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The House
of the Spirits freely adapted from Isabel Allende's best-selling novel
José
Antonio Cruz, Repertorio Español
Repertorio Español is proud to announce a stirring premiere adaptation of Isabel Allende's landmark best-selling novel, “The House of the Spirits” (La casa de los espíritus) by acclaimed US Latina dramatist and lyricist Caridad Svich (“12 Ophelias,” “The Booth Variations,” “Iphigenia...A Rave Fable”) under the direction of José Zayas (“Southern Promises,” “Nowhere on the Border,” “Vengeance Can Wait”).
"It was a true celebration to watch the show… it’s extraordinary because it is presented with immense creativity and originality. The novel’s spirit was replicated in the play. It's very authentic.” –Isabel Allende Like rain when its
dry and ice cream in the summer - you can't say no to the writing of
Caridad Svich; you need it, you deserve it. Her mind is generous and
nimble; she is capable of subtlety at the highest levels of refinement,
and is also inexhaustibly cruel (ice cream is cold as well as sweet) -
she is fearless, and will go to every limit in composing an experience.
Through its unique style, the play delves on themes such as abuse of political power, the horrors of stifling dictatorships and women’s struggles for independence and equal rights in a world where men seamlessly avoid the consequences for their actions. This new re-imagining of “The House of the Spirits” is a bold and daring theatre piece that captures the force and sensuality of Allende's vision through Caridad Svich's unique poetic spirit and director Jose Zayas' strong scenographic vision. About the Design Team and Cast:
“The House of the Spirits” will feature innovative design elements that
include video by Alex Koch, puppetry
by Emily DeCola, original music by David Lawson and transformational set
and lighting design by Robert
Federico. The production counts with the performances of distinguished
actors including Nelson Landrieu
as Esteban Trueba (Theater: “Happily Mad”; Film & TV: “Random Hearts,”
“Waking the Dead,” “Law &
Order”); Beatriz Córdoba as Clara (Theater: “I swear Juana, I have an
itch for you,” “Happily Mad,” “La
nona,” “Yerma,” “The House of Bernarda Alba,” “Five Kinds of Silence,”
“La Celestina”); Ernesto de Villa
Bejjani as Severo & Pedro García (Theater: “Boxcar,” “Nowhere on the
Border,” “Letters to a Mother”);
Selenis Leyva as Tránsito Soto (Theater: “Chronicle of a Death
Foretold,” “The House of Bernarda Alba,”
“Blood Wedding,” “Anna in The Tropics,” “Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands”
Film & TV: “María Full of
Grace,” “Law & Order”); Rosie Berrido as Férula (Theater: “La gringa,”
“The Feast of the Goat,” “Letters to
a Mother,” “Blood Wedding”) and a special performance by Denise Quiñones
(Miss Universe 2001) as
Alba (Theater: “Anna in The Tropics,” “Doña Rosita the Spinster,” “Doña
Flor and Her Two Husbands”). The ensemble will also feature performances by Gabriel Guitiérrez, Laura Gómez, Eric Robledo, Ana Verónica Muñóz and Kika Child.
About Isabel Allende (Author)
Isabel Allende is a world-renowned Latin American writer known for the
passion and folk tale eloquence
with which she shares her country with the world. Her father, Tomás
Allende, was a Chilean Ambassador to
Perú (where she was born in 1942) and cousin of Salvador Allende, the
first democratically elected socialist
candidate in the world. She returned to Chile at the age of three. In
1973 when her uncle, Salvador Allende,
was assasinated she moved with her husband and children to Venezuela.
Allende published her first novel,
“La casa de los espíritus” (The House of the Spirits) in 1982, followed
by “De amor y sombra” (Of Love and
Shadows) in 1984, “Eva Luna” in 1989, “El plan infinitivo” (The
Infinitive Plan) in 1991 as well as a
collection of short stories, “Cuentos de Eva Luna” (Eva Luna’s Stories)
in 1990. Allende’s first nonfiction
work, “Paula,” in 1994, was written as a letter to her daughter who died
in 1992 of a blood disease. Allende
has received numerous awards for her work. Her books have been
translated to more than 27 languages.
Caridad Svich is a U.S. Latina playwright, translator, lyricist and editor whose works have been produced across the U.S. and abroad at diverse venues including 59E59, The Women's Project, The Pearl Theater, McCarren Park Pool, INTAR, Walkerspace, 7 Stages, Salvage Vanguard, ARTheater-Cologne and Edinburgh Fringe Festival/UK. Her works include “12 Ophelias,” “Any Place But Here,” “Alchemy of Desire/Dead-Man's Blues,” “Antigone Arkhe,” “The Booth Variations,” “Iphigenia...a rave fable” and “The Labyrinth of Desire.”
