Around in 8 plays

Hispanic theater festival covers eight countries.

It’s a daunting task: staging eight plays from eight countries throughout Miami-Dade County.

That’s what the 32nd International Theatre Festival of Miami will try to pull off July 6-23 in order to — paraphrasing its mission statement — preserve, maintain and enhance Hispanic cultural heritage through the presentation of universal theater and educational programs.

“We wished it could be more expansive, but the budget does not allow it,” says Mario Ernesto Sanchez, the festival’s director in an email interview. “We try to present some of the best groups and productions from Latin America, Europe — mainly Spain — and the United States. This festival is not competitive and has never had a theme, such as ‘new works’ or ‘classics.’ ”

“It is mainly an opportunity to experience noncommercial, artistic-quality theater that otherwise the community won’t be able to see from a country you may be from. Given the diversity of the Hispanic community in Miami, the festival tries to present a production from your homeland.”

Here is more about the festival from Sanchez, who is also the founder of the 38-year-old Teatro Avante theater company in Miami.

There’s something for non-Spanish-speaking audiences: “We offer plays performed in Spanish with supertitles in English, and sometimes we present dance companies and music ensembles that do not require the knowledge of another language. This year, ‘Edipo’ (‘Oedipus’), the Greek tragedy performed in a very unusual way from Portugal, and ‘Notas que saben a olvido’ (‘Forgetting’), an emotional play about Alzheimer’s, will be performed with English supertitles.”

After the opening performance of each play, there will be a discussion facilitated by professor/ critic/dramaturge/author Beatriz J. Rizk: “It is a wonderful way to meet the participating companies and to establish a dialogue between actors, directors and playwrights with the audience. We also learn more about the production, selection methods, why it was done, style of work, rehearsals, etc.”

Mexican actress Julieta Egurrola will be presented with the Life Achievement in the Performing Arts Award: “Her long acting career encompasses more than 50 productions of diverse genres, directed by legendary stage directors. She has performed in more than 15 films and 30 television series.”

There will be a free performance for children on July 15 at the Key Biscayne Community Center: “This year we are presenting Teatro Teloncillo from Valladolid, Spain, with a beautiful play, ‘Nidos’ (‘Nests’), written and directed by Ana Gallego and Angel Sanchez. But that’s not all. We also will offer workshops in painting, puppetry, music percussion, arts and crafts, rides, face painting and a healthy combo meal [July 16 at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium].

Ray Newlands, better known as “Short Chef,” will return for a presentation: “Last year, we presented him at the Key Biscayne Community Center and it was so successful, we decided to bring him back this year to the main event, the International Children’s Day at the On.Stage Black Box Theatre of the Miami-Dade County Auditorium on July 16. Target, our main sponsor for this event, requested we provided a healthy combo meal.”

The International Theatre Festival of Miami runs July 6-23 at:

The Carnival Studio Theater at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.

On.Stage Black Box Theatre at the MiamiDade County Auditorium, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami.

Key Biscayne Community Center, 10 Village Green Way, Key Biscayne.

Most performances are on a Thursday or FridaySunday. Times vary. Tickets are $34 at the Arsht Center; $30 at Miami-Dade County Auditorium; and free at the Key Biscayne Community Center. TeatroAvante.org.