THEATRE + COMEDY

Talento Bilingüe de Houston presents Representa! Bilingüal Theatre for the Hip-Hop Generation!, Thursday through Saturday, April 20-May 2.

Talento Bilingüe de Houston (TBH) will be bringing nationally renowned hip-hop poet Paul S. Flores and Internationally acclaimed Cuban rapero/rapper Julio Cardenas to the Houston area to perform their hit REPRESENTA! on TBH’s stage. This performance was written and performed by both Flores and Cardenas and directed by Obie Award winner Danny Hoch.

Setting itself apart from other spoken-word performance, REPRESENTA! is bilingual theatre which combines spoken-word poetry with character portrayals that are simultaneously hilariously entertaining and provocative.

-Paul S. Flores and Julio Cardenas

REPRESENTA! chronicles what happens when spoken word poet Flores and Cuban rapper Cardenas meet in Cuba at the Havana Hip-Hop Festival. Despite an atmosphere laden with the stereotypes and anxieties that exist between North Americans and Cubans, the two artists develop a friendship. But their relationship, ideals and dreams are challenged when Cardenas decides to stay in the U.S. while on tour in New York City immediately after 9/11. This incisive commentary on terrorism, immigration, Cuba, U.S. foreign policy, Bay Area lefty culture, New York after 9/11, and pan-Latino identity has toured to fifteen US cities, and played at Teatro Hugo Arguelles in Mexico City, Mexico.

Flores was born and raised in the Tijuana/San Diego border and later received his MFA in creative writing from San Francisco State University. Since then, Flores has become a published poet, novelist, and playwright. He is recognized as a leading artist and a producer in Latino performing arts. His television works includes Season Four of Russell Simmons Presents: Def Poetry on HBO.

Cardenas is a native to Havana in Alamar, Cuba. While in Cuba, Cardenas founded the Cuban rap group Raperos Crazy de Alamar, which is known as one of the best in Cuba. Cardenas has performed in many Hip-Hop festivals and was selected to perform as part of the inaugural International Hip-Hop exchange in New York City where he currently resides.

Performance are Thursday, April 30th, Friday, May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd at 8:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $18.00 admission, $15.00 students and $10.00 seniors (65+). Tickets can be purchased online at www.tbhcenter.org , by telephone 713.222.1213, or in person at the Talento Bilingüe de Houston Box Office, located at 333 S. Jensen Dr., Houston, TX 77003. All performances take place at TBH.