Theater News

Like Sheep to Water, or Fuente Ovejuna to Close Trinity Rep's 2016-17 Season

The classic Spanish story of tyranny is retold with a new translation.

Octavia Chavez-Richmond stars in Like Sheep to Water, or Fuente Ovejuna, directed by Mark Valdez, at Trinity Rep.
Octavia Chavez-Richmond stars in Like Sheep to Water, or Fuente Ovejuna, directed by Mark Valdez, at Trinity Rep.
(provided by Octavia Chavez-Richmond and Trinity Rep)

Trinity Repertory Company will close out its 53rd season with a production of Lope De Vega's 17th-century play Like Sheep to Water, or Fuente Ovejuna, translated and adapted by Curt Columbus and directed by Mark Valdez. Performances will run from May 11-June 11.

In 15th-century Spain, a menacing Commander terrorizes a small town’s citizens — especially the women. Pushed to their limit, the people of Fuente Ovejuna rise up against their oppressor in a fierce act of unity and bravery. Based on actual events, the story was immortalized by one of Spain’s greatest and most influential Golden Age dramatists.

"It’s so clear to me that this is one of the plays for our time," said director Mark Valdez. "I believe that it reflects the zeitgeist of where we are, culturally and politically, even though it was written 400 years ago. Our production is built at the intersection where history and our modern time meet."

The cast will feature Trinity Rep resident acting company members Stephen Berenson, Angela Brazil, Timothy Crowe, Janice Duclos, Fred Sullivan, Jr., Rachael Warren, and Joe Wilson, Jr. Guest actors include Daniel Duque-Estrada, Benjamin Grills, Orlando Hernández, and Jonathan Olivera with Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actors Anita Castillo-Halorssen, Octavia Chavez-Richmond, and Marcel Mascaro. The villagers will be played by teenagers Angelique Dina, Kafui Glover, Wenricka Griffith, and Valearie Kane, with Yanasia Tarr. Bedros Kevorkian plays the village boy.

The creative team includes Michael McGarty (set design), Garry Lennon (costume design), Emily Christoffersen (wig designer) Karin Olson (lighting design), Peter Sasha Hurowitz (sound design), Jerediah Gonzalez (original music/music direction), Craig Handel (fight direction), Patricia Ybarra (dramaturgy), and stage manager Kristen Gibbs.

For tickets and more information, click here.