by Ari Plymale

For the 2024 Spring season, Grupo de Teatro VIDA put on a show consisting of four plays in Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan alongside musical performances. This year’s show was entitled Realidad/Fantasía, and featured a talented cast and crew made up of undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and community members. Performances took place at the Waldron Arts Center’s Rose Firebay Theater in downtown Bloomington on April 12^th and 13^th.

The show began with the performance of La cueva de Salamanca (1615) by Miguel de Cervantes. The piece, a 17^th century entremés originally intended to entertain audiences between the acts of longer dramatic works, was adapted into modern Spanish and directed by Ph.D. student Isidora Gacitua Díaz. The hilarious performance featured a cast of seven actors and included the musical stylings of Paulo Ventura da Silva on the ukulele.

Next up was a first for Grupo de Teatro VIDA: a performance in Catalan. The piece, a scene from first act of the classic Catalan play Terra baixa (1896) by Àngel Guimerà, was adapted and directed by Ph.D. student and VIDA President Ari A. Plymale. The show featured actor Will Frost performing a monologue to the audience, who were able to participate by reacting to cues projected onto a screen on stage.

After the intermission, actress Jules Fernandes sang Iguaria by Luisa Sonza to introduce Realidad/Fantasía’s second act. This was followed by a performance of Brazilian play A Cartomante (2017), based on the 1884 Machado de Assis story of the same name and adapted for the stage by Janaína Russef. A Cartomante was directed by undergraduate student and returning VIDA participant Luna DeCastro alongside Ph.D. student and dramaturg Roberto Amado. Telling a tragicomedic tale of love, deceit and betrayal, the play featured a cast of eight actors and was produced with the help of a three-member design team.

The final play of the night was Las campanas en el mar (2020) by Puerto Rican playwright Myrna Casas, directed by Ari Plymale with the aid of Nadia Barreiro. Written during the 2020 Covid lockdowns, the play explores how two sisters sharing an apartment cope with their boredom and isolation through escapism. It starred Acting MFA student Sofia Salgado acting alongside long-time VIDA actress Pamela Vega.

Realidad/Fantasía was a great success, selling out seats both nights and featuring incredible performances from all participants. The show was also made possible by the dedication of the cast and directors, the support of the IU community, and the work of many people behind the scenes, including President Ari A. Plymale, faculty advisor Israel Herrera, treasurer Ariana Teegarden, videographer Nadia Barreiro, and lighting technician Valeria DeCastro. Grupo de Teatro VIDA also thanks the following sponsors for supporting this year’s show: the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, IU Institute for European Studies, La Casa (Latino Cultural Center) and the IU Student Funding Board.