'LORCA' MIRRORS THE MAN IN MASTERFUL DETAIL

by Deborah Martin / Theater Review /San Antonio Life Section

Those who didn't manage to catch "Lorca" over the weekend missed something special. The one-man show masterfully written and performed  by José Rubén de León, received its world premiere Friday night at the Little Carver, wrapping up a  brief festival dedicated to the life and work of Spanish writer Federico García Lorca.

The intimate space was the perfect venue for "Lorca," which gives the audience a sense of what it must have been like to spend an afternoon with the man himself.  Working wih dramaturg Richard Slocum, De León compresses Lorca's passions--for tango, poetry, Spain, church ritual and other men--into a taut 70-minute performance piece.

De León also gives just enough detail about life in Spain in the 1930s to place Lorca's life in context without bogging down the narrative.

The play opens with a graceful bit of flamenco choreographed by Roxanna Peña.  Lorca explains that it is 4 p.m. on August 16, 1936; he has one hour to reflect upon his life before soldiers arrive to haul him away.  He will be taken to a field and shot, he says, for  being a poet, a genius and a homosexual.

De León weaves bits from Lorca's poetry and plays into the piece, giving passionate readings that capture the lyrical force of the slain writer's work and show why it is still being read more than 60 years after his murder.

De León gives an entrancing performance, fully embodying Lorca from start to finish.

Mary Evans provided thoughtful direction and also served as a "script consultant," along with Sydney Burnett, John Igo, Carlos Morton, Ric Segovia and Nancy Wells.

De León is hoping to take "Lorca" on tour.  If that happens, let's hope he'll include another round of performances in San Antonio to let those who missed the first time have a chance to catch up.