Goodman's Fourth Annual Latino Theatre Fest Lineup!

AUGUST 8 – 24 FEST FEATURES ATTRACTIONS FOR ALL AGES, INCLUDING Culture Clash, MARTA CARRASCO, MEXICAN PUPPETRY AND MORE

Goodman Theatre proudly announces its fourth biennial Latino Theatre Festival, curated by Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez.  Running August 8 – 24, 2008, the Festival includes an unprecedented lineup of performances from Latin America, Spain, New York and Chicago.  The first weekend focuses on Mexico with Al Son Que Me Toques, Lorca, Laura Crotte's Mexican musical adaptation of Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding and the final performances of Chicago Children's Theatre's production of Esperanza Rising, based on the book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, adapted by Lynne Alvarez and directed by Godinez.  Week two explores original work, highlighted by an updated version of Culture Clash's Culture Clash in AmeriCCa and Taking Flight by Adriana Sevan.  The final weekend is devoted to international offerings including Barcelona-based Marta Carrasco's J'arrive…!—a compilation of her works over the past ten years—and De La Oreja Al Corazón, an imaginative puppet piece from Mexico City. Chicago companies featured throughout the festival include Albany Park Theater Project's Aquí Estoy; Teatro Luna's Jarred; Teatro Vista's reading of Little Certainties; Luna Negra Dance Theater's Antojito; and Aguijón Theater Company's adaptation of Tennessee Williams' The Strangest Kind of Romance.  Information on new play readings, community events and panel discussions is included in the complete schedule below. Tickets ($5 – $35) are on sale; call 312.443.3800, click GoodmanTheatre.org or visit the box office at 170 N. Dearborn.  A calendar of events, including performance dates, times and ticket prices follows.

"This summer's Latino Theatre Festival unites old and new friends of the Goodman—and more than ever, we're offering programming that attracts younger audiences," said Henry Godinez, who most recently directed The Cook by Eduardo Machado at the Goodman. "For this fourth biennial celebration of Latino culture, we continue our commitment to showcasing some of the most extraordinary international and national companies, and we've expanded our inclusion of the finest local talent in creative and exciting new ways. I'm looking forward to sharing these events with all of Chicago."

For the past six years, Goodman Theatre's biennial Latino Theatre Festival has been a key component in the theater's effort to foster collaborations and presentations with international theater companies—including and beyond the English-speaking world. Beginning in January 2009, the Goodman expands its global reputation by introducing a world programming component for its exploration of American playwright Eugene O'Neill's work as it is being produced in the 21st century by companies around the world including Toneelgroep Amsterdam and Companhia Triptal of Brazil. The Goodman has established an international profile over the years with productions of The Merchant of Venice in London, Paris and Hamburg; Death of a Salesman in London; Galileo Galilei in London and The Iceman Cometh in Dublin.

"In a world in which globalization is a reality, it is essential that outstanding work from the US travels abroad and, at the same time, that Americans experience the cultural life of the rest of the world," said Artistic Director Robert Falls.
Chicago Children's Theatre presents

Esperanza Rising
Based on the book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, adapted by Lynne Alvarez
Directed by Henry Godinez
July 12 – August 10 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in English

In the Chicago Children's Theatre's moving and uplifting production of Esperanza Rising, a wealthy Mexican girl's privileged existence is shattered when tragedy strikes, and she and her mother must flee to California, where they are forced to work in a migrant labor camp. As Esperanza struggles to make sense of her new life, this plucky little girl discovers strength she never knew she had and learns the true meaning of family and friendship. Set in the turbulent 1930s and based on the popular book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising is a wonderful experience for children ages eight and older.

Al Son Que Me Toques, Lorca
Adapted from Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding
Directed by Laura Crotte
August 8 – 10 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in Spanish; English synopsis provided

The Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca's masterpiece about forbidden passions and betrayal was inspired by a tragic newspaper story about a groom, a bride and her lover entangled by an old family feud. In this stunning musical, Laura Crotte explores the bride's interior life as she searches for identity. Al son que me toques, Lorca is an imaginative adaptation of Lorca's classic and a celebration of the vibrant history and culture of Veracruz, Mexico.
 
Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) presents
Aquí Estoy
Devised and performed by Albany Park Theater Project
August 12 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in English

Named one of the best shows of 2007 by the Chicago Sun-Times, Aquí Estoy is composed of two provocative theater pieces based on months of interviews conducted by APTP youth ensemble members about the lives of undocumented immigrants in Chicago. "Amor de Lejos" chronicles the tough lives of day laborers from Central America and Mexico. "Nine Digits" is the moving story of a Chicago teen who has been an undocumented immigrant since his parents brought him to the United States from Colombia when he was six years old. With astonishing originality, Aquí Estoy humanizes the often corrupt and mean-spirited rhetoric of the national immigration debate.

Staged Reading:
Teatro Luna presents
Jarred (a Santeria, Brujeria, Hoodoo comedy)
By Tanya Saracho
Directed by Derrick Sanders
August 13 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in English

In this imaginative urban play, Teatro Luna's resident playwright Tanya Saracho, an ancient, startling secret from the Latino community is revealed. When the end of a relationship shatters Alicia's belief in love, she finds something new to believe in: the mysterious and dangerous practice of Brujeria—Spanish witchcraft.

