Photo Flash: Jose Rivera's Boleros For The Disenchanted

Boleros for the Disenchanted made its World Premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre in April, 2008. Other productions include the Huntington Theatre in October of 2008.
José Rivera's plays have been translated into six languages. His plays include Marisol (Obie Award winner for Best Play), References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Obie Award), Cloud Tectonics, Each Day Dies with Sleep, The Promise, The House of Ramon Iglesia, Giants Have Us In Their Books, Sueno, The Street of the Sun, Sonnets for an Old Century, Brainpeople, and Adoration of the Old Woman. He studied with Gabriel García Marquez at the Sundance Institute and was writer-in-residence at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on a Fulbright Arts

Fellowship in Playwriting. Mr. Rivera's television work includes the critically lauded NBC series Eerie, Indiana, which he co-created and produced. He has also written teleplays, among them an adaptation of his own The House of Ramon Iglesia for PBS, as well as feature screenplays, including The Motorcycle Diaries (Academy Award Nominee). The native Puerto Rican also serves on the boards of The Sundance Institute and the Independent Feature Project.
The Boleros for the Disenchanted cast will include New York Actor Damian Buzzerio (Don Fermin/Older Eusebio). Buzzerio regional credits include Vinnie in The Odd Couple at the Carousel Dinner Theatre, Claudius in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead and Gremio/Vincentio in Taming of the Shrew at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. He has also been cast in leading roles in four NYC based Independent Films. New York Actress Rainbow Dickerson

(Flora/Eve) has played Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare Saturdays, Patriot ensemble in The Accidental Patriot at Stolen Chair Theatre Company and the Dalai Lama in The Buddha Prince for Tiger Lion Productions.

New York Actress Stacie Lents (Petra/Monica) has appeared in Bread and Butter and Recklessness at New York's Provincetown Playhouse and is also a playwright, whose musical Daisy in Disguise ran this fall Off-Broadway at the McGinn Cazale through Vital Theatre Company. Lents will appear in the film 7 to the Palace currently in post-production. South Florida Based Actor David Perez-Ribada (Manuelo/Priest/Priest) will return to FST after last seasons The Miamians. Perez-Ribada is an award winning actor whose credits include Anna in the Tropics, Lefou in Beauty and the Beast, Robby the Stockfish in Urinetown and Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
New York Actress Marian Re (Dona Milla/Older Flora) will also return to FST, having last appeared in The Miamians. Re spent seven seasons at Israel Horovitz's Gloucester Stage and earned an IRNE award nomination for the Warden in Holes at Wheelock Family Theatre. New York credits include HB Studio Theatre, The Flea Theatre, Pulse Ensemble, West End Theatre and The Kraine, along with numerous regional and television credits. New York Actor Carlos Alberto Valencia (Eusebio/Oskar) was born in Colombia and raised in New York City. He received the Latin ACE and HOLA awards for his performances in Blanco at the Iati Theater and Nowhere on the Border at the Spanish Repertory. His numerous Film/Television credits include In The Blood (Logo Network), Amores Locos and Animus (Independent films) and Law and Order Criminal Intent.

Florida Studio Theatre's Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins will direct. Hopkins has served as Artistic Director since 1980; his numerous directing credits

include Metamorphoses, The Bully Pulpit, god's Man in Texas, Hysteria, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wild, Over the Rainbow, Permanent Collection, Opus among others. He will also direct FST's Laughing Matters 2009.
The production design team includes Nayna Ramey as Scenic Designer, Michael Foster as Lighting Designer and FST staff member Marcella Beckwith as Costume Designer.
The love story, Boleros for the Disenchanted continues through April 3, 2009 at the Keating Mainstage. Tickets are $19 - $32 and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by phone (941) 366 - 9000 or online at www.floridastudiotheatre.org !

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building -

now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio

Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its three theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret and its newest space, the Gompertz Theatre.
Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to Robert and Bonny Israeloff, Dennis and Graci McGillicuddy and Jules & Sheila Rose for underwriting the 2008 - 2009 Mainstage Season and to the Florida Arts Council, Sarasota Arts Council, Tourist Development Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photos by Amy Steinmetz

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