BWW Reviews: BLOOD WEDDING Is Eerily Beautiful But Could Use Stronger Translation

It's not what you say, it's how you say it. That adage often runs through my head, both in my personal life and in my work as a theater critic. It also runs through my head when viewing productions, especially ones like Blood Wedding. With plays not originally in English, attention must be paid to the translation. Blood Wedding, originally written in Spanish by Frederico Garcia Lorca, offers an additional challenge in Lorca's poetic style. It's not what he says but how he says it that makes Lorca's Blood Wedding an interesting and engaging piece of theatre. While the current production at St. Edwards University manages to visually capture Lorca's poetry, the translation by James Graham Lujan and Richard O'Connell is less successful.

Lorca's play is an amalgamation of surrealistic and Brechtian theatrical styles which gives an imaginative and lyrical tone to his simple story about a groom, his bride, and her jealous former lover. Sadly, Lujan and O'Connell often ignore Lorca's poetry in an attempt to turn Blood Wedding into a contemporary drama, and their decision to ignore Lorca's brilliant and unique tone is troubling.

Director Robert Tolaro tries to add Lorca's voice back into the production through some brilliant staging. His use of a flamenco dancer (the stunning and intense Hannah Marie Fonder) who pushes the characters towards their inevitably violent end is a smart choice which would surely get Lorca's stamp of approval. Tolaro's methodical pacing, especially the scene changes performed by the cast with slow precision, adds to the idea that these characters are gradually moving towards their inescapable fate. And the climax, where Lujan and O'Connell retain most of Lorca's poetry and symbolism, is beautifully brought to life by Tolaro. It's a moment where lighting designer Matthew Webb and costume designer Lucie Cunningham showcase their best work. Cunningham's take on the anthropomorphic Moon-dressed in a white, full body, face-covering catsuit-looks like it's straight out of Pan's Labyrinth, another staple of Spanish art. The costume is both beautiful and frightening.

The cast, for the mostpart, manages to bring Tolaro and Lorca's vision to life. The ensemble, especially the trio of onstage musicians, is fantastic, and most of the leads are spectacular as well. Guest artists Babs George and J. Ben Wolfe are wonderful as the Groom's Mother and the Bride's Father, as should be expected from these two extraordinary performers. George is particularly captivating as the protective, strong-willed mother. Brittany Allyson gives a solid performance as the Bride's motherly maid, and Alec Esteban Cudmore is effective as the Groom, though the material doesn't give him much to do. Anna Schultz and Jose Antonio Rodriguez are less effective as the Bride and her former lover, Leonardo. Schultz is constantly angst-ridden, fearful, and cold, and Rodriguez is always angry, even when declaring his love towards the bride. Granted, both play the emotions their characters feel the most, but they could do even more with the roles.

Still, the couple of average performances and the unremarkable translation don't completely drag Blood Wedding down. Tolaro's direction is fantastic, the design work is impressive, and the cast is largely more than up to the task. Given the bloodshed, it may not be the most pleasant wedding you'll ever attend, but it's certainly a memorable one.

Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, no intermission.

BLOOD WEDDING plays the Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St. Edwards University, located at 3001 S. Congress Ave, Austin, 78704. Performances are Saturday, November 23 at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 24 at 2pm. Tickets are $17-$22. For tickets and information, visit http://think.stedwards.edu/theatre/.

Photo: Babs George as The Mother and Alec Esteban Cudmore as The Bridegroom. Photo by Bret Brookshire.

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