Playwright Nilo Cruz to Hold Discussion March 5

Opening night for any first-time director can be nerve wracking, but for Luis-Alejandro Dinnella-Borrego '07, there will be the added pressure of having the play's Pulitzer Prize-winning creator sitting in the audience. The playwright, Cuban-American Nilo Cruz, will be attending Dinnella-Borrego's production of his play, A Bicycle Country, as part of a campus visit during which he, the director, and other members of the play's cast and crew will participate in a panel titled, "An Open Discussion with Nilo Cruz." The event is taking place in 105 Dartmouth Hall on Monday, March 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. The play's opening will follow at 8 p.m. in the Hopkins Center Bentley Theatre.

A Bicycle Country, a play about three Cubans trying to reach the United States by raft, is one of 10 plays by Cruz, whose work also includes Anna in the Tropics, for which he was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer, making him the first Latin American to receive the prize.

Dinnella-Borrego, a history major and theater minor, was in the process of directing A Bicycle Country within the theater department when he and other members of the production came up with the idea of inviting Cruz to speak at the College. Thanks in large part to the generosity of an anonymous donor, they raised the money to bring Cruz to campus.

Assistant Professor of Theater Laura Edmondson, who is moderating the panel, says, "This is an unprecedented opportunity for the actors, director, and designers of A Bicycle Country to engage in dialogue with Cruz about his creative process, his artistic and cultural influences, and perhaps how the play speaks to the ongoing controversy about immigrants and undocumented workers in the United States. I expect that all audience members will be inspired by this articulate and poetic writer."

Dinnella-Borrego says he feels a little nervous to have Cruz in the audience for his directorial debut, but has confidence in his production, particularly in light of the interaction he's already had with the playwright. "Nilo Cruz actually called me during rehearsal once and asked me 'How are you doing and how do you like the play?' and then out of the blue he suggested how to fix a certain scene," says Dinnella-Borrego.

Sitting on the panel with Cruz and Dinnella-Borrego will be the three cast members, Danny S. Rangel '09, Janill B. Espaillat '10, and George Ochoa '10 as well as set designer Alexandra Araiza '09, lighting designer Brian Fortin '08, sound designer Nikhil Jain '09, costume designer Anna Schumacher '09, stage manager Elizabeth Ellison '09, and assistant director and dramaturge Peter Van Buren '07.

By GENEVIEVE HAAS

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