This spring her new plays “Instructions for Breathing” and “Wreckage” received their world premieres, respectively, at Passage Theater/NJ and Crowded Fire/CA (dir. Erin Gilley). She has translated nearly all of Federico Garcia Lorca's dramatic works as well as plays by Lope de Vega, Calderón de La Barca, Julio Cortazar and contemporary works from Mexico and Cuba. She has been a Radcliffe Institute Fellow, NEA/TCG Fellow at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre and a TCG/Pew Charitable Trust Fellow at INTAR. Her works have been published by TCG, Playscripts, Smith & Kraus, BackStage Books, Arte Público Press, Stage & Screen, Heinemann, and Manchester University Press. Svich is an alumna playwright of New Dramatists, founder of NoPassport Theatre Alliance & Press, Associate Editor of Routledge's “Contemporary Theatre Review” and Contributing Editor of “TheatreForum.” Svich is also member of PEN American Center, The Playwrights Center and The Dramatists Guild. She is featured in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latino History and holds an MFA from University of California, San Diego.
About José Zayas (Director):
This is José Zayas’ fourth production with Repertorio Español. His
previous productions include “Letters to
a Mother,” which premiered in December 2008 and “Madre, el drama padre”
and “Nowhere on the
Border” which received numerous ACE & HOLA Awards. “The House of the
Spirits” is part of a six
month residency at Repertorio Español made possible by The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation. José Zayas His theater credits include “Southern Promises” by Thomas Bradshaw (PS122), "Lies I Wish I'd Told You..." by Mallery Avidon (Dixon Place), "Are Women Human?" by Nanna Mwaluko (Fresh Fruit Festival), "Okay" by Taylor Mac (Ensemble Studio Theatre), "Vengeance Can Wait" by Yukiko Motoya (PS122), "Again and Against" by Betty Shamieh (The Lark), "The Past Is Not a Foreign Country (Very) Personal Maps of Seattle" by Mallery Avidon (Soho Rep), "The Wasps" and "Tecmessa" by Ken Urban (Target Margin), "Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist" by Thomas Bradshaw (Brick Theater, 4 New York Innovative Theater Award Nominations), "Devil Land" by Desi Moreno-Penson (Summer Play Festival/Cherry Lane Theatre), "Crowns" by Regina Taylor (Virginia Stage Company). Zayas co-produced INTAR’s 2006 New Works Theater Lab. His credits as Assistant Director include “Talk Radio” directed by Robert Falls and starring Liev Schreiber; “Regrets Only” directed by Christopher Ashley; “Come Back Little Sheba” directed by Michael Pressman.
About Repertorio Español:
Repertorio Español, now on its 40th season, was founded in 1968 to present the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theatre in distinctive, quality productions, and to bring theatre to a broad audience in New York City and across the country, including seniors, students and Hispanics of all national backgrounds. The organization has been awarded Drama Desk, OBIE and New York State Governor's Awards. Repertorio Español has a long and successful tradition of adapting master literary works by Latin American authors. The Company has commissioned and produced to great critical acclaim, adaptations of Gabriel García Márquez’s “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” (10 years in repertory); Mario Vargas Llosa’s “The Feast of the Goat” (6 years in repertory); Miguel de Cervantes’ “El Quijote” (4 years in repertory) and Jorge Amado’s “Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands” (2 years in repertory).
“The House of the Spirits” is made possible thanks to the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
PREVIEWS and LINKS Brooklyn Rail preview article on HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS!! NY Daily News preview article on HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS!! Theatermania.com: Repertorio-Espanol Click here: Barrio hopping - Time Out New York NYTimes preview article on HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS!! International Herald Tribune preview article on HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS!! YouTube - Director talks about HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS Podcast on HOUSE OF SPIRITS at nytheatre.com Interview Alex Koch - Video Designer for " La casa de los espiritus" Photography of HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS by Michael Palma
REVIEWS BackStage.com Pick! HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS NYTimes Theater Review | 'LA CASA DE LOS ESPÍRITUS' Internation Herald Tribune review of HOUSE New York Daily News review of HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS Village Voice review of The House of the Spirits WQXR FM review of House of the Spirits (MP3 on player below)
photo credit: Michael Palma
Michelle V. Agins: photo credit
Contact: New Dramatists, 424 West 44th Street NY, NY 10036 USA |
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About Caridad Svich (Playwright)
