Santiago Cast in Huntington Theatre Company's 'Boleros for the Disenchanted'

The Huntington Theatre Company opens its season at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA with Academy Award-nominated José Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted. Directed by OBIE Award-winning Chay Yew, the production runs October 10 – November 15, 2008.

The play is a touching portrait of marriage that spanning from courtship to enduring love. Act I of "Boleros for the Disenchanted" tells the story of the youthful, whirlwind romance of Flora and Eusebio in their native Puerto Rico. Act II, taking place in the U.S. 39 years later, reveals how the couple's relationship has been tested and strengthened over the four decades of marriage, from their homeland to the U.S., where they continue to share a passionate love and fierce commitment to each other.

"This play is simply so beautiful," says Artistic Director Peter DuBois. "It is the most moving and intimate window into marriage that I've encountered in the theatre. I've never seen José tackle a love story like this. I think "Boleros" is among the most profound new plays written in the last ten years."

Rivera received OBIE Awards for his plays "Marisol" and "References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot." His other plays include "Cloud Tectonics," "The House of Ramon Iglesia," "The Promise," and "School of the Americas." He received Spain's Goya Award, as well as Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations, for his adapted screenplay of "The Motorcycle Diaries."

Yew, recipient of the Dramalogue and OBIE Awards for direction, is an accomplished regional director of theatre and opera. "Chay has a really elegant way of telling stories that will meet the emotional lushness of "Boleros" and is very compelling," says DuBois. His credits include productions at The Public Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, the Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf Theatre, Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Goodman Theatre, and many others.

"Boleros for the Disenchanted" received glowing reviews when it premiered at Yale Repertory Theatre in April 2008. "Variety" called it, "An epic study of wedded life that is simply – and not so simply – marvelous."

Providing Rivera with a second production at the Huntington is central to DuBois' commitment to supporting new work at all stages of development. "I'm committed to giving plays second or thiRD Productions because I think that 'premiere-itis,' when theatres only want to produce the world premiere of something, doesn't always serve the playwright. José has been at work on his script since the premiere last spring, and our production will give him the chance to build on this already gorgeous piece of writing."

THE CAST

Socorro Santiago leads the cast, portraying Donna Milla (Flora's mother) in Act I and Flora in Act II. Ms. Santiago has appeared on Broadway in "The Bacchae" by Euripides and Off Broadway in "L'illusion," adapted by Tony Kushner. She has appeared in productions by numerous New York and regional companies and was on ABC's "All My Children" for eleven years, for which she received an ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Award.

Jaime Tirelli appears opposite Ms. Santiago as Don Fermin and Eusebio in the two acts. He has appeared on Broadway in "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel García Márquez, in Lincoln Center Theater's production of "In the Summerhouse" by Jane Bowles, and in numerous others. He also appeared in the films "Bella" (winner of the Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award) and "Girlfight" (Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance Film Festival).

Monica Raymund (a recent graduate of the Juilliard School) and Ellioit Villar ("The Brothers Size" at The Public Theater, Lucille Lortel nominee for Best Play, and Dimitrius in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the New York Shakespeare Festival) play the youthful Flora and Eusebio in Act I, as well as Eve and Oskar in Act II, respectively. They are joined by Maria-Christina Oliveras (appearances at The Phoenix Theatre, Barrow Group Theater Company, and the Classical Theatre of Harlem), who plays Petra and Monica. Juan Javier Cardenas ("Equus" and "The Play's the Thing") plays Manuelo and Priests in Acts I and II.

 
PRODUCTION ARTISTS

The Huntington's production of "Boleros for the Disenchanted" includes scenic design by Alexander Dodge ("Brendan," "Present Laughter," "The Rivals," and many others for the Huntington), costume design by Anita Yavich (the Broadway production of "Anna in the Tropics"), lighting design by Paul Whitaker ("Mauritius" for the Huntington), and music composition and sound design by Fabian Obispo ("Iphigenia" for the Huntington). Production stage manager is Lori M. Doyle. Stage manager is Carola Morrone.

SPONSORS

Production Co-sponsors for "Boleros for the Disenchanted" are Sherry and Gerry Cohen. The production is also supported by the Harry Kondoleon Playwriting Fund. The Huntington's 2008-2009 Season Sponsor is J. David Wimberly.

The Huntington's Second Stage is located at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for The Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston. For more information including directons and ticket purchase please visit www.huntingtontheatre.org

 

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