Lust, Betrayal and Revenge Center Stage in ULV’s Production of Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding’

TO THE POINT –Leonardo, played by sophomore Danny Bride (left), struggles against the Bridegroom, freshman Alexander Clague (right) while the Bride, senior Natasha Velasco (center), is caught in-between during a scene from the University of La Verne Theatre Arts Department production of Frederico Garcia Lorca’s tragic play “Blood Wedding.” (University of La Verne Theatre Arts Department publicity photo by Melody Rahbari).

For more than 75 years, Federico García Lorca’s tragic play “Bodas de Sangre” (in English, “Blood Wedding”) has been considered a classic of European theatre. But this riveting tale of passion, fury, retribution and death – based on a true story – could easily have been constructed from today’s headlines.

The University of La Verne Theatre Arts Department will present Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” as translated and adapted by Ted Hughes, in Dailey Theatre on the university’s main campus. Performances will take place on Nov. 5-7 and Nov. 12-14 at 7:30 p.m., along with a run-concluding matinee on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.

Tickets prices are $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for students with valid ID.  Directions to the university, campus maps and parking information are available at www.laverne.edu.

 A world-renowned dramatist, poet, musician and theatrical director, Lorca is considered one of the most important Spanish writers of the 20th Century. His “Blood Wedding,” written in 1932, evokes the spectacle of human passion through sophisticated and often surrealistic poetic technique, elevating the love story to a tragedy of fate.

La Verne Theatre Department Chair David Flaten is director and set designer for this telling of Lorca’s classic drama, which was taken from a newspaper account of a family vendetta in Andalusia, Spain. The young bride, played by Natasha Velasco, abandoned her bridegroom (Alexander Clague) on their wedding day to escape with her former lover (Danny Bride), the son of the enemy family. The play explores themes that always mesmerized Lorca: desire, repression, ritual and the constraints and commitments of the rural Spanish community in which the play is rooted.

This 90-minute production also features a dynamic lighting design by Lisa D. Katz, striking costume design by Holly Victoria, choreography by Donna Ibale, fight choreography by Natasha Velasco and includes a haunting original score by La Verne Music Professor Reed Gratz.

For ticket reservations and to learn more about this and future La Verne productions, contact the Theatre Arts Department at (909) 593-3511 ext.4386, or e-mail melody.rahbari@laverne.edu.