Several campuses of the University of Puerto Rico have come together to create the Fiestón de la Lengua 2023 [which may be translated as a “celebration of language,” with a playful twist, since “fiestón” refers to a big party] paying homage this year to the illustrious Puerto Rican playwright and novelist Luis Rafael Sánchez. The festivities began today, April 24, at 10:00am, with a keynote speech by Dr. Mercedes López-Baralt at the UPRRP Theater, and will continue through Wednesday, May 3, 2023. El Nuevo Día reports:

The Department of Hispanic Studies of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, with the intention of honoring the distinguished Puerto Rican writer Luis Rafael Sánchez, has dedicated the 2023 Language Festival [Fiestón de la Lengua] to him. The invitation has been extended to other departments and schools of the Río Piedras campus, as well as sister campuses to contribute with academic-artistic activities for the benefit of students, faculty, non-teaching staff, and the general public.

The activities will begin on Monday, April 24, and will end on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The departments and schools of Río Piedras that will participate, in addition to the host institution, are the following: the Department of Business Communication, of the School of Administration of Companies; the Department of Spanish, of the School of General Studies; the Drama Department and the students of the “Comedy of Art” course; and University High School (UHS) students.

The venues that have joined the Fiestón are Arecibo, Bayamón, Carolina, Cayey, Humacao, Mayagüez and Ponce; each one has reserved a full day or half a day (morning or afternoon) to carry out their activities. It is an interdisciplinary activity, in which the versatility of the prose poet, the playwright, the narrator and storyteller, and the contemporary essayist will be applauded.

The opening of the Fiestón will take place at the UPRRP Theater on the morning of Monday, April 24, with a lectio magistralis by Dr. Mercedes López-Baralt, entitled “La poesía encubierta de Luis Rafael Sánchez” [The undercover poetry of Luis Rafael Sánchez], and will be followed by a musical performance by the Conjunto Criollo of the Department of Music. In the afternoon, there will be lectures on the work of Luis Rafael Sánchez, in Amphitheater 1, of the School of General Studies. The Arecibo and Bayamón campuses will carry out their activities on Tuesday morning and afternoon respectively, and the Cayey Campus will stage the performance of the play “Quíntuples” at 6:00pm, at the Ramón Frade León Theater.

For full program, see https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/notas/fiesta-cultural-en-honor-a-luis-rafael-sanchez/

Also see https://www.facebook.com/149878595093433/posts/6084218331659400/?mibextid=cr9u03