Culture Clash in AmeriCCa
Written and performed by Culture Clash
Special guests: Scott and Randy Rodarte
August 14 – 17 in the Albert Theatre
Performed in English

The wildly popular satiric trio Culture Clash returns to the Goodman with their smash hit, Culture Clash in
AmeriCCa, a witty, moving, devastatingly hilarious, hysterical and historical look at our society's toughest issues: changing attitudes toward ethnicity after 9/11, gender roles and sexuality, illegal immigration and the ultimate question: What does it take to be an American? Founded in San Francisco in 1984 by Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza, Culture Clash has become the most prominent Chicano/Latino performance troupe in the country. American Theatre Magazine calls Culture Clash "The Marx Brothers meet the Rolling Stones," and the Miami Herald describes their work as "wicked, observant comedy interspersed with keenly acted monologues that make your heart ache."

Taking Flight
Written and performed by Adriana Sevan
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli
August 15 – 17 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in English

Two extraordinary women come to terms with unexpected changes in their lives and their friendship in Taking Flight, Adriana Sevan's hilarious and heartbreaking autobiographical solo piece about the restorative power of forgiveness and redemption in the face of tragedy. With mesmerizing ease, this remarkable actor and storyteller transforms into an astounding range of unforgettable characters, from Esperanza Middleschmertz (a delicious mix of Carmen Miranda and Dr. Phil in the hood), to a Jewish fashion maven from Long Island, to a sexy 90-year-old Dominican grandmother. Laugh, cry and cheer for Sevan as she discovers why "the heart is the stongest muscle in the body." Winner of a 2007 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award, Taking Flight is "a marvelous way to spend a brief, enlightening, life-affirming evening" (SD Theatre Scene).

Staged Reading:
Our Dad is in Atlantis
by Javier Malpica
Translation by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas
August 16 in the Owen Theatre
Presented in English

Our Dad is in Atlantis is a funny, tender story of two young brothers left in Mexico by their widowed father who has gone to the United States to find work. In the care of relatives they barely know, the boys are forced to rely on each other for emotional and physical support. Their journey of premature independence leads them to a naïve attempt to navigate the impassable distance between them and the father who seems to have abandoned them.

Staged Reading:
Walk Into the Sea
by Elaine Romero
August 16 in the Owen Theatre
Presented in English

The fault lines in Karl and Virginia's marriage are revealed when their son Edward, diagnosed with autism, retreats behind a mask of silence. Karl, a microbiologist who specializes in viruses, buries himself in his work, while Virginia embraces religion. This haunting new play offers a complex and moving look at the limitations of science and the importance of family.

Staged Reading:
Little Certainties
by Bárbara Colio
Translation by William Gregory
Presented in association with Teatro Vista, Theatre with a View
August 17 at in the Owen Theatre
Presented in English

Mario has disappeared. Or has he? In this evocative new mystery by Mexican playwright Bárbara Colio, Mario's lover Natalia travels to his family home in Tijuana to try and uncover the truth. But the more she digs into Mario's past—and the more she learns about his complicated relationship with his brother and sister—the more elusive the truth becomes.

Aguijón Theater Company presents
Hasta los Gorriones Dejan su Nido
an adaptation of Tennessee Williams'
The Strangest Kind of Romance
By Raul Dorantes
Directed by Marcela Muñoz
August 19 in the Owen Theatre
Performed in Spanish

In this moving Spanish adaptation of an American classic, Raul Dorantes explores the harsh challenges faced by the immigrants who struggle to build good lives in a foreign land: racism, loneliness and the fear of being cut off from one's roots.

Luna Negra Dance Theater presents
Antojito (Sampling of New Works)
August 20 in the Albert Theatre
Non-language specific

Antojito (Sampling of New Works) features excerpts of José Limón's masterwork There is a Time, Eduardo Vilaro's mesmerizing Deshár Alhát (Leave Sunday) and a new work by emerging Mexican choreographer Francisco Aviña.

For all ages!
De La Oreja Al Corazón
By Mercedes Gómez Benet
Directed by Emmanuel Márquez
August 22 – 24 in the Albert Theatre
Performed in Spanish with English super titles

"What enters by the ear and moves the heart?" is the question posed by the Spanish-language puppet piece, De La Oreja Al Corazón. The answer is music, as a young orphan boy discovers in this beautifully designed, touching and imaginative celebration of artistic inspiration. When Julian, a lonely orphan, discovers a talent for music, he is taken under the wing of kindly old Don Pepe Ojeda, who believes that music is a magical force that can change any life. With the help of his new friend, Julian follows his dream of becoming a conductor and touches the lives of everyone around him through the transformative power of music.

J'arrive…!
Performed by Marta Carrasco and her ensemble
Directed by Marta Carrasco and Carme Portaceli
August 21 – 24 in the Owen Theatre
Non-language specific

Barcelona's legendary, award-winning dancer, choreographer and performance artist Marta Carrasco presents the most sensational pieces from the last 10 years of her remarkable stage career in one spectacular piece, J'arrive…!, an exhilarating expression of obsession and seduction. "For me," says Carrasco, "making or creating a show has never been a question of will, nor of intellectual decision, but rather one of necessity, of passion, and most of all, obsession."

About Goodman Theatre

Named the country's Best Regional Theatre by Time magazine (2003), Goodman Theatre is a leader in the American theater, internationally recognized for its artists, productions and educational programs since its founding in 1925. Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer's forward-thinking leadership has earned the Goodman unparalleled artistic distinction, garnered hundreds of awards—including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992)—and moved dozens of plays from Chicago to stages in New York and abroad. Central to its commitment to the reinvestigation of classics and development of new plays and artists is the Goodman's Artistic Collective, including Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Mary Zimmerman. The largest not-for-profit theater in Chicago, the Goodman moved in 2000 into a brand new state-of-the-art complex which houses two principal theaters: the 856-seat Albert Ivar Goodman Theatre and the 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Goodman Theatre. Board Chairman is Shawn M. Donnelley and Karen Pigott is president of the Women's Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre. Kraft Foods is the Principal Sponsor of the Goodman's free Student Subscription Series.  

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