Since 1992, actor-playwright-musician José Rubén De León has created and performed one-man dramas – Mark’s Gospel: A Drama of Hope; St. Francis of Assisi: A Musical; and El Encuentro: Juan Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe. LORCA, a one-man drama based on the life and work of Spain’s best-known poet, Federico García Lorca, received critical acclaim and was named one of San Antonio’s best shows of 2003 (SA Express-News). De León’s SIMPLEMENTE LARA, a tribute to the life and music of Mexican composer Agustín Lara, premiered at Jump-Start Performance Co. in San Antonio, Texas and was named one of the best shows of 2005 (SA Express-News). In May 2007, he received a Heritage Award by the Webb County Heritage Foundation for “outstanding work in preserving the musical heritage of the region as evidenced in SIMPLEMENTE LARA.”

De León began his theatrical career in his hometown, Laredo, Texas. He served as Artistic Administrator and Director for the Laredo Little Theatre. An accomplished vocalist and independent record producer, he has recorded on borrowed time | tiempo prestado,  Bengali Lullaby, Coleción de canciones populares antiguas por Federico García Lorca, SIMPLEMENTE LARA, and Christmas Carols/Villancicos of Latin America and Spain,  available on CD at farolitomusic.com.  De León earned a MA in Pastoral Liturgy and Music from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana and a BA in Theatre arts from the University of the Incarnate Word (formerly Incarnate Word College). He is founder and artistic director of teatro farolito. De León makes his home in San Antonio where he remains active in writing, performing and recording. He is the coordinator of the Motherhouse Chapel of the Incarnate Word.