, dance, and choreography, they focused attention on neglected cultural genres of Afro-Peruvian heritage and rekindled interest and appreciation for the music, dance, and poetry that had been long forgotten.

Conceived and directed by GALA’s co-founder Hugo Medrano with associate direction and choreography by Luis Sandoval Zapata, script by Anita González and Music Direction by Roberto Arguedas. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. The production showcases the original music and writings of the Santa Cruz siblings and celebrates the resilience and creativity of a people who refused to be silenced or marginalized.

Three African American characters traveling to the courthouse to vote are haunted by memories. When they arrive they demand to be let in and have their votes count.