Cleveland Public Theatre and Teatro Público de Cleveland to Present THE RIVER BRIDE

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is set to present The River Bride, written Marisela Treviño Orta and directed by Bridgett Martinez, onstage March 17th through April 1st at 7:30pm in CPT's historic Gordon Square Theatre.

The River Bride is a tale of love, grudges, and transformation inspired by Brazilian folklore. Three days before Belmira's wedding, a charming, mysterious man with no past is rescued from the Amazon River, offering both sisters an alluring, possibly dangerous future. Now, these two sisters struggle to be true to each other and themselves in this heartrending tale from the Amazon.

In 2013, Cleveland Public Theatre launched Teatro Público de Cleveland, Cleveland's first Latinx theatre company, whose work reflects the artistic goals, interests, and ideals of its members. Teatro Público de Cleveland inspires inter/intra-cultural exchange through thought-provoking, bilingual storytelling and performances that foster social consciousness and build community. TPC is governed by the TPC Leadership Committee: Mónica A. Cerpa Zúñiga (Chair), Alisha M. Caraballo (Vice Chair), Letitia Lopez, Gilberto Peña, and Blanca Iris García Salva.

The cast includes Lilyvette Acevedo, Alisha Caraballo, Ricky Ortega, Gil Peña, Camila Piñero, Jono Rodriguez. The creative production team includes Producer - Raymond Bobgan; Stage Manager- Julie C. Okuley; ; Assistant Stage Manager- Georgina Galindo-Godinez; Costume Designer- Desiree Monique Anderson; Technical Director- Garrett Markgraf; Set and Light Designer- Benjamin Gantose; Sound Designer- Megan Slabach; and Sound Operator- Mónica Cerpa Zúñiga

The River Bride (March 17 - April 1, 2022) previews March 17th. Press Night is Friday, March 18th and the show runs through Friday, April 1st. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm (no show Monday, March 21) and Sunday, March 27th at 3:00pm in CPT's historic Gordon Square Theatre, located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102, in the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District.

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EVERY TICKET is "Choose What You Pay" and will be offered online, over the phone, and at the Box Office. PURCHASE TICKETS at www.cptonline.org or call the CPT Box Office at 216.631.2727 ext. 501. Reserve early! CPT never charges any ticket fees, ever.

The Gordon Square Theatre is ADA-compliant featuring a ramped entrance and an all-gender, wheelchair accessible restroom. Every Friday is Free Bev Friday at CPT. Mingle with the artists after the show and discuss the performance in a lively, social atmosphere - your drinks are on CPT.

ABOUT MARISELA TREVIÑO ORTA
Marisela Treviño Orta is an accidental playwright. Originally from Lockhart, Texas, she found her way to the genre while completing an MFA in Writing at the University of San Francisco (USF) where she studied poetry exclusively. While a student at USF, Marisela became the Resident Poet of El Teatro Jornalero!, a social justice theatre company comprised of Latinx immigrants.

Marisela's first play Braided Sorrow (2008 Su Teatro world premiere) won the 2006 Chicano/Latino Literary Prize in Drama and the 2009 Pen Center USA Literary Award in Drama. Her other plays include: American Triage (2012 Repertorio Español Nuestras Voces Finalist); Ghost Limb (2017 Brava Theatre world premiere); Heart Shaped Nebula (2015 Shotgun Players world premiere); Shoe (2019 Kendeda Finalist); Return to Sender (2019 Nashville Children's Theatre world premiere); and Woman on Fire (2016 Camino Real Productions world premiere).

In 2011, she began writing her cycle of grim Latinx fairy tales-fairy tales for adults inspired by Latinx mythology and folklore which include: The River Bride (2013 National Latino Playwriting Award Co-Winner, 2016 Oregon Shakespeare Festival world premiere); Wolf at The Door (2016 Kilroys List, 2018/2019 National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere); and Alcira.

Marisela is an alum of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop, the Playwrights Foundation's Resident Playwright Initiative, a founding member of the Bay Area Latino Theatre Artists Network, and a member of the Latinx Theatre Commons' national Steering Committee.

ABOUT BRIDGETT MARTINEZ
Bridgett is a Puerto Rican director, actor, and teaching artist born and raised here in Cleveland. Most recently, Bridgett was a 2021 Support for Artists grant recipient at Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center, producing and directing an original play titled Like Me. Other directing credits include Memorial (Assistant Director) with Teatro Público de Cleveland/Borderlands Theater at CPT's 2021 Station Hope and 12,000 Steps (Assistant Director/Teaching Artist) Y-Haven Theatre Project at CPT. Acting credits include The Hunchback of Seville, Hedda Gabler, Vejigantes (Kent State University), Denied Admission (Gum-Dip Theatre). She received her BFA from Kent State University's School of Theatre and Dance and serves as a supporting teaching artist for CPT's education programs. Bridgett is a member of the Greenhouse, a cohort of Ohio-based theatre makers (seatofthepants.org/greenhouse).

The River Bride is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Photo Credits: Steve Wagner

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