(September 11, 2008) Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) welcomed Actor Tony Plana to our nation’s capital. Plana stars as Ignacio Suarez in ABC’s Ugly Betty as the widowed father to America Ferrera in the critically-acclaimed television comedy. The award winning actor was in Washington, D.C. to serve as Master of Ceremonies at the annual Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 31st Annual Awards Gala on September 10. He met with the congresswoman the following day to update her on the East L.A. Classic Theatre, which he co-founded in 1992 and today serves as its Executive Artistic Director. Headquartered Downtown in the congresswoman’s 34th District, the theater company is the nation’s only Latino-based theater company that offers professionally performed Shakespeare adapted for youth in underserved minority communities. The company also provides comprehensive youth educational programs to strengthen literacy and English-language skills as part of the local school curriculum and through after-school programs. The theatre’s youth programs – called Beyond Borders: Arts and Language for Youth and Language in Play – serve more than 2,500 students in 27 elementary schools and10 middle schools each year in the Los Angeles area as well as San Bernardino and Santa Ana.