PROVIDENCE, R.I. — March 16, 1999 — Teatro Latino Estudiantil will present “An Afternoon with our Actors: Acting, Music and Conversation / Una tarde con nuestros actores: actuacion, musica y conversacion, “ at the University of Rhode Island Feinstein College of Continuing Education, 80 Washington St., on Saturday, March 27, at 3 p.m., in Room 441. The performance is free and open to the public. The presentation should be of particular interest to young Hispanics interested in maintaining their language and cultural heritage, while working to integrate the themselves into the wider community. People studying Spanish, and those who wish to find creative ways for minority youths to express their concerns should also find this presentation valuable. Feintstein CCE Dean Walter A. Crocker and Resurreccion Espinosa, founder and director Teatro Latino Estudiantil, will greet the audience briefly and talk about the creation of the Latino theater. Then several scenes will be performed—three from The Courtship of Luis Espejo and three from The Importance of Being Macho. The Courtship of Luis Espejo deals with a young man, Luis Espejo, who leaves the Army ready to “make it” in North American society. One of his first decisions towards this end is to marry an Anglo girl, Melanie Lathrop, a fact that forces the characters to face issues of living in two cultures and with two languages. The Importance of Being Macho ( which will be performed on the Kingston campus on April 15) deals with the life of Luis Espejo in his South Providence neighborhood and the conditions of life that he wants to create for his family and his people. Both plays are bilingual because that’s the manner of communication for the Hispanic community depicted. The two songs sung in “The Importance of Being Macho” will be part of the program: “Vendre,” sung by Yldania Polanco, and “Gentle Neighbors,” by John Devaney. The composer, Charles Frink, will accompany the singers on a keyboard. Teatro Latino members who will participate in this performance are: URI alumni Miriam Gorriaran and John Devaney, his two children, Scarlet and Michael; URI students Ivette Jimenez, Ana Tavares, Ed Lopez, Martin Fernandez, Belkis Mercedes, Niurka Castillo, Dilicia Perdomo, Sheila Lahijani, and Jhomphy Ventura, who is also the stage manager. A question-and-answer period will follow. The event is co-sponsored by the URI Feinstein College of Continuing Education and Youth in Action. Teatro Latino Estudiantil / URI is a member of The Hispanic Heritage Committee / R.I., and its work is funded, in part, by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. For More Information: Jan Sawyer, 874-2116