Fuente Ovejuna opens Nov. 4

For theatre, all you need is "two boards and a passion." This well known theater quotation by playwright Lope de Vega may not be exactly what this fall's production entails, as the cast and crew will be using more than two boards for this play, but the second part is right as all members are passionate about theatre. Ripon College's fall production of de Vega's Fuente Ovejuna will open tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in Benstead Theater and includes a cast of 21 and backstage crew of 13.

Fuente Ovejuna starts out in a small village. The villagers are under the protection of a commander. Commander Gomez de Guzman abuses the villagers and tortures them. The town mutinies and takes over the town.

"We're doing it in English," clarifies professor of theatre and director of the production, Ken Hill. "We're also doing it in contemporary translation and adaptation. We're setting it in South America. It's all done very modernly. We're using modern music. I think the audience will really respond to this."

Junior Ashley Retzlaff also emphasizes the impact the modern adaptation will have on the audience.

"The production concept of Fuente Ovejuna is storytelling," says Retzlaff. "Setting the play in modern day Colombia allows for the 'two boards and a passion' that de Vega strived for in the Spanish Golden Age to become relatable and alive today. The relevancy to the audience improves with a contemporary setting."

The time and location shifts make for an interesting change from the original Spanish play.

"It is actually a play written in the 1600s about the 1490s," says Hill, "that we're setting in 2009. It's a little bit wild that way. There's a lot of work going into it. It's a classic, powerful play. It's a play that in Latin American countries and in Spain is always referenced."

The students point out the obstacles and challenges with the different setting of the play.

"Colombians are passionate people," states Retzlaff, "far more passionate than your average Mid-western, Packer loving American. Finding this passion in every rehearsal was and remains to be a challenge."

Sophomore Jeff Marquardt expresses that his biggest challenge was actually keeping consistent with the two characters that he plays.

"Sergeant Ortuno is the grizzled veteran sergeant of Commander Gomez de Guzman and Don Manrique is a judge for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the rulers of Spain," Marquardt explains. "The biggest challenge I had in preparing these characters is differentiating them because if portrayed poorly, they could become very similar."

Hill explains that the play has good characters, including the women's roles.

"The play has great women's roles," Hill states. "The women actually lead the revolution."

Retzlaff's character, Pascuala, is one of these women's roles who pulls the story along.

"Pascuala is the saucy best friend of Laurencia," Retzlaff says, "and the love interest of Barrildo. She is not as brave as Laurencia, but becomes courageous when a moment calls for action."

The cast also pinpoints their favorite scenes that help make the play the classic that it is.

"I would have to say that my favorite scenes are those with a large number of cast in them," states Marquardt. "Those scenes offer a cool dynamic and really utilize our in-the-round playing space in a very good way."

Retzlaff has quite a different interpretation of her favorite scene.

"[My favorite scene] is curtain call," says Retzlaff. "I love seeing my co-workers smiling and bowing to the audience. It's an incredible sense of accomplishment because we can say, 'We made this. Thanks for watching and being a part of our creation tonight.'"

The community of Ripon also supports this fall's production as America the restaurant will offer a special South American themed menu and wine selection running the course of the show from Nov. 4-7. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to Ripon College Friends of the Arts.

Tickets for Fuente Ovejuna are free and reservations are strongly recommended. Call 748-8791 for tickets and other information.