BWW Interviews: Adelina Venegas and Cast Talk THE BLUE URN (EL BUCARO AZUL)
By: Alexander Garza Jul. 15, 2015
THE BLUE URN (EL BÚCARO AZUL) is a comedy written by award-winning Mexican playwright Hernán Galindo. The play centers around the conflict that emerges among a family because of a blue urn that no one wants to take responsibility for.
Eloisa, a prominent television news reporter has become the guardian of the urn, which soon creates a host of problems in her marriage to Marvin and affects her entire family.
The cast from Somos Todos opens this Spanish-language comedy at Talento Bilingüe de Houston Friday, July 17, 2015. I got the opportunity to speak with Director Adelina Venegas and the cast, which includes Rosario Loza, Bruni Adorno y Marvin Pérez Romar. The team discussed the production, the characters, the themes, and the timeliness of the play.
How did the idea to do THE BLUE URN (EL BÚCARO AZUL) come about?
Adelina: The playwright, Hernán Galindo, and I are both from Monterrey, NL, Mexico. We have the same taste in plays, and in talking we decided that I would direct a play here in Houston. After reading some of his other works like WHEN THE ROOSTER STOPS CROWING (CUANDO EL GALLO YA NO CANTA) and THE TERMINABLE SATURDAY (EL TERMINABLE SÁBADO), I decided on THE BLUE URN (EL BÚCARO AZUL). He writes in all genres. He's got more than 50 plays and national awards in drama. Hernán Galindo wanted to be here for the performances but won't be able to. However, we are confident he is going to be pleased when he sees the recorded performance.
Why did you choose a comedy?
Adelina: I like comedies. I don't like to make the audience cry. I think that people have enough problems in their lives. I like light comedies, because I want people to come enjoy themselves, relax, and not add worry to their lives.
What are some other plays or playwrights that have influenced your work?
Adelina: I'm a graduate from CEDART School of Fine Arts in Monterrey, and while I was there I studied to be an acting teacher and director. There, I worked with the plays of Emilio Carballido. I love how Carbadillo writes. In fact, we did a couple of his plays over the past few years: THE MARVELOUS LENS (LA LENTE MARAVILLOSA) and ROSE OF TWO SCENTS (ROSA DE DOS AROMAS).
Tell us about your character. How do you approach your character?
Marvin: I play Edmundo, the husband of Eloisa. I look at the internal aspect first, then I look at the external aspects. I read the play to learn the story, then I analyze the character. I look at where he comes from and why he does the things he does. What is the character about? What does he do and what's his purpose and his destiny? What's happens before the play, what happens in the present, and what happens after the story ends? How would he dress? How old is he? How would he act in the presence of his wife at home? What was he like before he got married? How does he treat his kids?
Bruni: I play Patricia, the daughter of the person who recently passed away in the play. She is free-spirited, a little crazy, likes to travel, hang out with men, and doesn't have a house. Eloisa would like to give the urn over to her, but is having hard time feeling comfortable doing so. Patricia is scared to face her past, and doesn't necessarily want to take on the responsibility of taking care of the urn. I initially thought this role was going to be easier than it has been, because of how I think I naturally align with the role. It has been a challenge, but I like that, because it's another opportunity for me to show what I can do.
Rosario: I play Eloisa. She's a news anchor. She's the most important person in news on television, she's controlling, she's accustomed to being the decision-maker, and decides for everyone around her including her husband, her recently-deceased neighbor and that neighbor's daughter, Patricia. There's something very interesting about Eloisa. She's goes through so much during the course of the story. She starts at the height of her life, but soon has a nervous breakdown. She starts to let herself get wrapped up in the situation and is influenced by the urn. She starts to talk to the urn. They have conversations, expressing opinions, jokes about the neighbors, and then chaos ensues in the house, the kids escape, and her husband starts to not want to be around her. Instead of playing golf with her, he plays alone with the golf ball. It's just amazing, she starts at the top and ends up completely losing all sense of reason. So, I've got an advantage with the role, since I've been a reporter for more than 20 years in Monterrey. So, I was able to use a lot from my experience and the experiences of colleagues.
What can the audience expect when they come see the show?
Adelina: We expect that the audience can leave their worries behind, get wrapped up in a story about these characters, relax, and enjoy themselves. They're going to get to watch high quality actors and actresses on stage and they'll have a good time.
Rosario: We want the audience to leave here asking themselves: What is my "blue urn"? When you analyze the play, you realize that the blue urn is that which we let take over our reality. This "something" removes us from being present in our relationships with those around us and those that we live with. For some people that something is a smartphone, for others it's a television, or drinking. What is your "blue urn" that distances you from your loved ones? What is it that completely takes over and unravels your life?
Adelina: Is it possible that an urn could completely destroy a life? Is it possible that something, anything, could do this to you? Everyone has something.
What is the "blue urn" that takes over people's lives in our society today?
Adelina: Smartphones, games...
Rosario: And Facebook!
Adelina: I was reading about this recently. Before, our children used to scrape their knees, play football, go outside. Today, that doesn't happen as often. People go out together to dinner, they used to be together, talk to each other, but now they aren't present, they're together but separate, they don't look into each other's eyes, they barely recognize each other.
Rosario: It's interesting because we see this occurring in the play. The three people in the play don't realize that something dangerous is occurring. The marriage is in jeopardy. The woman only values herself via her time on screen, in front of the camera, and her husband feels abandoned and takes refuge through playing golf. He's emotionally invested in her, and she's not responding because she's self-involved.
[Note: This interview has been translated from Spanish to English.]
THE BLUE URN (EL BÚCARO AZUL) is directed by Adelina Venegas and stars Rosario Loza, Bruni Adorno and Marvin Pérez Romar. Performances will be held by Somos Todos Theatre Group at Talento Bilingüe de Houston (333 S. Jensen Dr. Houston TX 77003) on July 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 of 2015. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm Sundays at 7:00 pm.
All performances will be in Spanish.
For ticket information, please visit: https://talentobilingue.secure.force.com/ticket#details_a0Sd000000GY0HfEAL
Or call: 713-222-1213 or 832-884-6391
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