Actors Come From Havana to Star at GALA

                  By Zita Arocha
                  Special to The Washington Post

                  Countries fight over ideology, but culture is a universal glue that can
                  connect politically polarized peoples. In what is becoming an increasingly
                  common occurrence across the country, Washington's GALA Hispanic
                  Theatre is chipping away at the wall of cultural isolation between the
                  United States and Cuba with its production of the classic Spanish play "El
                  Burlador de Sevilla" ("Don Juan of Seville").

                  The play, which tells the story of a universal seducer and deceiver of
                  women who gets what he deserves in the end, stars two visiting actors
                  from Cuba, 28-year-old Harold Ruiz and 35-year-old Broselianda
                  Hernandez, who play the lead roles of Don Juan and Tisbea, one of his
                  victims. The two were signed by GALA Director Hugo Medrano in
                  Havana last summer because of their experience in classical Spanish plays.
                  Ruiz's fencing skills also made him a logical choice for the role of the
                  15th-century Don Juan.

                  Their engagement at the Adams-Morgan theater reflects the improvements
                  in the level of artistic and cultural cooperation between the United States
                  and Cuba.

                  It's not, however, a first for GALA. Four years ago the theater broke new
                  ground by producing the Cuban play "Strawberry and Chocolate" and
                  bringing in one of the Cuban actors who starred in the movie. In 1998
                  GALA presented the satiric "Quintuplets," about a despotic father and his
                  children, in Havana. It was a sellout.

                  Artistic exchanges between Cuba and the United States are increasing as a
                  result of the easing of U.S. restrictions on travel for cultural and educational
                  reasons, and are fostering some interesting cross-pollination. Cuban films,
                  rarely seen in this country 10 years ago, are making it to U.S. festivals and
                  movie screens, and there seems to be an insatiable appetite for Cuban
                  music--evidenced by the popularity of Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer
                  and the Buena Vista Social Club. U.S. culture, mainly through Hollywood,
                  sports and MTV, also is making significant inroads among Cubans.

                  The number of Cuban artists and entertainers granted permission to enter
                  and work in the United States has risen exponentially over the last six
                  years--from 55 in 1994 to 763 in 1999, according to the State
                  Department.

                  U.S. law prevents Cuban performers or actors from receiving salaries
                  during their stay here, but they are allowed a per diem of about $125,
                  which is more than they'd earn for acting. To sign Ruiz and Hernandez,
                  GALA had to demonstrate through advertising and other means that there
                  were no U.S. actors available to fill the roles, according to the theater's
                  spokeswoman Rebecca Medrano. The theater also had to obtain approval
                  from the local actors' union to hire the Cubans. The visa approval process
                  took about nine months.

                  "I have come here to add a grain of art to the growing Hispanic culture in
                  this country," says Ruiz, married and the father of two, who studied acting
                  in Havana and Ukraine and is a member of Teatro Estudio, a professional
                  theater group in Havana. "I'm not at all interested in political issues.

                  "I was drawn here by the opportunity to work on a classic Spanish play
                  and also to get to know the United States," says Hernandez, who plans to
                  visit New York during her three-month stay. A graduate of Cuba's
                  National School of Art, Hernandez has acted on the Cuban stage, in
                  television and film and also has performed in Spain. She has an 8-year-old
                  daughter, Sofia, waiting for her back home.

                  So far, the two have seen a little of what Washington has to offer--the
                  Columbia Road area, where they are living with American sponsors, the
                  U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and a ballet performance at the
                  Kennedy Center. As this weekend's opening night approaches, the actors
                  are managing to stay focused on what brought them here.

                  "Art never ceases to be art," Ruiz says. "It can break barriers."

                  El Burlador de Sevilla ("Don Juan of Seville") will run through April 2 at
                  GALA Hispanic Theatre, 1625 Park Rd. NW. Call 202-234-7174. The
                  play is in Spanish with English translation.