presents
Written and directed by Luis Caballero
From January 16 to 25, 2026
At Teatro Círculo
64 East 4th Street, NYC
OUR STAFF
José Cheo Oliveras,
Founding Artistic Director
Virginia Louloudes,
Development Director
Edna Lee Figueroa,
Marketing Director / Social Media Manager
James Figueroa,
Financial Manager
Eva Vásquez,
Co-Founder & Educational Program Director
Verónica Caicedo,
Facilities Manager
Caridad del Valle,
‘Abuelito, dime tú’ Program Coordinator /
Resident Stage Manager
Camila Ceschin,
Box Office Manager
Cinzia Meneghello,
Web Designer / Web Master
Mariano de Paco Serrano,
Associate Artistic Director
Dean M. Zayas,
Associate Artistic Director, Emeritus
Pablo Zinger,
Musical Director
Israel Franco-Müller,
Resident Production Designer
Manuel Gómez Crespo,
Technical Production Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Eric Rivera, Chair
Special Assistant to the Commissioner/Chief Diversity Officer, NYC Department of Aging
Barbara Matos, Treasurer
Founder & CEO – Socorro Strategies
Paul Marín, Secretary
Founder and CEO, PM Public Relations
José Cheo Oliveras
Founding Artistic Director, Teatro Círculo
Eva Vásquez
York College
Diana Chery-Ramírez
Playwright, Director, Actress, Professor
Rocky Lizardi
Sony Music Entertainment
Laura Aguinaga
Actress, Producer, Writer
Rubie M. Alicea
Immigration Attorney – Kuba Law
MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS…
National Endowment for the Arts
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul
New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council
Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment
New York City Council Members Carlina Rivera – District 2, Shaun Abreu – District 7, Diana Ayala – District 8, Amanda Farías – District 18, Francisco Moya – District 21, Tiffany Caban – District 22, Sandy Nurse – District 37, Justin Brannan – District 47
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Daniel S. Goldman, U.S. House of Representatives
Small Business Administration
The Tow Foundation
Howard Gilman Foundation
New York Community Trust
The National Latinx Theater Initiative
The Shubert Foundation
The Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust
Miranda Family Fund
The Hispanic Federation
Jeffrey & Paula Gural
The Mid-Atlantic Arts, through USArtists International
Lily Auchincloss Foundation
The Kaplen Brothers Fund
The Cory & Bob Donnalley Charitable Foundation
The Michael Tuch Foundation
The Frederic Coudert Foundation
The Lucille Lortel Foundation
Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation
Con Edison
Bank of America
NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theater
Mosaic Fund
The Tow Charitable Foundation
The Mosaic Network and Fund
For more information on how to make a tax-deductible donation visit:
Debajo del árbol de almendras is made possible in part, by the generous support of:
New York State Council on the Arts, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Mosaic Network and Fund, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the City Council, The Shubert Foundation, Lucille Lortel Foundation, The National Latinx Theater Initiative, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, the Cory & Bob Donnalley Charitable Foundation, The Miranda Family Fund, and The Frederic Coudert Foundation.
Lily Auchincloss Foundation
For more information about touring productions contact us at
(845) 662-7742 or at joliveras@teatrocirculo.org
Our rehearsal space and theaters are available for rent at very affordable rates.
Contact us at (347) 967-4765 / vcaicedo@teatrocirculo.org or visit:
PRESENTS
Written and directed by Luis Caballero
January 16- 25, 2026
At Teatro Círculo
Brutally honest stories of mental health issues, dark humor and love.
Performed in Spanish and English
Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. No intermission.
CAST
(In alphabetical order)
Kiara Alejandra (Las dos caras de Antonia) Puerto Rico
(She/her) is a Puerto Rican actress and drama therapist based in New York City. She holds a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College and an MA in Drama Therapy from NYU. Her acting training also includes being a part of the prestigious UNIT 52 at Intar Theatre. She has starred in plays such as “La pasión según Antígona Pérez”, “La Gringa”, and “Fuente Ovejuna” at Repertorio Español. Her recent credits also include “La maravillosa y breve vida de Oscar Wao”, “Desde nuestra trinchera”, “Electra”, “Abre tus ojos”, and “Recomposed”. Most recently, she was honored with the “Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role” award at FuerzaFest 2025 for her work in “Antes de las estrellas”.
Intagram: @la.kiaralejandra
César Cova (Las dos caras de Toño) Venezuela
is a New York–based actor with roots in Venezuela. Trained in classical and contemporary performance, he brings intensity, authenticity, and versatility to every role. His work spans theater, film, and commercials, shaped by a background in journalism, photography, and storytelling across cultures.
Instagram: @cesarcovaburguera
Edna Lee Figueroa (Lola) Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican actress, producer, director, stage manager, translator, writer, poet, and Podcast ¿Todo bien? co-creator. She has over 50 productions to her credit across Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, North Carolina, Miami, and New York. She currently resides in Puerto Rico, where she continues to act, produce, and direct after living in New York City for 10 years, where she worked as an actress in theater, film, television, and voice-over; and as a producer and director in theater.
In New York, she has received various awards for her acting work: HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors), ACE (Association of Entertainment Critics of New York) and ATI (Independent Theater Artists), as well as several nominations. She is an associate artist with Boundless Theatre Company and a Teatro Círculo company member.
