Mixed Blood Theatre's IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES Runs 4/5-27

This tale of courage and sisterhood is inspired by the true story of the Dominican Republic's Mirabal siblings whose underground resistance proved that despots are not invincible. IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES, on stage April 5-27 at Mixed Blood Theatre, will be performed in Spanish and English (with translated supertitles in both languages). This bilingual world premiere of Julia Alavarez's 1994 New York Times best-selling historical fiction is written by Caridad Svich, author of Mixed Blood's 2010 play based on Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits.

A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies breathes life into the remarkable 22-year journey of the sisters as they speak truth to the atrocities of dictator Rafael Trujillo. José Zayas helms this production after directing the Spanish-language premiere at Repertorio Español in New York City. It conveys with warmth everyday entanglements among sisters while charting the defiant, heroic acts of resistance that play a significant part in their lives. The spirit of the Dominican Republic is embodied in a fluid, liquid voice of citizens refusing to bow down to oppression at all costs.

With immersive video and animation dispersed across the stage, In the Time of the Butterflies paints a visual dreamscape of the interior lives of the activist sisters, the beauty and ferocity of the natural world, and a DJ clashing contemporary reggaeton and hip hop with boleros and meringues of the 1940s and 1950s.

The 'Butterflies' was the four sisters' secret code name, three of whom were brutally murdered by the regime in 1960. They are portrayed by Adlyn Carreras (Patria), Claudia de Vasco (Minerva), Thallis Santesteban (María Teresa), Maria Gonzalez (Dede/older) and Maggie Bofill (Dede/younger). The cast also features Hope Cervantes (a Dominican-American journalist) and Raúl Ramos (in a range of characters from the DJ to Trujillo).

The creative team includes Jeffrey Bleam (costumes), Paul Epton (lighting), Gunther Gullickson (technical director), C. Andrew Mayer (sound), Annie Rollins (scenic) and Micah J. Stieglitz (media).

A preview of In the Time of the Butterflies will be held Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m.; the show opens Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. and continues through Saturday, April 27. Performances are Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

There are two ways to attend a In the Time of the Butterflies performance: 1) No-cost admission: To access these free seats, audience members register in the lobby in exchange for admission (Box Office opens two hours prior to the show). 2) Guaranteed admission: Audience members can guarantee entry for an individual performance by paying a $20 fee online at www.mixedblood.com or by calling the box office at (612) 338-6131. Anyone self-identifying as a person with a disability may call the box office to arrange free round-trip cab rides to Mixed Blood performances. General admission seating begins 30 minutes before show time and is first-come, first-served. All performances are in the Alan Page Auditorium at Mixed Blood's historic firehouse theatre at 1501 S. 4th St., Minneapolis.