Telling Tales: An Evening of Latina/o One-Act Plays

November 05, 2008 |

Goucher College’s Theatre Department will present “Telling Tales: An Evening of Latina/o One-Act Plays” at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, November 5, through Sunday, November 9, in Mildred Dunnock Theatre.

Tickets are $9 for the general public and $5 for seniors and Goucher students, faculty, and staff. Goucher OneCards cannot be accepted. Call the box office at 410-337-6512 for reservations. For more information, contact Amanda Taylor at amanda.taylor@mail.goucher.edu or Brian Francoise at bfrancoi@goucher.edu.

Latino theatre is a complex artistic movement with overlapping identities, rich cultural traditions, and distinct depictions of ethnic experiences. The one-act plays chosen — “The Winged Man” by Jose Rivera, “On Sundays” by Lynne Alvarez, and “Dog Lady” by Milcha Sanchez-Scott — try to capture this spirit of diversity.

In “The Winged Man” by Jose Rivera, a chance encounter between a suburban teenager and a mythic but very real man leads to a startling transformation. Rivera blurs the lines between the secular and the spiritual, challenging viewers — and his intrepid heroine, Daysi — to imagine a world of possibility.
 
“On Sundays” by Lynne Alvarez is a mysterious play that presents one day in the life of a young female dancer whose existence is surrealistically intertwined with a man’s for 50 years. Filled with longing, hopes, and inner demons, the man and woman inhabit a highly theatrical landscape where passions rise, beasts loom, and love appears around surprising corners.

“Dog Lady” by Milcha Sanchez-Scott is a supernatural story about having the strengthen and persistence to do whatever it takes — to “run like a dog” — to realize one’s goals. Through several inhabitants of Castro Street in East Los Angeles, viewers find a Latino microcosm of religion, community, family, superstition, and some less conventional forms of spirituality.

This project is being led by Goucher theatre professors Allison Campbell and Brian Francoise and guest director Carlos Del Valle, a film and stage actor and theater director who has worked on more than a dozen productions in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in the last nine years.

All of the production’s costume, lighting, and set directors and dramaturges are Goucher students.

Goucher’s presentation of these plays is intended to complement the college’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, held from September 15 through October 15. Goucher presented a series of arts presentations, film screenings, panel discussions, and social events to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States and celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture.