User talk:Faro300/sandbox

Actor, Director, Producer and writer, Carlos Espinal, was born July 14 in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He is one of the most important stage actors of his country. As an adolescent he attended the Fine Arts Palace’s School For The Performing Arts, after his graduation, he continued to enrol in different arts-related workshops to learn and gain experience in the various aspects of the art, such as: scenic direction, musical Theater, production and acting for television and film. This provided the experience, professionalism, and talent that personifies his essence, and, while still a teenager in 1983 made his debut as a theatre director with the play “El Baul de los Disfraces” (A trunk full of costumes) at the National Theatre of the Dominican Republic.. Carlos was sensational in this play as he was also the co-producer and performed the role of actor by playing 5 different characters.

At that early stage, while he was still working for some of the most important directors of the time, back in the Dominican Republic, he decided to establish a new theatre group with his colleagues and friends “ Teatro de Tres” (Theater For Three).

During that same period, Carlos received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in Madrid, Spain. However, due to circumstances beyond his control at the time, Carlos and his family opted to immigrate to the City of New York where he started his bilingual training in dance, singing, and acting at the Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre. His teachers, recognizing his special talents, recommended him for work in other Hispanic theater companies. His introductory work as an actor was the play titled “En La Ardiente Obscuridad” (In the Burning Darkness) by the Spanish author, Bueno Vallejo, performed at the old Casa de España (House of Spain)in New York City. In this play, Carlos gained immediate recognition as one of the most talented actors of the Hispanic Theater in the city.

Later, he became a member of the Children’s Theater group “The Bubbles Players”, performing the lead role in the bilingual play “A Bird Named Cu”. He then performed the lead role in The Three Wise Men. While this is going on, Carlos was studying English and liberal arts at the LaGuardia Community College, and also modern dance, voice and Speech and acting at he H.B. Studios. His first singing teacher introduced him at the First Hispanic Singing Festival where he received great acceptance by the arts loving public.

A few years later he was accepted at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New York where he graduated in 1989. He later formed the “Taller de Actores” (Actors Workshop) where he directed plays such as “La Cantante Calva” (The Bald Soprano) and “Los Angeles Se Han Fatigado” (The Angels Are Exhausted), “El Ultimo Instante” (Last Instant), “The Yes Men” and “Never Again”. This work drew very positive criticism from publications like El Diario La Prensa, which categorized Carlos’ work as one of the best and most important theatre productions of 1990.

Carlos has worked for Teatro La Tea of New York as Artistic Director, actor and director for an extensive period of time. His credits include work at Repertorio Español, Circulo Theater, IATI Theater, Sociedad Educativa de Las Artes, Prometeo, Teatro Arte Unido, among others. In 1984 he participated in the famous Joseph Papp “Latino Theater Festival of New York”. He directed the “15th Anniversary of La Tea Theater that was presented as a PBS special special. As an actor he has been seen in the TV show Law and Order (as Chuy Badillo) among some of the great American television stars. Carlos has also a long and active career in the Dominican television where he has performed various dramatic tv roles. In 1993 he was invited to perform the controversial play “Caligula” at the National Theatre and was nominated Best Actor of the year for the “El Casandra Awards”.

Among other credits: “Dracula”, “Mas Que Ayer”( More Than Yesterday), “Las Mariposas Son Libres”(Butterflies Are Free) (nominated for Best Actor, Best Production, Best actress, Secondary Actress) “La Ultima Diva”( Last Diva), “Pantallas”(TV Screen), “Amadeus” (nominated for Best Production, Best Actor, and Best Direction). After a career spanning 30 years and a vast curriculum of over 50 shows, and the most positive reviews any actor can wish for, Carlos also was the voice of Cafe A La Media Noche( Midnight Coffe), the most relevant late night radio show of the Dominican Republic.

In the last few years, Carlos has directed “The Dominican Gala” at the Atrium of the City Hall in the city of Atlanta. He also directed the Latino Festival Peachtree 2002 that featured some of the biggest stars of the Mexican and Caribbean music scene with over 25 thousand spectators. This festival was televised by Televisa for the rest of the world. He has also been a TV Host of “En Portada” a talk show produced by Telemundo. His portray of “Molina” in the world-wide acclaim musical “ The Kiss of The Spider Woman” by Terrence McNally, won Carlos Espinal outstanding reviews and an Award as Best Actor of the Year. At the the present Carlos is travelling with “30 Years Of Love, Passion & Tears” an exhibit and performance of his theater Career and work as a poet.

recently directed the play "Glorious" The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, The Worse Singer In The World by English author Peter Quilter, also published his first poetry book" El Dín, Dón, Dán De La Ilusión" Poemas de Amor Traición y Olvido, also starred, wrote and directed the multimedia monologue "Peter El Rojo, The Gorilla" based on a story by Franz Kafka, this monologue premiered at the Dante Hall Theater and also with great success in the Dominica Republic at National Theater.