In 1992: Danisarte’s first acting workshop resulted in a production of a series of one-act plays entitled Almas Atormentadas (Anguished Souls). The following one-act plays were presented for eight performances at the Latin American Ensemble Theatre (then located on 104th Street in East Harlem): Los Mutantes by Jose Ruibal (Spain), La Puerta by Rolando Steiner (Nicaragua), Los Hermanos by Edilio Peña (Venezuela), Abuela y Nieta by Jacinto Benavente (Spain), Pañuelo para llorar by J.C. Ghiano (Argentina) and Papa Querido by A. Bortnik (Argentina). The actors were from Colombia, Curaçao, Santo Domingo, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain, and ranged in age from 17 to 65. This production, geared to the participants’ abilities and ages, was the result of a three-month comprehensive acting workshop. Directed by Alicia Kaplan

In 1993: Danisarte produced Caprichos de Amor (Loves Whims), a series of one-act plays, which included: Si tengo suerte by Griselda Gambaro (Argentina), ¿En que piensas? by Xavier Villaurrutia (Mexico), Judit by Rolando Steiner (Nicaragua). The result of several acting workshops combining novice talent and seasoned professionals, the series was presented at The Latin American Theatre Ensemble as well as at The Union Settlement Association, both in East Harlem. Directed by Alicia Kaplan.

In 1994: Danisarte presented a full-length Spanish comedy Amor en blanco y negro (Love in Black and White) by Julio Mathias (Spain), first as a staged reading, then as workshop productions at The Latin American Theatre Ensemble in East Harlem. English-speaking audiences were able to follow the play with the help of a detailed English synopsis. Adapted and directed by Alicia Kaplan.

In 1995 & 1996: Danisarte combined forces with Viva Stage to develop, produce and perform the bilingual musical fable If Only I Could Be…Los Sueños del coqui in collaboration with local Argentine playwright Susana Crisan. It was presented at The Latin American Theatre Ensemble, The Puerto Rican Workshop, Hermanos Fraternos, Union Settlement Association, the Cardinal Spellman Center, and twice at the Museum of New York. Made possible, in part, by a Latino Arts Advancement Grant. Directed by Alicia Kaplan.

In 1997: Danisarte produced and presented Momentos, Voices of Women of the Americas, directed by Luz Castaños. Based on the poetry of Julia de Burgos, Gabriela Mistral, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Juana de Ibarbourou, and Alfonsina Storni at different venues as a fund-raising vehicle.

In 1998: Danisarte, in collaboration with El Taller Boricua inaugurated the theatre at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. Danisarte’s production, Un Homenaje a Julia de Burgos (A Tribute to Julia de Burgos), consisted of poetry combined with classical Puerto Rican songs placed in the context of a performance piece. Conceived by Alicia Kaplan and directed by Ricardo Holcer, from Argentina.
Danisarte, in collaboration with El Taller Boricua, presented El Mosaico Latino (The Latino Mosaic), as part of their fundraising efforts, with the participation and support of well-known Hispanic actors, singers, and musical groups.
A series of one-act plays in English and Spanish, The Eternal Conflict/El Conflicto Eterno, combining multi-generational acting workshop participants was presented at The Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center. Directed by Frank Craven, Alicia Kaplan, and Teresa Yenque.

During 1999 & 2000: Danisarte held playwriting and acting workshops at El Faro Community Center and The Puerto Rican Cultural House in East Harlem and began developing the original series Portraits of Passion/Retratos de pasión, a series of plays spawned by the poetry and lives of celebrated poets Julia de Burgos (Puerto Rico), Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico), Gabriela Mistral (Chile), Alfonsina Storni (Argentina), and Salome Ureña de Henriquez (Santo Domingo). Poems, original plays, and a dance performance piece were presented at El Faro Community Center. Thirteen original plays were presented in a series of dramatized readings at The Puerto Rican Cultural Heritage House.

In 2001: Danisarte & El Taller Boricua conducted a bilingual playwriting workshop under the guidance of OBIE/ACE Award playwright Carmen Rivera. Plays in English and Spanish, selected from these workshops were developed and presented at the Portraits of Passion/Retratos de pasión theatrical festival at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. Directed by Alicia Kaplan, Anita Velez-Mitchell, and Machiste Quintana. La Ultima Puerta (based on the life of celebrated poet and educator Salome Ureña de Henriquez from the Dominican Republic) by Isaac Polanco and created in the playwriting workshop, formed part of The International Fringe Festival.

In 2002: Danisarte held a bilingual playwriting workshop under the guidance of Carmen Rivera. Selected plays were developed in acting workshops and presented at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center during the series Los Nuevos Valores/The New Treasures Portraits of Passion/Retratos de pasión theatrical festival. Jose Nuñez, from the Dominican Republic, received an A.C.E. (an organization of Latino journalists and critics) nomination for his participation in one of the plays.

