Universidad de Granada Theatre Company to Present Ritos

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo Center for the Arts and the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures and the International Artistic and Cultural Exchange Program (IACE) of the Department of Theatre and Dance, both in the UB College of Arts in Sciences, will present The Universidad de Granada, Spain in Ritos at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25-26 in the Black Box Theatre located at the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

Ritos will be presented in celebration of the university's Gender Week and National Hispanic month. The duration of the play is 45 minutes. It will be performed in Spanish and will be followed by a bilingual Q&A session with the author, director and cast.

Ritos, a new play written and directed by award-winning Spanish playwright Rafael Ruiz, is based on the author's personal life experiences and the works of Cesbran and Fernando Arrabal. RITOS reflects on the role that rural Andalusian society has imposed on women for decades. It echoes through idioms uttered by women who dedicate their existence to the perpetuation of religious rituals. Ritos received the first prize in Spain's Mariana Pineda Women's Theatre Competition in 2001. The production comes directly from Spain following an acclaimed international tour.

The Universidad of Granada in Residency at UB is the opening event for the IACE International Season 2003-2004. It is being presented as part of IACE's continuing international exchange program between the University at Buffalo and the Universidad de Granada, Spain. During the weeklong residency, these renowned international artists will engage in a wide variety of artistic, academic and cultural activities both at the university and in the community.

The Universidad de Granada Theatre Company includes faculty and professional performing artists. The company will be in residence at the UB from Sept. 22-28. This team of renowned international artists will give lectures and master classes for UB's students and faculty. In addition, an acting workshop focusing on the richness and musicality of Spanish as spoken word will be offered to professional Western New York actors at the Irish Classical Theatre Company.

As part of IACE's Community Outreach Program and in collaboration with Antecesores, two additional school-time performances for high school students will be presented at 10 a.m. on the same dates and location. There will also be a post-performance Q&A session with the author. Additionally, a pre-performance dramaturgical presentation in the schools is available for students attending the production. It will include copies of the scripts, a dramaturgical research on the author's life and his works and Spanish vocabulary builder lessons. As a result, theater in Spanish will be offered to high school students and teachers during the Latino Heritage Month as a cultural and linguistic experience. Admission is free, reservations are required. Seating is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets call 867-2880 or contact slopez@antecesores.org.

Sponsors of the performances and residency include Antecesores, Council on International Studies and Programs, Department of English, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, International University Theatre Association, Irish Classical Theatre Company, James McNulty Chair of English, Melodia E. Jones Chair of French, Office of the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Vice-Provost for International Education, Samuel P. Capen Chair of American Culture, Samuel P. Capen Chair of Philosophy, the Universidad de Granada, Spain, and David Gray Chair of Poetics.

Tickets for RITOS are free and the event is open to the public. Seating is limited. Tickets will be available at the door one hour prior to the show. For more information, call 645-ARTS.