About Us
Who Are We
Corezon is an independent theatre and audiovisual arts company based in New York City dedicated to produce new and relevant work of Latin American and Spanish theater to broader audiences. We present plays essential to help expand the values of the Hispanic perspective in the US.
What We Do
Corezon has produced over a dozen of plays and has collaborated with important institutions in the development of artistic projects, such as: Hispanic Federation, The World Bank Group, Society of Educational Arts, Comisonado Dominicano de Cultura en los Estados Unidos, Teatro Círculo, and HB Studio.
Our Mission
Corezon is dedicated to cultivating and presenting culturally competent art that reflects and elevates the Hispanic perspective. Through innovative storytelling, theater, audiovisual, and various performing arts, we aim to entertain, provide catharsis, and promote social justice. Our mission is to amplify Hispanic voices, deepen cultural understanding, and foster appreciation through cultural education. We engage diverse global communities in meaningful cultural exchanges, enhancing their experience and understanding of Hispanic culture and the immigrant experience.
Our Goals
- Telling stories of social justice through the Hispanic perspective.
- Giving a voice to the Latin American community through the arts.
- Bringing Hispanic and multicultural plays to NYC stages.
- Highlighting Latin American culture and talents.
- Challenging the lack of knowledge that exists about our Latin American culture.
- Producing films and plays with educational and inspirational purpose.
- Creating theater and film festivals to bring international talents to NYC’s stages and screens.
- Building a platform for Spanish-speaking talents.
- Offering quality theater to Spanish-speaking audiences.
- Make a contribution in the cultural education of the citizens, especially in the Hispanic community.
- Building an ensemble of multicultural talents.
/ˌkɔˈrɜsɔn/
Our name comes from the union of the English word “Core” and the Spanish word “Corazón”.
- Core: the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.
- Corazón: The heart. Courage; spirit. Love; affection; compassion or sympathy.
The most essential part of art –and the world– is the heart.
Our History
Corezon traces its origins to 2013 at the renowned HB Studio in New York City, where a diverse group of Hispanic actors, including Pablo Andrade (Venezuela), Ingrid Wheatley (México), Daniela Wong (México), Reza Salazar (Argentina/Peru), Ibeth Massari (Puerto Rico), and Maria Fontanals (Spain), collaborated under the tutelage of esteemed American professors such as Jim Boerlin, Ilse Pfeifer, Mark Blum, and Carol Rosenfeld. Their collective efforts aimed to diversify and expand the representation of Spanish-language works within the institution’s vibrant artistic environment.
Following their initial production, “Cuentos de Guerra para dormir en paz” (2013-2014), Corezon quickly captured the attention of New York City’s Hispanic theatrical community. Building on this momentum, Pablo Andrade formally established Corezon as an artistic organization in 2015 after graduating from HB Studio. Venezuelan artist Yessi Hernández soon joined as Executive Producer, strengthening the foundation. Shortly thereafter, Peruvian artist Diego Chiri assumed the role of Associate Director, and founding member Maria Fontanals became the Director of Education.
Over the years, Corezon has collaborated with prestigious organizations like The World Bank, Teatro Círculo, and the Hispanic Federation. Their participation in the Hispanic Federation’s FuerzaFest in 2016, 2017, and 2019 was particularly notable, earning them multiple awards, including Best Production. Their acclaimed play “Seis,” which addresses the tragic stories of transgender women murdered in Latin America, toured FuerzaFest events in Connecticut and Orlando, underscoring their commitment to addressing critical social issues through theater.
Corezon’s commitment to presenting culturally competent art that elevates the Hispanic perspective and promotes social justice is evidenced by their impactful theater productions. Works like “Olvidadas” (2016-2017), “Héroes perdidos” (2017), “Forasteros” (2019), “Hora Pico” (2019), and “September 11, 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died” (2022) have garnered acclaim for their artistic merit and significant cultural contributions.
Beyond its theatrical endeavors, Corezon actively promotes the educational empowerment of the Hispanic community through initiatives like “Impulso: Ciclo de Talleres Artísticos.” These workshops, developed in partnership with the Hispanic Federation and Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA), provide emerging Latino actors a crucial opportunity to sharpen their skills and master new artistic techniques. Furthering its commitment to cultural outreach, in 2020, Corezon launched La Guía Cultural to engage audiences with Hispanic culture in New York by promoting events, cultural news, and artistic content in Spanish.
Through its innovative blend of performance and community engagement, Corezon continues to be a pivotal force in enriching and expanding the cultural landscape of New York City and beyond, staying true to its core—where the heart (corazón) meets the essence of art (core).
Meet The Team
Pablo Andrade
Artistic Director
Actor, director, producer, and teaching artist. Pablo is Executive Director of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors, Founder of La Guía Cultural, and faculty member of HB Studio, NYU Tisch and Moment Work Institute. As a teacher, he has trained actors in the US, Latin America and Europe. As a director, he has been mentored by Tony Award recipients Jack Hofsiss and Thomas Kail. As an actor, he played the leading role of the New York Times Critics’ Pick production of Mario Vargas Llosa’s Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, and dozens of other plays and films. Pablo Andrade is a proud alumnus of the HB Studio and Hagen Institute as well as the Cultural Visitor Program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Some of his awards include: ATI Awards for Best Director Monologue (2020) and Breakthrough Director (2018), Fuerza Award for Best Director (2017), and Latin ACE Award for Best Actor Drama (2015).
Yessi Hernández
Executive Director
Yessi began her acting career at 17 years old when she joined Teatro UCAB while studying Journalism. Since then she has been performing in several plays including “The House of Bernarda Alba”, “A Doll’s house”, “The Seagull” and “Peter Pan”. She started her career on the radio and TV in front of shows like “Juntos y Revueltos”, “Soy Un Boom” and “Paparazzi”. She graduated on Journalism in 2012 and got a diploma on Dramatic Arts in 2013. She is also alumni of HB Studio and Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Recently, she starred in two plays in New York City: “A Lie of The Mind” by Sam Shepard and “Lo que Kurt Cobain se llevó” by Karin Valecillos.
Diego Chiri
Associate Director
Peruvian actor, writer, and director. In Pennsylvania, Chiri has directed “Ashes” (2010) and “The Zoo Story” (2011) at the Tustin Studio Theatre. He has also collaborated with the devised productions of “The Bacchae” (2011) and “Really Trying Here” (2011). In NYC, Chiri has directed “Fin de semana” (2014) and “La Gran Semíramis” (2015) at Repertorio Español and “Olvidadas” (2016) at the Julia de Burgos Theatre. His work as a director has received several ACE, ATI and FUERZA Awards. Chiri has also directed several stage readings at IATI Theatre. Chiri is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and he has received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship, the CCP Foundation Scholarship, and the Van Lier Fellowship.
Maria Fontanals
Director of Education
Maria is a Spanish actress and faculty member of HB Studio where she teaches Uta Hagen’s technique. She is a co-founder of the Corezon Theatre Company in NYC. As an actress, Maria has an extensive experience on stage in the United States, Europe and Mexico. Her recent theater credits include: Seis – Ni tan divas ni tan muertas – 3xBeckett=… – Oleana – Brilliant Traces – Balm in Gilead – Cuentos de guerra – King Lear – Dancing at Luchnasa – Midsummer Night’s Dream among others. Major awards include: HOLA Award 2017 – FUERZAFest Award 2017 for Best Actress – Latin ACE Award 2017 for Best Comedic Actress – ATI Award 2017 for Best Supporting Actress.