In 2003: Herencia de Amor y Sangre (A Legacy of Love and Blood) by Arnaldo Rodriguez, developed in Danisarte’s playwriting workshop, became the first play in Spanish to be presented at The Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s Theatre. Colombian actress Martha Alzate received an A.C.E. nomination for her role as the immigrant mother.
Danisarte held a playwriting workshop under the guidance of playwright Candido Tirado and presented the bilingual theatrical festival of original plays entitled Entwined Lives/Vidas Entrelazadas at The Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center. Directed by Alicia Kaplan, Anita-Velez Mitchell, Bersaida Vega, and Gloria Zelaya. Mexican actor Ernesto de Villa Bejjani was bestowed an A.C.E. award as “Revelación del Año” for his performance in Lomein con tequila, directed by Alicia Kaplan.

In 2004: Danisarte, in collaboration with El Taller Boricua, held a bilingual playwriting workshop under the guidance of Pedro Monge-Rafuls (playwright and founder of Ollantay literary magazine). The workshop’s participants ranged in age from twenty to sixty-five. The ten were from Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, France, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Los Nuevos Valores/The New Treasures “Mi Mundo/My World” Theatrical Festival was presented at The Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center on November 13th and 14th, 2004. The staff and participants were from Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Five original plays in English and Spanish, developed in the playwriting workshop, were directed by Ernesto de Villa Bejjani, Luis Felipe Rodriguez, Alicia Kaplan, Anita Velez-Mitchell, and Gloria Zelaya. Danisarte also presented the Chilean play Finished from the Start with La Micro Theatre. Musicians included Susan Mitchell, violinist and Ruben Isola, guitarist. Lomein con Tequila by Angelina Llongueras Altimis from Spain developed in Danisarte’s playwriting workshop, received a 2004 Raymond J. Flores Playwriting Award. Local Cuban playwright Sonia Suárez Schwartz’s play Estamos Desafinados (We’re out of Tune) is presented at The Producers Club.

In 2005: Danisarte held a bilingual playwriting workshop under the direction of Carmen Rivera. Danisarte also held a children’s workshop under the direction of Alicia Kaplan and performed at El Museo del Barrio with the play Perez and Martina. Our bilingual Los Nuevos Valores/The New Treasures 4 Caminos Theatrical Festival was held on November 18 – 20, 2005 at The Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. The directors were Dora Arreola, Alicia Kaplan, Luis Felipe Rodriguez, and William Saquicela for the five plays created in the playwriting workshop. Passing Judgement by Jason Ramirez (Puerto Rico), La guagua pasa por aqui by Sonia Suárez Schwartz (Cuba), Insomne by Jose de la Rosa (The Dominican Republic), The Hopefulness or La Esperanza by Raquel Almazan (Spain/Costa Rica), and Faustoto by Juan Guzman (Mexico).
La Asociación de Cronistas de Espectáculos (A.C.E.) honored Danisarte and its Producing Artistic Director Alicia Kaplan as the 2005 Theatrical Organization of the Year. Hector Luis Rivera was nominated for an A.C.E. Award as an Actor for his performance in Antesala de la Muerte (Waiting for Death) by local Dominican playwright Lucia Taveras, directed by Alicia Kaplan.

In 2006: a bilingual playwriting workshop under the direction of Cuban playwright Pedro Monge-Rafuls, script development, and acting workshops. The theatrical festival Ilusiones was held at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center and featured the plays Un Encuentro Fugaz (a farce to the beat of rumba rhythms) where literature and reality, represented by Don Quijote, Dulcinea, Sancho Panza, each with their own madness, confront each other…with unexpected circumstances), directed and choreographed by Alicia Kaplan (A.C.E. nominations for the Director and cast); and the play Detrás del Trapecio (by Juan Guzman), directed by Gloria Zelaya. It also featured several plays for children as well as music. Cristina Sanjuan received an A.C.E. Award for her portrayal of Dulcinea.

In 2007: a bilingual playwriting workshop was held under the direction of Pedro Monge-Rafuls as well as bilingual multi-generational acting workshops. Danisarte held the first play competition with the theme of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Mexico). Passing Judgment was also produced at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, directed by Alicia Kaplan, and has been included in the National Archive of Puerto Rican / Nuyorican Theater. Danisarte celebrated 15 years in East Harlem with the bilingual theatrical festival Celebración at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center from December 7th to the 9th, 2007.