Since returning to Puerto Rico, she directed and performed in her short film “Before Breakfast,” which premiered at CineMásCorto 2023 (Watch on Vimeo); for this film she received a 2025 Premio Arte Internacional, Opera Prima – Film, Directing and a 2025 Latin Alternative Theater Awards-Puerto Rico Edition, Theater Film, Directing / Acting. In Puerto Rico she was also nominated for a Victoria Espinosa Award for Best Actress in a Comedy and was awarded with 2025 Marat Fest for Best Directing and Best Production, ‘La rosa de los vientos’ by Abniel Marat.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Turabo (Ana G. Méndez).
Edna Lee wants to dedicate her performance to her mom Gladys, her little sister Edelisse aka Fichu, her girlfriend Alice and her friend Miriam Cruz.
SAG-AFTRA, Instagram, TikTok, X: @ednaleefigueroa / Facebook: @EdnaLeeFigueroaActress / www.ednaleefigueroa.com
Joél Isaac (Las dos caras de Antonia) Puerto Rico
Born in Puerto Rico, Joél Isaac is a bilingual actor who alternates between classical, contemporary, and new work. Stage credits include Oberon and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Polonius in Hamlet, Yepikhodov in The Cherry Orchard, and Mortimer in The Fantasticks. His film Drunken Noodles premiered this year at ACID Cannes and NYFF.
Instagram: @thejoelisaac
Bill Oxendine (Las dos caras de Toño) Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Is a Native American actor of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke as well as his Masters of Fine Arts in Acting at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.
Instagram: @__billiam98__
CREATIVE TEAM AND CREW
Luis Caballero (Playwright and Director) Puerto Rico
To my mentors, both living and deceased: To Dalia Nieves, Myrna Casas, Victoria Espinosa, Dean Zayas, Hugo Medrano, Miriam Colón, Alba Oms, Pablo Cabrera, James Larson, to my family, and to my mother.
Israel Franco Müller (Production Designer) Puerto Rico
Production Manager and Set, Lighting & Costume Designer. International theatre designer whose works have been seen in: Alcalá and Almagro’s Classical Theater Festival in Spain 2022, Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival in Scotland, Cuba, Mexico, among other countries. Awards: Outstanding Costume Design- ‘Fuente Ovejuna’ (Teatro Círculo, ATI 2023), Outstanding Production Designer- ‘El caballero de Olmedo’ (Teatro Círculo, HOLA 2018), Best Set and Costume Design- ‘El burlador de Sevilla’ (Teatro Círculo, ATI 2019). Franco-Müller holds a Ph.D. in Theater Design and Technical Production from the Complutense University of Madrid.
Caridad del Valle (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) Puerto Rico
Has a B.A. in Dramatic Arts from the University of Puerto Rico. Her work as an artist includes acting, writing, production and stage management with theater companies like Teatro Círculo, Repertorio Español and Boundless Theatre Company. Among the numerous plays in which she has participated are La casa de Bernarda Alba, Virtuous Burglar, Yo no soy Lupita and Primavera ya no hay más (of her authorship-recently staged at Teatro Círculo). She has participated in important international festivals in countries such as Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the US. She has also received various recognitions and prestigious awards for her work as an actor and stage manager, from institutions like HOLA, ACE, ATI, LATA & ARTE. Between 2005 and 2006 she worked on Puerto Rican television on the programs Un día antes and De mujeres. In the cinema, she has worked as an actor and producer; among her film projects are: It is, Silent Dinner, Ping and Who Cares About What? In 2018, she founded her company Few Pennies Theatrical. With the intention of exploring new artistic horizons.
Instagram: @carodelvalle
Costume Concept & Coordination: Luis Caballero
Sound Design: Caridad del Valle
Voices: Julio Ramos, Caridad del Valle, Luis Caballero, Israel Franco-Müller
Sounds and Lights Operator: Caridad del Valle
Assistant to the Production Designer: Río C&C
Overtitles Operator: José Cheo Oliveras
Overtitles Translation & Preparation: Edna Lee Figueroa
Original Graphic Design: Abimael Acosta & Luis Caballero
Graphic Design Adaptation: Edna Lee Figueroa
MI CASA ES TU CASA – Our Way of Resisting!
A message from José Cheo Oliveras
Last year, as I saw attacks on our Latino and LGBTQ people continue to grow, I knew that the best thing I could do as an artist, was to produce the powerful stories of our people, in Spanish. As one member of our community told me, “Right now, the Latino community needs to bond together because we are on the outside of what’s going on.”
His words inspired me to do more: to make Teatro Círculo as affordable as possible and create opportunities for us to come together and talk about the work. Our staff created an initiative called Mi casa es tu casa, and thanks to our wonderful supporters at the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Mosaic Network and Fund, we are now able to offer $10 tickets on Saturday – both matinee and evening performances, host parties and post-show events.
We are kicking off Mi casa es tu casa with the World Premiere of DEBAJO DEL ÁRBOL DE ALMENDRAS (Under the Almond Tree) by Luis Caballero.
This is one of Luis’ most personal plays. Growing up in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, young Luis would find comfort sitting under a majestic almond tree, across the street from his childhood home.
Through the device of the almond tree, Luis tells three stories of the many that took place right near the tree – stories about the struggles so many of us face: whether to be true to our own desires, or the rules of society; stories about love, loyalty, pride, and what we truly need to survive.
Thanks to Mi casa es tu casa, we have these special events:
Opening Night Party – Friday, January 16th at 7 PM following the performance with Luis and the cast.
$10 Tickets on Saturday, January 17th and January 24th at 2 PM and 7 PM.
Talkbacks with Luis and the cast following the Sunday, January 18th and Sunday, January 25th performances.