From an early age, Andrea López Álvarez was immersed in the world of performing arts. Her childhood was spent behind the scenes, rehearsals and stages at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in Santurce, influenced by the work of her mother, Lonka Álvarez Rodríguez, who worked as her stage manager for years, and by the family legacy that connects her directly to actress Gladys Rodríguez, who is her grandmother. Every-day experiences became indelible traces, marking the course of her life and defining her relationship with theater.

Many years later, López Álvarez is experiencing one of the most transcendental moments of her career by making her debut in an Off-Broadway play, “Initiative”, an ambitious five-hour production that has attracted attention for its complexity. For the young woman, this project represents not only a professional achievement, but the culmination of a long journey.

López Álvarez, born and raised in San Juan, had her first encounter with acting, almost by chance, during a school audition. At the age of eight, she discovered a world she would never leave. But her true formation, the emotional one, took place behind the scenes, accompanying her mother and closely observing her grandmother. The young woman is also the granddaughter of the late actor Miguel Ángel Álvarez.

“I spent my childhood at the Performing Arts Center. I never had a nanny and there I did my assignments and watched all the actors set up their stuff and their rehearsals. In fact, on one occasion they needed an extra in one of the village scenes, in the opera ‘Carmen,’ and they put me in and, really, being there with the whole chorus, on a stage like Bellas Artes, was a magical experience,” said López Álvarez, who lives in New York City. “It’s one of those things that gets inside you and never leaves you. Also, in my personal life I grew up with Johanna Rosaly, with Alfonsina Molinari and with Jorge Castro, among others."

Like many transformative opportunities, the play “Initiative” came into her life unannounced. While living in London for a season, López Álvarez befriended playwrights Emma Rosa Went and Else Went, with whom she took acting courses. That connection, years later, would become the bridge to his current work.

“One day, I got a text message telling me that they needed someone that same night to read a script, to replace an actor who had gotten sick. Luckily, I didn’t have anything and I said yes,” explained the Puerto Rican. “I had never read the play, I didn’t know what it was about and they put a 200-page script in front of me. When the first scene began, I was amazed at how spectacular it was. That’s when I thought I had to do everything I could to stay in the play.”

That first experience was so powerful, and the creators liked it so much, that the character ended up being rewritten for her. Since then, she has been part of the creative process of the piece, which lasted nearly five years, participating in readings, workshops and extensive development work, which finally culminated in its Off-Broadway premiere.

In “Initiative”, López Álvarez plays Kendall, a character she has grown very fond of and in which she has been a key piece in its development, and in which she appears on stage for about two and a half hours. “I love Kendall’s character; she is spectacular, as she is someone who is very open, has many insecurities, but more than anything, she really believes in people. In addition, she has a very big heart,” added the actress, who described that playing this character involves a very demanding emotional exercise.

The piece is presented in three acts, with two intermissions each, reaching five hours in length. Although it may seem exhausting, the actress points out that the hardest part is not the physical endurance, but maintaining focus. “I think probably the biggest challenge is keeping yourself in the mental space you need to be in, because every time there’s an intermission or several scenes where I’m not in the scene, I have to keep my focus on what I’m doing and take the risk of walking out of the role and forgetting all the preparation,” she added.

The debut Off-Broadway represents for López Álvarez a recognition of years of discipline, patience and faith in her own talent, but also the beginning of what could be her growth as an actress. “Having this opportunity, on this big stage, means that all the effort and all the doubt was not in vain. It means that believing in myself and believing that I had the talent to reach this level was not in vain,” the artist declared.

Regarding the possibility of “Initiative” making it to Broadway, she remains hopeful and realistic. She points out that it will depend on the public’s reception, ticket sales and reviews, but she does not hide her illusion of making the leap.

“I believe a lot in the play, I believe a lot in the talent of everyone involved and I think the audience that goes to see it will stay with the experience for a long time. But of course I want to go to Broadway,” said the actress, who studied drama at Columbia University and the British American Drama Academy (BADA) in London. “That’s always every actor’s dream, but to be here, on such a big stage and to have this opportunity to play this character with this cast, it’s worth it. If we go to Broadway, we’ll be there, but if it doesn’t happen, whatever, this moment has been an incredible experience.”

In addition to theater, López would like to work in film and television projects and support herself exclusively as an actress. But among her most personal desires stands out a very special one: sharing the stage with her grandmother.

“One of my big dreams in terms of my career is to be able to do a play with my grandmother. Although she is semi-retired, if there is a good opportunity, we may be able to convince her to act,” López Álvarez added. “She is a very special person in my life and always advises me. In fact, I have with me a note she wrote me, giving me advice, which I think about every day as I prepare to go on stage. I admire her so much and would love to work with her.”

The play “Initiative” is currently playing at The Public Theater’s LuEsther Hall, located at #425 Lafayette Street, in Manhattan, New York. It will run through December 7, 2025. For information or tickets, log on to www.publictheater.org.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.