In 2008: Danisarte presented The Los Nuevos Valores/The New Treasures Inspiración Festival, our 16th bilingual theatrical festival in East Harlem. Several playwriting and acting workshops were conducted under the guidance of Alfonso Ramirez, Daniel Berlfein, and Alicia Kaplan. Alicia Kaplan, Producing and Artistic Director received the Diplôme de Medaille d’Argent from the Societe Academique D’Education et D’Encouragement (the Academy of Arts and Sciences in France).

In 2009: Danisarte received its second A.C.E. Award as Theatrical Institution of the Year. Danisarte in collaboration with El Taller Boricua inaugurated the Cultural Passport/Pasaporte Cultural series at the Taller’s multi-cultural space at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. This project will include multi-disciplinary projects, international poets, readings, interactive projects, and the presentation of cultural events from all over the world. The first Cultural Passport was a presentation of “En la Diversidad del Verso”, a book of poetry by Puerto Rican poet/journalist Julio Garcia Sanchez with readings by Miriam Cruz and other well-known Hispanic actors. Then LaAcademia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española’s tribute to Carlos Fuentes. In celebration of the month of Hispanic Heritage, Danisarte collaborated with El Taller Boricua and the Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater (Mexico), by offering a Mexican dance class and an interactive production of poetry of dance. Danisarte offered a workshop in journalism creativity taught by journalist/author Andrés Correa Guatarasma (Venezuela), free acting workshops for children under the direction of Noelle Esteban (Spain) and Alicia Kaplan, and a playwriting workshop under the direction of Oscar Colon (Puerto Rico).

In December 2009, Danisarte presented “Fantasias”, the New Treasures/Los Nuevos Valores 17th bilingual theatrical festival for adults and children. The productions included: La Cucarachita Martina (based on the popular fable by Pura Belpre and performed as a bilingual musical play by and for children), Elek-Tronic (a puppet & pantomime play), A Newyorican Tail (a tribute to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Soto Mayor), written and directed by Anita Velez-Mitchell of Puerto Rico; Claudia and Pete (a love story with unexpected rythms) by Cuban playwright Sonia Suarez Schwartz and directed by Cecill Villar from Ecuador; Los Tres Payasos (The Three Clowns), and The Rampa: Our Heaven & Hell by Ella Veres (cry for help from the Gypsies of Cluj, Romania) – adapted and directed by Alicia Kaplan. More than 600 people attended the three-day festival and previews.

In 2010: Danisarte held two playwriting workshops under the direction of Carmen Rivera at the Taller Boricua’s multi-cultural space at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. The focus this year is the development of plays for children and general audiences.
In December, Danisarte presented a Cultural Passport production for children, with staged readings of Un Momento Magico (A Magic Moment) by Venezuelan Leandro Comrie, El Osito Manhattanero (The Little Bear from Manhattan) by Cuban playwright Sonia Suarez Schwartz, and Payasadas de Payasos (Clowns Clowning) by Mexican playwright/actor Juan Guzman.

In 2011: Danisarte held a playwriting workshop under the direction of Carmen Rivera at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. Several private and public readings were held to develop the plays. In December, Danisarte presented its 19th bilingual theatrical festival entitled Shadows of the Past/Sombras del Pasado at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center. The plays were Un Regalo Duradero/An Enduring Gift by Masha Kuznetsov (Belarus), directed by Franco Galecio (Ecuador), Medardo, con el alma en los labios (Medardo with his Soul on his Lips) by Julio Ortega (Ecuador), directed by Alicia Kaplan, Sinfonía en Sofía Menor (Symphony in Sofia Minor) by Sonia Suarez Schwartz (Cuba), directed by Cecill Villar (Ecuador), and Capitan Veneno (Captain Poison) by and directed by Juan Guzman (Mexico).

In 2012: Danisarte celebrated 20 years of cultural activities in East Harlem with the theatrical festival Memories/Recuerdos at El Taller Boricua Cultural Space, with film screenings of past events and the world premiere of El Osito Manhattanero (The Little Bear of Manhattan) by Sonia Suarez Schwartz, La Pocima del Amor (Comedia de’ll Arte) by Juan Guzman and a Concert by Mexican songwriter/singer Ariel Bonilla with musician Spiff Wiegand.

In 2013: Danisarte held a series of playwriting consultations, readings and spear-headed the production of El Osito Manhattanero at the Producers’ Theatre in mid-town. Alicia Kaplan taught and guided children in basic acting techniques and personal development. She also made appearances and accepted Special Recognition Awards for Danisarte at the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors’ (H.O.L.A.) and Premio Arte’s galas in New York. Alicia represented Danisarte at Pasadena’s Directors’ Workshop West, networking with several multicultural theatrical groups on the West Coast. She also filmed a series of interviews regarding Danisarte’s and the Hispanic theatre’s history on the program “Persons of Interest” on the Manhattan Networks channel.

