The group of theater Circle will take the stage again “The Fall of Rafael Trujillo”which focuses on the last years of the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillowho governed the Dominican Republic for more than three decades “because any construction site that demonstrates the danger that an autocratic system represents is pertinent,” says the director of the company, José Oliveras.
The piece, written by the well-known Puerto Rican playwright Carmen Rivera, had its world premiere seven years ago, under the direction of Cándido Tirado, who will direct it again when it is presented from April 14 to 30 as part of the Festival de Theater Latino, in which the nine main Latino companies in the city participate.
Oliveras, who gives life to Trujillotold EFE that they decided to replace the construction site because “With the boom that has occurred lately with autocratic regimes and with everything that is happening in this country, it is clear to me that the democratic system is in a moment of tremendous fragility.”
He recalled that for that reason they presented last year “Fountainsheep” by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) whose main themes are honor, collective power and the abuse of power.
“It is super pertinent that people understand that the system we have is not secure, it is very fragile. The construction site recounts the last ten years of the life of Trujillo, which led to its destruction. This man terrorized a nation, he thought he was invincible” but “he finally had his end,” said the Puerto Rican actor, founder of Círculo.
This work portrays a series of events: internal uprisings, betrayals, international pressures and political intrigues, as well as the personal failures that led to the fall of the dictator.
Leonidas Trujillo (1891-1961), Dominican soldier and dictator was in power from 1930 until his assassination on May 30, 1961. The 30 years of the Era Trujillo they were characterized by anti-communism, the repression of all opposition and the cult of his personality, and the death of more than 50,000 people, including thousands of Haitians, is attributed to him.
Despite the 62nd anniversary of his death, the Trujillo issue continues to provoke passionate discussions among Dominicans.
The well-known actress Amneris Morales, also Puerto Rican, will play Doña María, the wife of Trujillo.
“This character is a dark well. The work has required me a lot of time, of study. It is very difficult to get into the shoes, into the psyche of a character who was so maniacal, a psychopath who killed so many people,” Oliveras said. , who also personified Trujillo in the first staging.
“In the first scene of the construction site a writer who wrote a book against him is tortured,” he said. He assured that getting into the skin of Trujillo it requires “a lot of energy, a lot of patience, I have to balance myself with other things when I leave rehearsals” for the replacement “because it charges you with a lot of negative energy.
The author of the work, whose university studies focused on Latin American dictatorships and who has also written other successful productions, highlighted in a statement that the piece is a reflection on how Latin America has survived the trauma and violence of dictatorships.
It also “shows the stamina of the spirit of these communities and their desire and commitment to advance the democratic experience despite the enormous challenges faced in their respective countries.”
The play is presented in Spanish with English translation and is one of 20 productions being presented as part of TeatroFestNYC 2023 by the Alianza de Teatros Latinos, created in 2010, which began on March 1 and will run through March 30. April.
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