FLAE IV | Latin Performing Arts Festival 2024

Open Scene’s fourth Festival Latinoamericano de Artes Escénicas (FLAE) took place June 17–23, 2024, bringing together more than 40 artists from Latin America, the United States, and Spain through a hybrid program of theater, workshops, visual art, immersive performance, artist conversations, and watch parties across several cities.

The online program opened June 17 with Communicate through Illustration, a workshop led by Venezuelan-born Orlando artist Gisela Romero, followed by El León y la Domadora / The Lion and the Tamer, produced by Artefactus Cultural Project in Miami, with a live talkback. On June 18, Valencia-based visual-music artist Fabiana Cruz led The New Musician: Music Making in Today’s Technological World, followed by This is Salem, produced by Teatro de la Penumbra in Caracas and presented in the United States for the first time through FLAE. On June 19, Mexican cultural manager Felipe “Falú” Flores-Balam presented a Cultural Management workshop, followed by Una película sin Julie / A Movie Without Julie, produced in Buenos Aires by Luli Brindisi. Online theater was accompanied by watch parties in Orlando, Miami, and Caracas.

On June 20, the hybrid program presented Ofrenda de la sombra / Shadow Offering, a short documentary and Butoh workshop produced by Divarte Cine and Thot Danza Butoh of Venezuela. The festival also presented Landslide, an immersive art installation by Venezuelan-born artist Gisela Romero, June 20–23.

The in-person theater program was originally scheduled for Fringe ArtSpace, but flooding at the venue three days before opening required an emergency relocation to Trinity Prep in Winter Park. There, Arca Images presented Tebas Land by Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco, directed by Carlos Celdrán; GALA Hispanic Theatre presented Bandolero y Malasangre / Bandit and Bad Blood by Venezuelan playwright Gustavo Ott in its U.S. premiere; and PITCHBLACK Immersive Experiences presented the Florida premiere of Odd Man Out, an immersive performance in complete darkness rooted in Teatro Ciego’s Argentine practice.

FLAE IV connected artists and audiences across Orlando, Miami, Caracas, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Yucatán, Washington, D.C., and New York through a week of Latin and international performing arts.

Poster designed by Venezuelan visual artist Gisela Romero.