Two new productions that mock old stereotypes

Rivera is directing Tony Meneses’ “The Hombres,” a co-production with Gloucester Stage Company, which will play Sept. 6-24 in Gloucester and then “tour” to Teatro’s Chelsea Theatre Works from Sept. 26-29. Lopez-Ponce has been hired as a freelance director for SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Alexis Scheer’s “Laughs in Spanish,” from Sept. 13-Oct. 12 at the Roberts Studio in the Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts.

“For ‘The Hombres’ to be a co-production with Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea,” says Rivera, “it had to have a bilingual element and it had to connect with Chelsea. We’re thrilled that the production will be performed in both locations.”

“The Hombres” follows the unlikely relationships that develop when a construction crew befriends a yoga instructor at a studio near where they work. While the clash of macho vs. gay stereotypes provides some humor, Rivera says the play uses that easy access to ask more thoughtful questions about male friendship.

All the characters in the play are male, all Latino.

“While these men are asking questions like, ‘Can you have a gay friend?’ they’re also asking questions about what the world thinks of us, what we think of each other, and how we judge ourselves, all while saluting the sun,” Rivera says. “These men are complex and provide an opportunity to show the range of what Latinos look like—Caribbean, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central American—each culture is unique, and that adds another layer to the assumptions about how these men should behave.”

Both Rivera and Lopez-Ponce say Teatro Chelsea is sometimes called upon when theaters are looking for Latino actors.

“We have a really strong Latino theater community,” Rivera says. “This is my dream cast, friends I’ve known for a long time but never had the chance to work with, including Arthur Gomez, Jaime José “JJ” Hernandez, Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin, Luis Negrón and Patrick O’Konis.”

“Part of Teatro Chelsea’s mission,” Lopez-Ponce says, “is to open doors for Latino actors to take on roles that defy stereotypes.”

Both Rivera and Lopez-Ponce encourage actors to draw from the richness of their own culture.

“Multilingualism is the secret weapon we want students to adopt as part of their skill set,” Rivera says.

Lopez-Ponce, who won an Elliot Norton Award for directing “Don’t Eat the Mangos” at the Apollinaire Theatre and has performed on numerous local stages, says she was drawn to “Laughs in Spanish” for its multicultural nature.

“I was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami,” she says, “and I loved the way (playwright) Alexis captured what it means to live in that multicultural environment.”

The comedy is set in Miami during Art Basel, an international art fair that brings together galleries, artists, and collectors. When an ambitious young gallery owner discovers that her exhibit has been stolen the night before its grand opening, she and her intern (who is also a talented artist) frantically put together the final details for the opening as if nothing had happened. Of course, chaos erupts, complicated by the arrival of her mother, a famous actress who has never been very caring.

“There’s a lot of fast-paced humor and we play around with code-switching,” Lopez-Ponce says, “but at its core it’s a story about a mother-daughter relationship and finding the love that’s there.”

While both works play with stereotypes, Lopez-Ponce says the stories have a wide audience.

“The characters are Latino,” he says, “but the themes of male friendship and relationships with parents cross ethnic and cultural boundaries.”

Of course, Rivera says, Teatro Chelsea wants to engage audiences from other Latino communities beyond Chelsea.

“It’s exciting to perform in front of an audience of my peers,” she says. “And we’re thrilled that more Latinos are feeling welcomed into theaters and taking up their space.”

MEN

Gloucester Stage Company and Teatro Chelsea, Sept. 6-29, tickets $18-$70. 978-281-4433, www.gloucesterstage.com.

LAUGHTER IN SPANISH

SpeakEasy Stage Company, Roberts Studio, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, September 13–October 12. Tickets: $25–$85. 617-933-8600,