Do you like puppets? Do you like flamenco? Do you like poetry? Most importantly, do you like your love stories slightly鈥anguine?
If you answered 鈥測es,鈥� you鈥檝e got until this Saturday to catch DalTheatre鈥檚 second production of the year, Federico Garcia Lorca鈥檚 Blood Wedding (directed by Jure Gantar). This Spanish tale of a bride鈥檚 haunted past and doomed nuptials is a surrealistic parable on the dangers of true love.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of very strong emotional moments, there鈥檚 some live music, a little bit of dancing, there is a little bit of fighting, there is puppets鈥攚hich everyone鈥檚 been waiting for鈥攖here鈥檚 all kinds of good stuff,鈥� promises Luciana Fernandes, who acted as assistant director and dramaturge on Blood Wedding.
Spanish flavour
A Brazilian international student who has lived in Canada since the age of seventeen, Ms. Fernandes鈥� abilities as a translator came in handy during the production.
鈥淛ure was interested in having me work on Blood Wedding, probably mostly because I鈥檓 fluent in Spanish.鈥� Ms. Fernandes鈥� duties have involved 鈥済oing back to the Spanish texts and checking on lines and translations鈥� there鈥檚 always a language barrier.鈥�
Not that her duties have been limited to the lingual.
鈥淲e did a lot of research鈥� getting them (the actors) to physically transport themselves into Spain鈥� so they would be able to really understand the impact when you鈥檙e in the dry lands, and it鈥檚 forty degrees, and you鈥檙e literally trapped in the middle of nowhere.鈥�
Also, she adds, she 鈥渃horeographed a little fight scene.鈥�
A little fight scene? What鈥檚 a little fight scene? Ms. Fernandes refuses to let the cat out of the bag, stating only: 鈥渢here鈥檚 a little moment that requires some fighting and some knives.鈥�
The power of flamenco
Megan Kendall is Ms. Fernandes鈥� co-assistant director and co-dramaturge: conveniently, the women were friends before preparations for the show began.
鈥淲e know each other鈥檚 working habits very well, so there was no conflict, per se鈥� where we are friends, and see each other a lot anyway, it was very easy for us to get work done鈥� we also have similar theatrical tastes.鈥�
Ms. Kendall previously took an undergraduate degree in acting at Memorial University, and is now exploring other outlets for her creativity as she studies Creative Writing and Theatre at AV俱乐部. 鈥淎cting, directing and playwriting 鈥� I like all three.鈥�
Her duties on Blood Wedding included close textual analysis of Ted Hughes鈥� translation of Lorca鈥檚 script (鈥渢here鈥檚 a lot of flower symbolism鈥�), as well as flamenco choreography: Ms. Kendall had taken flamenco lessons prior to the beginning of rehearsals, and says the dance form 鈥渨as a big inspiration to Lorca.鈥�
Of working with Blood Wedding鈥檚 director, AV俱乐部 professor Jure Gantar, Ms. Kendall says, 鈥淗e listens a lot to the students鈥� he respects our opinions鈥� he鈥檚 very knowledgeable about theatre鈥� he鈥檚 very nice as well. It鈥檚 hard to meet truly nice people!鈥�
Bloody broken hearts
Fourth-year acting student Sarah Vanasse is playing The Mother in Blood Wedding, and relishing it (鈥淓very night, I get to end the show heartbroken!鈥� she exclaims). Ms. Vanasse has been an actress since her elementary school鈥檚 Christmas show in the second grade: 鈥淭he lead role was Santa Claus. And I wanted to be Santa Claus.鈥� (Naturally, she was.)
Ms. Vanasse previously played a glamorous singer in DalTheatre鈥檚 first production of the year, While We鈥檙e Young 鈥撀爄n fact, the fourth-year acting class had exactly one Sunday off following that play before starting rehearsals for Blood Wedding the next day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 surreal, experimental鈥� I鈥檝e never done anything like it,鈥� says Ms. Vanasse says about Blood Wedding. 鈥淲hen I first read the play, I was a little overwhelmed by all the poetry鈥� it鈥檚 still really overwhelming, because it鈥檚 so passionate鈥� there鈥檚 a lot of times you have to kind of sit back and ask yourself, 鈥榃hat does Lorca mean by this?鈥欌��
While Lorca鈥檚 experimental tendencies were challenging, they were also exhilarating.
鈥淢y favourite is as soon as the play starts getting really surreal鈥� all of a sudden, there鈥檚 a sharp change in the play鈥� things get wild. The play kind of sucks away everything from you and you鈥檙e left with nothing. It鈥檚 so tragic and sad.鈥�
Even while discussing the play's tragedy, however, Ms. Vanasse can鈥檛 keep the excited grin off her face. 鈥淭ragedy and comedy are linked closer than people think,鈥� she says 鈥� and she promises that in the midst of all the surrealism, little knife fights, and titular blood, the play does have its funny moments.
Blood Wedding will be performed nightly at 8 p.m. through this Saturday night, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday afternoon, in the Sir James Dunn Theatre. Tickets are available at the .