Presented by Goodman Theatre in association with MCA Stage. Co-commissioned by MCA and Goodman Theatre.
By Raquel Carrió
Inspired by the novel by Juan Rulfo
Directed by Flora Lautén
Music Direction by Victor Pichardo and Jomary Hechavarria
Original Music Compositions by Zacbe Pichardo
Havana’s formidable theater innovators Flora Lautén and Raquel Carrió stage the greatest magical realism tale in Latin American literature—Juan Rulfo’s 1955 novel Pedro Páramo. The story follows a son who returns home to meet his father and reveals how one man’s unchecked appetite destroys both everything he loves and the town that made him great. The novel galvanized writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez to raise the voices and laughter of forgotten people, and encouraged writers and readers alike to listen to the dead living among us.
A world premiere, Pedro Páramo was created by Teatro Buendía with local artists over an eight-week residency in Chicago and Havana, Cuba. The cast—half from Cuba and half from Chicago—includes such stage notables as Henry Godinez, Charin Alvarez, Sandra Delgado, and Laura Crotte. Musicians are Jomary Hechavarria, Victor Pichardo (composer) and Zabe Pichardo from Sones de Mexico, a Chicago folk group that specializes in Mexican traditional music know as Son.
Pedro Páramo was co-commissioned by MCA Chicago and Goodman Theatre and was developed in association with Northwestern University’s Theatre and Interpretation Center.
Teatro Buendia: Pedro Páramo from MCA Chicago on Vimeo.
About the Artists
The most celebrated independent theater company in Cuba, Teatro Buendía is renowned for its poignant adaptations of classic texts whose themes reflect the struggles and challenges of contemporary Cuban society. Teatro Buendía was founded in 1986 by actress, teacher, and artistic director Flora Lautén, with graduates from the Instituto Superior de Arte. Lautén and playwright Raquel Carrió contextualize western and European classics in a uniquely Cuban setting, with an ensemble of actors who have trained rigorously with Lautén through the Institute of Fine Arts in Havana. Top-notch performances, a meticulously chosen repertoire and the company’s unique acting methods have thrilled audiences and critics alike—both in Cuba and internationally.
Funding
Pedro Páramo is generously supported by the International Connections Fund of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Performing Americas Program of the National Performance Network.