In 2014: Sonia Suarez Schwartz’ El Osito Manhattanero was selected as the best original children’s play by A.C.E. (2014). Medardo, con el alma en los labios (Medardo with his Soul on his Lips) by and starring Julio Ortega to be filmed in Ecuador.

In 2015: Alicia Kaplan created the bilingual production “Soliluna: a magical voyage thru five continents” which then was presented at La Nacional and throughout the metropolitan area.

In 2016: it traveled to Colombia, in 2018 to Malaga, Spain, and in 2019 to Puerto Rico.

From 2018- 2022 Danisarte presented several theatrical festivals and concerts dedicated to the iconic Spanish poet/playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. Danisarte’s Celebration of its 30th year Anniversary takes place at La Nacional in New York City. In 2018 Danisarte was recognized by the A.C.E with a golden globe as an institution of artistic and cultural excellence.

In 2020: Alicia created the talk show “Welcome to my World/Bienvenidos a mi Mundo", interviewing a roster of international guests. Danisarte was part of the New York City Artist Corp in 2021.

In 2022: Danisarte presented Lorca’s Legacy/el Legado de Lorca, directed by Alicia Kaplan,
with an interactive musical, dance, and dramatic tribute at La Nacional in New York City. The participating artists were Amaya Arbera (Spain), David Galvez (Peru), Piedad Castaño (Colombia), Kevin Shivcharran (India/Italy), Engel Brito (the Dominican Republic), Hernan Acuña (Colombia), Victoria Ivanova (Russia), and Dayramir Gonzalez (Cuba).

Danisarte presented it's 30-Year Concert Celebration.

In 2023: Danisarte presented at La Nacional. Lorca’s Lasting Legacy, the Dramatic Concert Series with original and traditional music featuring international artists Tali Roth, Inma Heredia, Carlos Fittante, Barbara Romero, Amaya Arberas, David Galvez, Shigeko Sara Suga, Yuto Kanazawa, Dayramir Gonzalez, Dandara Veiga and Alicia Kaplan in a featured poetic performance. Curated and directed by Alicia Kaplan, a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council enabled this production.

Danisarte also did a five-borough tour of New York with the multi-media performance piece the bilingual production “Soliluna: A magical voyage thru five continents of the World”.
Among many performance sites, it was presented at Teatro Thalia in Queens and at BAAD in the Bronx. It was free to all thanks to a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs of New York.

Alicia receives Premio Talia’s Lifetime Achievement award Gilberto Zaldivar, and Danisarte’s 30th year Concert receives the award as Concert Production of the Year.

Danisarte’s notable playwriting teachers/mentors have included Carmen Rivera, Candido Tirado, Eli Alvarado, Oscar Colon, Machiste Quintana, Eugene Rodriguez, Michael del Rio, Betty Kaplan, Pedro Monge-Rafuls, Alfonso Ramirez, and Daniel Berlfein. Plays developed in the playwriting workshops and presented at Danisarte’s New Treasures/Los Nuevos Valores bilingual theatrical festivals were later produced at The Lower Eastside Tenement Museum, The Venezuelan Consulate, Natives Theatre, IATI Theatre, The Strawberry Festival, The Fringe Festival, The Producers Club, Roy Arias Theatre in New York City, theatres in New Jersey, Teatro Sí, The Jan Hus Playhouse, The American Theatre of Actors, El Centro Cultural Dominicano, Culturarte, El Museo del Barrio, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Ford Theatre in California, the Z Space in San Francisco, Chicago’s Aguijon Theatre, the Raw Winter Festival in Marin, California, the Dominican Republic, and several New York City public schools, community centers and libraries.. Danisarte has received grants over the years from The Fund for Creative Communities/The New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, The Manhattan Community Arts Fund, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York, Goya, etc. El Taller Boricua has been our community-based partner and supporter for innumerable years in East Harlem. Our cultural partner has been La Nacional, Executive Director Robert Sanfiz, over the past few years in Chelsea in New York City. Danisarte has also received grants from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, several Citations from Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell & State Senator Jose M. Serrano, of East Harlem, and Public Service Awards from D.C.L.A. and D.Y.C.D, thru Harlem’s late Councilman Reed.
Danisarte was part of the City Artist Corp. in 2021 and a grant thru D.C.L.A. in 2022. Our Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Alicia Kaplan has received a prestigious Joseph C. Riley Award from the Screen Actor’s Guild for her work with the Equal Employment Opportunities Committee. She received several Latin Ace Awards and Recognition from the Government of Mexico. Alicia was selected as a Legacy Artist by the Entertainment Community Fund and an Art Settler of New York by the Manhattan Neighborhood Network.