Eastern New Mexico University will present playwright Caridad Svich’s Guapa at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7-9 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the University Theatre Center on the Portales campus.
Admission is free for ENMU students and $5 for the general public. Due to strong language and mild violence, viewer discretion is advised.
Guapa, directed by Jonathan Barr, features the story of a struggling Hispanic family. The namesake character chases her dream of becoming a soccer star in the contemporary drama, which focuses heavily on “magical realism” through video projection.
The playwright is a recent recipient of the Obie Lifetime Achievement Award. Guapa was a finalist for the 2012 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Center Theatre Conference and received a 2012 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.
Guapa uses three languages. “The play is written in a way that the characters often translate for each other, so audience members will be able to understand what is being said,” according to Mr. Barr.
“It’s an interesting, relevant, inspiring story. It celebrates the families that people assemble,” he said.
Mr. Barr emphasizes that the play is an important representation of Hispanic culture.
Dr. Edward Avila, assistant professor of English who specializes in Latin American literature, is preparing a critical analysis of the play within the context of Chicano literature and he and Barr will present at a panel together about GUAPA at the 2014 Southwest Council of Latin American Studies conference.
The cast of Guapa includes ENMU undergraduates and one graduate student.
Due to the play’s focus on soccer, the actors were trained to play the sport by Dusko Bogdanov, assistant professor of Health and Physical Education, and Fanta Cooper, assistant coach of the women’s soccer team.
For more information, contact Mr. Barr at jonathan.barr@enmu.edu or 575.562.2229.