Center Theatre Group Premieres OEDIPUS EL REY Online
The reading premieres November 13, 2020 at 5 p.m. Pacific.
The multicamera, virtually produced reading of Luis Alfaro's "Oedipus El Rey," premieres November 13, 2020 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The modern adaptation of a Greek classic is part of the "The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro" which is presented on Center Theatre Group's Digital Stage in partnership with The Getty. "The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro" will continue with "Mojada" on November 20 and "Electricidad" premiering on November 22, 2020. Each reading is free to the public and will be available on demand until January 20, 2021. For more information or to watch the reading, please visit www.centertheatregroup.org/digitalstage/digital-stage/luis-alfaros-trilogy/.
Directed by Chay Yew, the cast of "Oedipus El Rey" includes Alex Alpharaoh, Romi Dias, Michael Manuel, Peter Mendoza, Xavi Moreno, Israel López Reyes, Geoff Rivas, Sabina Zúñiga Varela and Juan Francisco Villa.
As he approaches the end of a lengthy prison sentence, Oedipus is ready to taste his long-awaited freedom. But physical liberation comes at a price, and life on the outside proves its own kind of prison ruled by a cruel and violent fate. Based on Sophocles' classic tale, "Oedipus El Rey" is an urgent examination of modern institutions, social barriers, and the power of storytelling for those bold enough to challenge the gods of our time.
Transplanting themes of the ancient Greek tragedies into the streets of Los Angeles, "The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro" gives voice to the concerns of the Chicanx and wider Latinx communities. From performances around the world including celebrated runs at the Mark Taper Forum, Public Theater, Getty Villa and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alfaro's electric adaptations question the role that citizens and community play in social issues facing us all today. All three readings will be free to the public and performed in English with Spanish captioning available.
Luis Alfaro is a Chicano writer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short stories, performance and journalism. Luis spent six seasons as the Playwright-in-Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 2013-2019. He was a member of the Playwright's Ensemble at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre from 2013-2020. Luis is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He was recently awarded the PEN America/Laura Pels International Foundation Theater Award for a Master Dramatist, the United States Artist Fellowship and the Ford Foundation's Art of Change Fellowship. His plays and performances include "Electricidad," "Oedipus El Rey," "Mojada," "Delano" and "Body of Faith." Luis spent over two decades in the Los Angeles poetry community and toured for ten years as a performance artist. He is a tenured professor at USC. His play anthology, "The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro," was just released from Methuen Press. Luis was a participant in Center Theatre Group's 2018/19 L.A. Writers' Workshop and is a member of the newly formed CTG Creative Collective, a dozen inspiring, innovative and highly collaborative artists shaping the contours of the theatrical landscape of the future.
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