“What you do…is a matter of choice”

ALAMOSA – Theatrical productions at Adams State University’s (ASU) SLV Federal Bank Main Stage Theatre have a history of being thought provoking and socially relevant without sacrificing the entertainment of a live performance.

“Life is a Dream”, directed by ASU’s Dr. John Taylor, continues in that tradition.

The play has classic elements that have driven some of the world’s greatest stories. At its center is Prince Segismundo. On the day he was born, Segismundo was sentenced to a life of isolation and imprisonment by his father, King Basillio, who believed astrological signs and the death of Segismundo’s mother in childbirth foretold of the child growing up to be a tyrannical king. But Basillio, now an older man, questions his decision and decides to free his son for a day to see if he has become the monster he was predicted to be.

Weaving in and out of the story is the tale of a young woman, Rosuara, who has come to the distant land of Segismundo and the king. On a quest of her own, Rosuara risks all in her pursuit to avenge her heart that was broken by the king’s nephew, Duke Astolfo, and to restore her honor.

“Life is a Dream” is a story of self-discovery, transformation and, writes Taylor in his Director’s Notes, “asks basic questions about the role of free will and destiny in our lives.” Yet, while Taylor also describes it as a “philosophical” play, under his direction, it’s well suited for a contemporary audience.

The original play is by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, one of Spain’s most revered playwrights whose work has been ranked alongside Shakespeare, and runs roughly 3 hours. But Taylor chose a shorter version – adapted from the original by Cuban American Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz.

“Life is a Dream” runs 90 minutes with no intermission, but it moves at a rapid pace that kept audiences on opening night in their seats, attuned to the energetic, emotive performances by the cast which included stage fights where actors didn’t hold back. The scenes were choreographed by former ASU Visiting Professor Alexis Black, who recently staged the combat for Daniel Craig in Macbeth on Broadway.

Carson Leaf, as Segismundo, is in his first leading role, and he commits himself completely to the part. His sustained intensity is part of the play’s driving force. Ben Key, as King Basillio, plays the role with a certain kind of detachment, typical of an aging, authoritative ruler. Two performances stand out - Taylor Anaya-Estrada as Rosuara and Jay Lobeck, as Clarin.  Lobeck has a great comedic presence on stage. And an intense, back-and-forth argument between Anaya-Estrada and Nate Pixley, who plays Clotaldo, is truly one of the most powerful moments. Both Caitie Adams, as Estrella, and Joaquin Rodriguez, as Astolfo, embody the arrogance tinged with vulnerability that typify those born into nobility.

The set design, the work of ASU Professor of Art Eugene Schilling, was masterful, igniting the imagination of the audience in portraying a place that was both ancient and modern. The use of a large wall screen behind the stage added a rich dimension to the production, displaying a digitized original painting by Schilling that depicts a barren scene at one moment, a video of Rosuara on horseback later in the play and, at key moments throughout, specific lines from the play that underscore what’s being said. Far from distracting the performances on stage, the set amplified what was going on.

Observant of the rule “less is more”, the music – including recorded portions by ASU’s Dr. Angela Winter – creates the perfect atmosphere for the story to come.

But there’s also a backstory to the production that is as crucial to its understanding as what takes place on stage.

Taylor, who is the Director of ASU’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and chairs the Theatre Department, has wanted to direct “Life is a Dream” for twenty years. He says his students have studied the play in class and respond to the strong humanistic themes. ASU is also a Hispanic Serving Institution with more than 40% of students who are Hispanic, and he’s wanted to honor the language.

For those reasons - and others - Taylor decided this was the year to finally do it.

“The play is about reality versus illusion, free will and destiny and the choices we make,” he says. “It asks big questions through simple themes. How do we choose to act? How do we choose to treat people who are different from ourselves?”

Taylor sees society today as rife with conflict and binaries – right or wrong, male or female, rich or poor. Instead of all the commonalities among people, there is exaggerated attention paid to “opposites” leading to an “incivility” that has become acceptable, from “politicians who violate long established norms to Karens in WalMarts.”

He also sees the actions of King Basillio – a father figure exercising absolute control over the life of his son– mirrored in governmental actions today.

“Legislatures and courts are making decisions that impact the most basic fundamental issues in people’s lives. How they choose to define themselves or reproductive rights and what a woman can or can’t do with her own body. People have a right to personal responsibility, and I worry that’s disappearing.

“But no matter what is happening in our lives, we all have choices about how we choose to act. To be honorable is to act with honor, and we have choices about how we act with one other.

“This play argues that, even if life is a dream, what we do with it is a matter of choice. We can act with hate and violence or love and respect towards each other. It’s our decision. And in doing so, we can shape our own destinies and create a reality worth living in.”

“Life is a Dream” only has three more performances – Friday, May 6, Saturday, May 7, both at 7:30 p.m. and a 2:00 pm matinee on Sunday, May 8.

To purchase tickets, call the box office at 719-587-8499 Monday – Friday 2:30 – 5:00pm  or purchase online at https://www.adams.edu/academics/undergraduate/theatre/purchase-tickets/