For the City Times

A powerful drama that blends realism and surrealism as its characters decide between duty and passion will be staged at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point May 5-7 and 10-12.

”Blood Wedding” will be performed by the Department of Theatre and Dance at 7:30 PM in the Studio Theatre of the Noel Fine Arts Center on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6 and Wednesday through Friday, May 10-12. A matinee will be offered at 2 PM Sunday, May 7.

The show is set in a rural Spanish village plagued by rivalry and vendetta, where two families prepare for the nuptials of their children. As the happy day draws near, the bride’s former fiancé is seen outside her window. The events that follow shake the village to its core, said the show’s director, Assistant Professor Jared Hanlin.

“The show takes audiences on an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “They will feel for the characters’ struggles and connect with them. We all have things that we want most but are denied.”

Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca drew heavily from true events and the culture of rural Spain as he created symbolism within archetypal characters named Bride, Groom and Mother. He was even inspired by surrealist visual artists like Salvador Dalí to include a touch of the supernatural with characters like the Moon. He also uses symbolism in the play’s changing settings.

Hanlin wanted to enhance those aspects in the staging. The audience is seated on each side of an alley, with village structures on one end and a forest at the other to symbolize the tension between these two worlds.

The play offers student actors several challenges. Some play instruments while others dance and sing. Many of the actors are using expressive movements as part of several intensely physical and emotional scenes. Hanlin, an expert in stage combat, has been working closely with students to choreograph both the action and inner turmoil of the characters.

“These characters are at a great crisis, which is emotionally draining,” Hanlin said. “It’s a powerful examination of humanity and the limits of forgiveness.”

Tickets are $22 for adults, $21 for seniors, $17 for youth and $4.50 for students with UW-Stevens Point ID. Tickets are available at the UW-Stevens Point Information and Tickets Office, located in the Dreyfus University Center concourse, by calling 715-346-4100 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu.