Theatre News Wire

Water People Theater presents FIT 2.0, an international Online Festival of Latino Theatre, March 18 - 27. This Festival, representing plays from around the world, features live performances via Zoom on select dates. Tickets are $7 per play, with complimentary viewing available for those who apply. For the full slate of plays, more information and to purchase tickets go to WaterPeople.org.

FIT 2.0 is a new international stage for Latino talent to be showcased and for performers to entertain, move, and transform audiences through the powerful force of theater. Festival entries were submitted in early 2021 and the finalists were chosen by FIT 2.0's judges. After viewing, audiences may add their voices and vote to determine which three plays will receive a cash prize of $1000, $600 or $400. The three winners will be presented via Zoom on "ONLINE SE@SON live", Water People Theater's virtual stage, on Thursdays in April at 7:00 p.m. CDT. Festival winners and April's streaming schedule will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, Saturday, March 27 at 12 p.m. CDT.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FIT 2.0:

Thursday, March 18 at 5 p.m. CDT
OPENING CEREMONY
FIT 2.0's live introduction and opening of the Festival with the finalists and jury members and invited musical guests. This edition of the Festival is a tribute to Elia Schneider, Venezuela-born US-based filmmaker, writer, and director. Schneider was also the director of the Spanish division at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Los Angeles.

Friday, March 19 at 5 p.m. CDT
EL MEROLICO EN EL ENCIERRO (The Merolico In The Confinement)
Mexico
Playwright: Miguel De Cervantes
Director: Fernando Memije, Fernando Villa, Allan Flores.
Cast: Fernando Villa

Merolico is a salesman in the style of fortune tellers or medieval barbers. A charlatan that found a particular way to be in Mexico, and that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Condemned to loneliness and eternal exile, the merolico is led to reflection, and observation of human nature. The merolico, a single actor, invites us to travel through the imaginary world of Cervantes.

Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m. CDT
LA CHICA DEL PARAGUAS ROJO (The Girl with the Red Umbrella)
United States
Playwright: Eduardo Pardo
Director: Eduardo Pardo
Cast: Blanca Jara, Marco Alcala

A young woman is late to give an online lecture on "Nude Women in Paintings". She apologizes and starts her conference until she is interrupted by a young man who fell in love with her when he saw her in a video, without knowing who she was, and comes to tell her that he loves her. This statement serves as an excuse for them to discuss love in these times.

Saturday, March 20 at 5 p.m. CDT
MEMORIAS DE UNA PRESIDIARIA (Memories of a Convict)
United States
Playwright: Catherine French
Director: Hector Florez
Cast: Catherine French

Inspired by the book "While Rains" by Colombian author Fernando Soto Aparicio. This piece brings together the difficult hours of a woman who underwent a wrongful conviction for the murder of her husband. Through letters written during her imprisonment, she reflects on how fragile freedom is in a country where it seems that justice has been forgotten. A direct look at family ties, love and life.

Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m. CDT
ODISEA (The Odyssey)
Spain
Playwright: Based on Homer's Odyssey
Director: Carlos Cegarra
Cast: Natalia Martínez, Laura Miralles, Carlos Cegarra

After his victory in the Trojan War, Ulysses undertakes the journey back to Ithaca, his home. The return will take longer than expected: only 10 years. During this time there will be many adventures and misfortunes that arise in his path: cyclops, vengeful gods, mermaids, visits to the underworld, islands of temptation and delirium, and even time to learn to play the guitar and take his first steps as a romantic singer-songwriter.

Sunday, March 21 at 5 p.m. CDT
LA VOZ HUMANA (The Human Voice)
Mexico
Playwright: Jean Cocteau
Director: Francisco Denis
Cast: Vera Linares

"The Human Voice," written in 1930 by the French playwright Jean Cocteau, is a play about the power of love; love as absolute surrender, as disease or as madness. The broken heart of a woman who keeps hope beating in the face of the inevitable and is expressed in the middle of a daily event and without apparent relief: a call she has with her ex-partner, which represents a farewell.

