In a city with 2.8+ million Hispanics and growing, according to Census 2000, what better time for the free Teatro Latino series? With help from three Off-Broadway shows, the event will take place at Lehman College's Lovinger Theatre April 16-May 6.

Lovinger producer Betsy Shevey enthusiastically told Playbill On-Line that she "came up with the idea and started scouting around to find projects to put together." In addition to the three theatrical works, she was also able to book Latin jazz group Bronx Horns (April 20) and international performance group Compania General Electrica (April 26-29).

On April 16, Rosie Perez and John Ortiz  — stars of References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, currently playing at OB's Public Theatre — will read from the José Rivera play. The free sneak peek will only play for one performance.

The following Monday, April 23, another reading from a Public show, Lackawanna Blues will be presented. Tony Award-winning Ruben Santiago-Hudson will perform from this one-man work based on his youth in the New York town.

Closing out the series, May 4-6, will be the world premiere production of I Love America. This dramatically documented oral histories of roughly 20 Dominican refugees as they journey across dangerous waters, by way of Puerto Rico, to the United States. Playwright Lidia Ramirez will perform her one-woman play that will run at the American Place Theatre May 14-July 1 under the direction by Elise Thoron. Teatro Latino will run at the Lovinger Theatre, located at the Bronx's Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West. The performances are free and open the public. For more information, call (718) 960-8025.

— by Ernio Hernandez