UF professors to debut film about pioneers in Latin theater

January 2, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For seven years Tony Mata, head of musical theater at the University of Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance, has been working on “Theatre of Rice and Beans,” a film that chronicles the stories of three titans of the Latino theater.

Against all odds, René Buch, Miriam Colón and Max Ferra founded New York City’s three most influential Latino playhouses: Repertorio Español, the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre and INTA.

“Theatre of Rice and Beans is the most important project I have done in my 32-year career,” said Mata, who has worked at UF for 20 years. “This is the first documentary created about a vital part of American theatre history. I needed to do this project to give back and so their stories were not forgotten.”

Produced and directed by UF theater professors Mata and Ralf Remshardt, the film will be screened for the first time at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Constans Theatre in UF’s Nadine M. McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion. The screening is free and open to the public and will include a discussion by the filmmakers. In addition to celebrating the stories of these three legends, the film also addresses important themes in our culture such as identity and stereotypes.

On May 12, actors and special guests will gather for another screening of the film at New York City’s prestigious Tribecca Cinemas. To watch the film’s trailer, visit www.theatreofriceandbeans.com