“We’ve used the idea of writing and telling stories as the vocabulary and conception of the piece,” Rincon says of the play, which she describes as the story of the author finding his voice by remembering his grandmother, Ultima, as a force in his development as an adult and a writer. “The actors are constantly listening and reading; there are even papers on the wall. There’s this whole concept at work of the play actually coming out of the pages of the book.” And although health and other commitments prevent him from traveling here, Rincon feels as if she now knows Anaya quite well, through constant telephone contact. “Writers need time,” she adds. “I want to give him a chance to play with it.” In the future, she’d like to see a full-blown production to coincide with Su Teatro’s slow, certain move into the bigtime.
But in the meantime, Bless Me, Ultima continues on weekends through February 28 at 4725 High Street; community readings of the book follow beginning in March, with additional tie-ins to the Xicanindie Film and Neruda Poetry festivals later this spring. Admission to the play is $12 to $15; visit www.suteatro.org or call 303-296-0219.
Thursdays, 7 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8:05 p.m. Starts: Feb. 12. Continues through Feb. 28, 2009
