This is the third time that Hostos Community College students have been invited to perform a play at the internationally-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. A premiere will happen at Hostos on Wednesday, April 19, and will run until Friday, April 28, 2023.

Ten Hostos Community College students are ready to rock the international stage at this year’s Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of the International Collegiate Theater Festival (ICTF). Happening from August 4 – 13, the ensemble will perform “What You Will,” a modern take on Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night.” Before the festival, there will be a free admission run for the community from Wednesday, April 19 to April 28, in the Black Box Theater (C-151).

“This is a fresh take on Shakespeare, and we take it with younger audiences in mind. It is truly amazing that we can support these students with the opportunity of a lifetime at a festival where we were the first guest performers from a community college a decade ago,” said Director and Hostos Visual & Performing Arts Professor Ángel Morales.

For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh is home to an outburst of creative energy from around the globe. Fringe was established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival and in 2019 alone, featured 59,600 performances of 3,841 different shows in 322 venues.

Adapted by James Zager, this play’s contemporary version centers around the story of Viola, a young woman who disguises herself as her twin brother, Sebastian, after a shipwreck. “A wonderfully nonthreatening way to introduce young audiences to the complexity of classic literature,” the production has been transformative for all involved in the College’s adaptation. 

“This opportunity has helped me live life; it’s profound that I get to experience something like this,” expressed student actor Alan Pierre-Louis, a Digital Design major, who plays authoritarian Malvolio, one of the antagonists.

For her part, Digital Design & Animation graduate Mellanie Benito has experienced “What You Will” differently as the Assistant Stage Manager. She is especially excited to be representing Hostos at such a prestigious celebration.

“I hope [our participation] brings attention to Hostos. We’re from different backgrounds and countries, and through us, Hostos can show its worth, the power we have, and the talent that lives here, which has been overlooked before,” she said.

Other production members are Oriana Sophia (costume designer), Fernando Castillo (sound designer and fight coordinator), and Bill Sorice (stage manager). The other cast members are Susana Angamarca, Daniel Honeycutt, Kobe Jacobs, Dainma Martinez, Wilbert Morales, Angel Moret, and Hualbin Ramirez.

This production of “What You Will” is sponsored by the Hostos Community College Foundation with public funds from The Coalition of Theaters of Color in partnership with the New York City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Office of NYC Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr. Additional support is provided by the Hostos Student Association and the Office of Academic Affairs. Additional funds will be raised at the Hostos 55th Anniversary Gala at Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle on Wednesday, April 26.

For performance dates and times in the Black Box Theater, go here for more information. 
 
About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College

Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for over half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.

Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and three certificate programs that facilitate secure transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 25 colleges.               

If you would like more information, please email Ivano Leoncavallo, Director of Communications (ileoncavallo@hostos.cuny.edu).
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