New York, NY – Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is pleased to announce the five participants selected for the 2026 Rising Leaders of Puerto Rico program: Guillermo Díaz Martínez, Liam A. Gómez-Pedraza, Xavier Ortiz Torres, Raquel Torre González, and Yadiel Vispo.

 

A core TCG professional development initiative, the Rising Leaders program brings national recognition to emerging theatre leaders, creates a learning space grounded in affinity and accountability, and expands participants' networks through meaningful relationships with peers and established leaders across the country. 

 

The 2026 cohort began its yearlong participation in the Rising Leaders of Puerto Rico program in May 2026 and will continue through June 2027. Participants will gather in-person for the first time at TCG's National Conference, taking place June 10–13, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

"The Rising Leaders program reflects TCG's commitment to supporting those who will shape the future of our field," said Emilya Cachapero, Co-Executive Director of National and Global Programming at TCG. "This year's cohort represents an inspiring range of artistic practices, leadership approaches, and community-rooted visions for theatre. We are honored to support these remarkable leaders as they deepen their work, expand their networks, and continue imagining the future of theatre in Puerto Rico."

 

Participants receive a full registration scholarship to attend TCG's 2026 National Conference in San Juan, professional development opportunities throughout the program year, networking with leaders from across the national theatre field, one-on-one career counseling with TCG staff, and additional program resources designed to support their continued growth and leadership development.

 

 

Guillermo Díaz Martínez is an actor, educator, producer, and cultural manager originally from Corozal, Puerto Rico. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Education from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, as well as a Master’s degree in Cultural Management and Administration with an emphasis on performing arts from the same institution. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of Teatro Rodante Universitario and Teatro Repertorio, theatrical organizations where he contributed as both an actor and a member of the production team in various theatrical productions. He currently remains active in theatre, film, and television projects as both an actor and a producer. With nearly a decade of experience in education, he currently serves as a Theatre teacher, engaging students at both the elementary and secondary school levels. As a cultural manager, he has collaborated on numerous initiatives and projects related to the performing arts, education, and community engagement. He is the current Executive Director and one of the Co-founders of Colectivo 7, Inc., a non-profit theatre organization dedicated to the production, education, and accessibility of theatrical and cultural projects with social and community impact. He leads the organization alongside other distinguished Puerto Rican theatre artists.

 

Liam A. Gómez-Pedraza (Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a choreographer, director, producer, arts and culture professional, and transdisciplinary researcher in dance, performance, and theater. His research focuses on neurodivergence and how, through a transdisciplinary approach, it is possible to stage the lived experiences of various neurodivergent manifestations, including ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety and others. He earned his MA in Cultural Management and Administration as a Mellon MAGAC Fellow at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, where he founded the Laboratorio Preliminal, a transdisciplinary space for artistic research where he has developed productions including Preliminal (2023), ABISMAL (2025), and Ritual (2026). He has published in Tangible Territory (Issue 9, 2026) and Ingenios (UPR, 2023). He serves as a contemporary dance and performance teacher at Pasos Academia de Baile and as Production and Stage Management Assistant at Teatro en 15.

 

Xavier Ortiz Torres is a Puerto Rican actor, improviser, writer, director, and creative communicator whose work lives at the intersection of theater, comedy, community engagement, and science communication. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences with a second concentration in Theater from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. His artistic practice is rooted in curiosity, collaboration, humor, and the belief that performance can open spaces for reflection, learning, and collective care.

 

Xavier is an active member of Teatro Breve, where he has worked as an actor, improviser, writer, and director in projects such as Noches de Impro and Algo Extra. His work explores storytelling, improvisation, leadership, and the possibilities of comedy as both entertainment and social commentary. In collaboration with CienciaPR, he has developed creative communication projects connected to public health, science, and community-based education across Puerto Rico.

 

As an artist from Barranquitas, Xavier is interested in bringing rural and mountain-town perspectives into contemporary performance, challenging the centralization of Puerto Rican cultural narratives. His practice also engages queer identity, humor, vulnerability, and belonging as lenses for examining personal and collective experience. Through his work, he seeks to create theater that is accessible, imaginative, and deeply rooted in Puerto Rican realities.

 

Raquel Torre González (she/her/ella) is a Boricua theatermaker currently based in Chicago. With a background in new work development, physical performance, and community-grounded spectacle, she's been creating, directing, producing, and performing in all types of theatrical productions for almost two decades. She was the 2024/25 Goodman Theatre Michael Maggio Directing Fellow and, since 2013, has been creating original work through La Vuelta Theatre Lab (formerly Circo La Vuelta) with her partner Jean Claudio.

 

Passionate about artistic facilitation and teaching artistry, she’s often teaching workshops and leading guided experiences, in addition to teaching a course on Latinx Theatre at Aurora University. Select Chicago directing credits include BOOK UP!, The Lizard y El Sol (Goodman); Farewell Opportunity (Filament Theatre); Aquí o Allá (Actors Gymnasium); Memorabilia (Teatro Vista); Kid Prince and Pablo (Lifeline Theatre); Back in the Day (UrbanTheater Company). Select associate/assistant director credits include: Eureka Day (Timeline Theatre); BUST, Betrayal, Inherit the Wind (Goodman), POTUS (Steppenwolf Theatre).

 

She holds a BA in Theatre from the Universidad de Sagrado Corazón (Puerto Rico), a certificate in Movement and Devised Theatre from Cabuia Teatro (Argentina), and an MFA in Devised Performance Practice from LISPA/Columbia College Chicago (Germany/USA).

 

Yadiel Vispo is a Puerto Rican theatre director, actor, choreographer, dancer, playwright, and arts educator. He holds a BA in Drama from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras.

 

He is the founder and director of Pasos en las Tablas, a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to creating accessible theatre experiences and providing training and professional opportunities for emerging and established artists. His directing and choreography credits include Urinetown, Legally Blonde, Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago, Mamma Mia!, and Something Rotten!, as well as original works such as Metamorfosis, Bombazo Navideño, Vámonos, and (Des)encuentro.

 

As a performer, he works across musical theatre, experimental theatre, performance, and contemporary dance. He also works extensively as a lighting technician and designer with Teatro en 15.

 

His artistic practice is grounded in the belief that theatre is both a creative and communal responsibility. He is committed to building spaces where artists can train and take creative risks. Accessibility, mentorship, and long-term artistic development are central to his vision. He continues this work through teaching at Pasos Academia de Baile, where he supports students in acting, musical theatre, and movement, fostering discipline, curiosity, and artistic confidence.

 

TCG’s Rising Leaders program seeks to develop and highlight exceptionally talented early-career leaders based in Puerto Rico who are committed to careers in the theatre field. Recognizing that leadership takes place throughout the theatre ecology and is not necessarily defined by a position or title, the program supports leaders working across artistic, administrative, educational, production, and community-based practices.

 

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, leads for a just and thriving theatre ecology. Since its founding in 1961, TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to over 750 organizations (including member theatres, affiliates, universities) and over 3,000 individual members. Through its programs and services, TCG reaches over one million students, audience members, and theatre professionals each year. TCG offers networking and knowledge-building opportunities through research, communications, and events, including the annual TCG National Conference, one of the largest nationwide gatherings of theatre people; awards grants and scholarships to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and through the Global Theater Initiative, TCG's partnership with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute. TCG is North America’s largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature, with 21 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. TCG believes its vision of “a better world for theatre, and a better world because of theatre” can be achieved through individual and collective action, adaptive and responsive leadership, and equitable representation in all areas of practice. TCG is led by Co-Executive Directors, Emilya Cachapero, LaTeshia Ellerson, and Alisha Tonsic.