Luis Alfaro
LA Stage Alliance recently announced its 2009-2010 Ovation Award nominees, bestowing seven nominations on The Theatre @ Boston Court’s premiere of accomplished playwright Luis Alfaro’s Oedipus el Rey. Besides “Production of a Play in an Intimate Theatre,” Alfaro and director Jon Lawrence Rivera were singled out for recognition alongside lead actor Justin Huen and three technical designers. The hailed drama is an adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) and turns a man from ancient Athens into a Chicano youth in modern day Los Angeles.
But there’s another twist to the Oedipus character. He’s a former prisoner from North Kern State Prison. “It’s about a young Chicano guy who gets out after being in the California prison system most of his life,” Alfaro offers. “He gets out and he’s looking for his own kingdom, a place where he can be a king.”
In the play, Oedipus journeys to Los Angeles in search of a new life. The play retains the main aspects of the original – the son kills the father and marries his mother. The issue of Oedipus as a man struggling to return to society calls into questions the notion of recidivism in California, a state with an increasing number of prisons and declining education.
“What I was exploring was a number of issues. One was the high recidivism rate in California. It’s the highest in the country,” explains Alfaro. “Recidivism is when a prisoner goes back to prison. So, they get out and then they commit another crime. Usually between the ages of 18 and 19, the chances of a prisoner going back are ridiculously high.”
Another theme is destiny. By presenting Oedipus as the eternal inmate, chained and held captive by his own fate, the normative view of life is turned on its head. It asks if Oedipus, or anyone, could have led a different life. Says Alfaro, “I was really interested in this whole notion of what happens to a young guy when he gets out of prison and if he can go straight or if he’s doomed to repeat the life he’s led.”
Justin Huen, Carlos Acuna, Leandro Cano, Michael Uribes, Winson J. Rocha and Daniel Chacon
In Greek tragedies, the answer is usually a nebulous “no.” However, in Alfaro’s signature style, the question is turned on the audience. “What Oedipus does is basically go against the gods but the gods have already decided what his fate is. So, it was really me asking a lot of questions about spirituality but also about destiny and about what happens to young men who get in trouble and in the prison system, how do they get out of it,” says Alfaro. “How is somebody able to sort of change their life? Are we all capable of changing our life? Is this the life God gave us and we’re just sort of like players in a play that’s already happening? That’s really what the play is about. It asks the audience to consider what role they play in their own destiny.”
The play first came to fruition when director Rivera and Alfaro pitched it to the Getty Villa for a workshop. Rivera and Alfaro have known each other for over 20 years and have collaborated on four plays – Straight as a Line, Bitter Homes and Garden, Hero and Oedipus el Rey.
“There was an ease and trust that happened with that production and we wanted it to continue,” says Rivera. “I think we have a successful and long standing partnership because there is a great respect for each other’s work.”
As the seasoned director and playwright continued to shape the play, Boston Court’s co-artistic director Jessica Kubzansky asked the team if they would join a reading series at the Boston Court. Soon after, with a grant from the National New Play Network, preparations for the premiere of Oedipus el Rey began.
“First of all, Luis’ language is so beautiful and poetic with a kind of gritty street poetry I think is gorgeous,” Kubzansky explains. “I thought it was a really rich, new and insightful take on the ancient story. Both of those things excited me a lot.”
Winston J. Rocha and Justin Huen
Both Alfaro and Rivera worked exceedingly hard on the adaptation but Alfaro says that he can’t tell people what to think about his play (or any of his plays). He only hopes audiences will interact with its ideas long after they’ve left the show.
“I try not to answer the question usually. I try to ask the question – I feel like the play is a question you ask the audience – and they answer it,” says Alfaro. “So, I hope people take the time or appreciate the experience enough to answer the question in their own lives.”
Currently, Oedipus el Rey is participating in a rolling world premiere in three theatres: Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Boston Court in Pasadena and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington D.C. A rolling world premiere allows a play to debut in multiple theatres nationwide, guaranteeing three productions and life for the play.
Alfaro feels honored by the nominations and attributes it to all the people to who collectively helped make the play successful.
“Honestly, it’s a big honor because I worked hard on this play. I think everyone worked really hard,” he admits. “But you know, any time you get acknowledged, it’s just so lovely. I feel very humbled by it.”
Production photos by Ed Krieger.
Stephanie Jones is a freelance writer, journalist and playwright. She received her Master of Arts in Specialized Journalism (arts journalism) and her Bachelor of Science in Music Industry from the University of Southern California. Stephanie is proud to work with LA Stage Times and also writes for San Francisco Classical Voice.
