News
Whittier College to Stage Nilo Cruz’s Lorca in a Green Dress
November 10, 2008 - Press Release
Whittier College's Theatre Department presents Nilo Cruz's Lorca in a Green Dress as part of the 2008-09 season. The production will take place November 19-22 at 8 p.m. and November 23 at 2:30 p.m. in the Ruth B. Shannon Center for Performing Arts, 6760 Painter Ave., Whittier, CA 90608, Whittier College.
The bilingual student production will be directed by Jennifer Holmes, associate professor of theatre, who was the driving force in obtaining Cruz' permission to stage the unpublished play. The story takes place in 1936 after Federico Garcia Lorca has been assassinated by nationalist at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. In the play, we see the Spanish poet in what is referred to as the "Lorca room, in a sort of Purgatorio. A room of the soul." Lorca's poems are embedded in the play in which his death is reenacted multiple times.
"When I live with a play for months, it is important for me to choose a piece that is difficult, so that I have a healthy fear of the work," said Holmes. "I [wanted] to direct this piece because it is exquisite, challenging, and raw."
Cruz is the author of several award-winning plays and has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Alton Jones Award, and the Kesselring Prize. While Lorca is unpublished, it was first presented in July 2003 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Cast List
BLOOD — Cesar Castellanos
FLAMENCO DANCER — Danielle Darling
GREEN DRESS — Christopher Davis
BICYCLE PANTS — Ashley Delzell
GENERAL — Benjamin Mitchell
DESIRE — Jennice Ontiveros
WOMAN — Ashley Ramos
WHITE SUIT — Michael Raygoza
GUARD — Leah Sigler
Stage Manager — Jennifer Spiegelman
Set Design — Jennifer S. Holmes
Lighting Design — Brian Reed
Director — Jennifer Holmes
Assistant Director — Gustavo Geirola
Assistant Student Director — Nate Kamiya
Assistant Stage Manager — Mallory Lopez
Assistant Stage Manager — Caitlyn O'Connor
Founded by Quakers in 1887, Whittier College is an independent, four-year college offering a traditional liberal arts program integrated with both professional and pre-professional courses of study. With an emphasis on diversity, community, and curricular innovation, the College’s primary mission is to endow students with the education, skills, and values appropriate for global leadership and service. Whittier College is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Whittier Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, is located on a separate campus in Orange County.