Monday, March 22 at 1 p.m. CDT
SONRISA DE GATO (The Cat's Smile)
Venezuela
Playwright: Xiomara Moreno, Javier Moreno, Romano Rodríguez, Jose Miguel Vivas and Ricardo García
Director: Orlando Arocha
Cast: Ricardo Nortier

Roberto must make a decision in order to change his life, however he cannot abandon his cat and he does not know what to do with it. The symbol of affection that unites us but often ties us and prevents us from progressing. The cat represents our human relationships from the depth of instincts.

Monday, March 22 at 5 p.m. CDT
MANUAL PARA MUJERES INFAMES (A Handbook for Infamous Women)
Mexico
Playwright: Karín Valecillos
Director: Oswaldo Maccio
Cast: Carla Müller

Simone de Beauvoir is one of the pillars of feminism. Sharp, rebellious and committed to her historical moment, it is sometimes difficult to imagine her as a fragile woman, full of doubts and contradictions. This play approaches de Beauvoir at a crucial moment in her life when she has the possibility of either going to the United States with Nelson Algren or staying in Paris. A crossroad between love and writing, between being or existing.

Tuesday, March 23 at 1 p.m. CDT
EL OJO DE HAMLET NIRGENWO (Hamlet's Eye NIRGENWO)
Germany
Playwright: Jorge Cogollo
Director: Cynthia Scholz
Cast: Cynthia Scholz, Ismael Monagas

Hamlet's Eye is a version mixing Shakespeare's classic; Heiner Müller's Hamletmachine and the experiences of Venezuelan exiles in Germany, a country that has already undergone a similar process in its history as described by Müller. Resulting in an extremely interesting mixture of cultures, languages and interesting ways of seeing life, of how Hamlet changes after the exile.

Tuesday, March 23 at 5 p.m. CDT
ARTURO ES EL HOMBRE (Arturo is the Man)
Venezuela
Playwright: Jan Vidal-Restifo
Director: Javier Vidal
Cast: Jan Vidal-Restifo

A one-man show focusing on the life of the renowned intellectual bulwark of Venezuelan civility and Spanish-speaking culture: Arturo Úslar Pietri. A play based on his writings, works and interviews published in different print and audiovisual media. It is round-off with illustrations, photographs and music recorded in his residence in Venezuela, today the Fundación Casa Arturo Úslar Pietri.

Wednesday, March 24 at 1 p.m. CDT
VIVIR EN EL INTENTO (To Live in the Attempt)
Argentina
Playwright: Basilio Álvarez
Director: Armando Álvarez
Cast: Marisa Roman

Elena is trapped in her room and in her memory. She navigates her memories looking for the owner of a shadow that she needs to remember in order to forget. Time is short and she continues with more questions than answers.

Wednesday, March 24 at 5 p.m. CDT
EMIGRANTES (Emigrants)
Mexico
Playwright: Slawomir Mrożek
Director: Jesús Delgado, Dimas Gonzalez
Cast: Jesus Delgado, Sebastian Torres

The noticeable differences between two migrants, an intellectual and a laborer, detonate a deep, exciting and enjoyable conflict. Upon sharing the last night of the year in a big city far from their home, these men will allow us to sensitize ourselves and understand in a more intimate dimension the issues of migrants, reflecting on the importance of their roots, tolerance towards others and the pursuit of dreams.

Thursday, March 25 at 5 p.m.
CAUDILLO (The Chief)
United States
Playwright: Javier Romero
Director: Miguel Nunez
Cast: Laureano Olivarez

Cruz Silverio, one of the survivors of the bloody war between gangs that have left La Unidad town in ruins, is found to be severely injured. He uses a video camera to tell us his testimony of love and the circumstances that brought him here today.

Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. CDT
ANTÍGONA (Antigone)
Mexico
Playwright: Jose Watanabe
Director: Daniel Goya
Cast: Nidia Bermejo, Gonzalo Molina, Monica Ross, Daniel Cano.

In this version, Antigone is a young university student who must confront her uncle, the president of the country, to bury her brother Polynices. From Ismene's point of view, this adaptation uses the formats of social networks, private and filtered videos and television news to tell a familiar story.

Saturday, March 27 at 12 p.m. CDT
Awards Ceremony
2021 Awards Ceremony with special guests, the FIT 2.0 finalists, and jury members.