Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, continues its 2014/15 Season with Guadalupe in the Guest Room, a new play by Tony Meneses, directed by Daniella Topol. The production began previews on February 14 and will continue through March 15, 2015. Tickets starting at $20 and ticket packages for Two River’s spring season of three world premieres are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. Guadalupe in the Guest Room is supported by lead production sponsor U.S. Trust.
All Photos: T. Charles Erickson
Socorro Santiago (Guadalupe) and Alfredo Huereca (Roberto) in Guadalupe in the Guest Room at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Guadalupe in the Guest Room tells the story of two people—with nothing in common but a shared grief—who bond in the most unexpected ways. The play is a deeply moving and very funny celebration of life, new beginnings, and the healing power of telenovelas. The cast includes Deonna Bouye (Raquel), Alfredo Huereca (Roberto), Socorro Santiago (Guadalupe), and Charles Socarides (Steve).
Charles Socarides (Steve) and Socorro Santiago (Guadalupe) in Guadalupe in the Guest Room at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
“Guadalupe in the Guest Room is an exquisite play,” says Artistic Director John Dias. “The writing is warm and often very funny, and the characters are exquisitely drawn, so real you feel like they’re your friends. Tony Meneses achieves something I have never seen so beautifully captured: the state of confusion when you’re surrounded by a language not your own—and the joy of a connection that transcends language. Infused through the entire piece is a bittersweet sense of loss, the ache that underscores everything when a loved one has been lost.”
Alfredo Huereca and Deonna Bouye in a telenovela scene from Guadalupe in the Guest Room at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Playwright Tony Meneses is currently a 2015/2016 Ars Nova Play Group Resident Playwright and a 2014/2015 Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow. He is the recipient of The Kennedy Center ACTF Latino Playwriting Award and was a finalist for the National Latino Playwriting Award.
Charles Socarides (Steve) and Socorro Santiago (Guadalupe) in Guadalupe in the Guest Room at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Director Daniella Topol’s recent world-premiere productions include Martyna Majok’s Ironbound (Steppenwolf Theatre) and Cori Thomas’s When January Feels Like Summer (EST/P73). She directed A Wind in the Willows Christmas at Two River last season.
The creative team for Guadalupe in the Guest Room includes scenic designer Marion Williams, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Jiyoun Chang, sound designer Jane Shaw, and wig designer Erin Hicks. The fight director is J. Steven White, the dialect coach isRosie Berrido, the casting is by Zoe Rotter, and the production stage manager is Kate Croasdale.
Ticket Information
Ticket prices range from $45 to $65, with discounts available for groups, seniors, and U.S. military personnel, their families, and veterans. A limited number of $20 tickets are available for every performance; $20 tickets may be partial view. Tickets for patrons under 30 are $20 and include the best available seats at every performance. Tickets are available from tworivertheater.org or 732.345.1400.
Nosotros: A Day at the Theater
March 7, 2015 from 2:30-4:30pm
A special afternoon for parents, grandparents, and children!
At this special performance, Guadalupe in the Guest Room will be translated into Spanish via a screen visible to the audience. The performance will last from 3-4:30 pm. While the adults in the family watch the play, their children and grandchildren will enjoy stories, theater games, and snacks in the theater lobby under the supervision of bilingual teaching artists and babysitters. These family-friendly events will take place between the hours of 2:30 and 4:30pm. This special event is presented as part of Two River’s ongoing Nosotrosseries and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Stages Festival, the state’s largest annual theater festival that provides discounted and free theater performances, workshops and, events for all ages throughout the month of March. Tickets for this performance are $10; patrons should use the code “Spanish captions” when booking.
Inside Two River
Inside Two River is a series of events specially curated for each Two River Theater production. For more information or to reserve seats, patrons should visit tworivertheater.org or call 732.345.1400.
Book Club: Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Sunday, March 8 at 4:30pm in the Victoria Mastrobuono Library (following the 3pm performance)
Guadalupe in the Guest Room is a new play about a Mexican woman, Guadalupe, who must learn to find a connection with her American son-in-law after the unexpected death of her daughter. Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild, tells of her attempt to find healing by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after the devastating death of her mother. Literary Manager Anika Chapin will lead a discussion of love, loss, and unexpected sources of healing.
The Art of Dealing with Life-Changing Events
Saturday, March 14 from 4:30–6pm in the Two River Theater Lobby
Using the characters from Guadalupe in the Guest Room as examples, Resilience Strategist Barbara Rubel will lead workshop attendees through the Palette of Grief: The Art of Dealing with Life-Changing Events. This hands-on activity visually captures emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and physical and spiritual reactions due to difficult life events, allowing attendees to explore their unique loss experiences and find meaning in grief. Important to note: This activity should not be completed when a person has recently experienced a loss and is acutely feeling intense reactions. Also, no participant will be expected to share their experiences with the group. The activity can be completely with or without collaboration from other attendees. There is no cost to attend this workshop. Space is limited and RSVPs are strongly suggested. Patrons can book a spot by calling Two River Theater’s box office at 732.345.1400 or visitingwww.tworivertheater.org.
Audience Extras
Before Play and Lobby Display
Audiences will learn more about this production in Two River’s Before Play lecture series, which takes place 45 minutes prior to every performance, and Lobby Display.
Post-Play Conversations
Discussions with the cast and a member of Two River’s Artistic staff will take place on Wednesday, March 4 at 1pm.
Access and Virtual Tour
Working with Google, Two River has created and launched a virtual tour of its facility, which lives on Google Maps andtworivertheater.org. This virtual tour provides an additional level of support and benefit for patrons who use wheelchairs or require other assistance by allowing them to virtually come through the theater’s front doors and view the space in detail in advance of their visit.
An audio-described performance is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 at 1pm and an open-captioned performance is scheduled for Saturday, March 14 at 3pm. Tickets are available at a discounted rate of $25 for patrons using these services. To reserve wheelchair-accessible seating or tickets to a performance listed above, patrons should call 732.345.1400 or e-mail boxoffice@trtc.org.
Calendar
Wednesday, March 4 at 1pm and 7pm
Thursday, March 5 at 10am (student matinee) and at 8pm
Friday, March 6 at 8pm
Saturday, March 7 at 3pm and 8pm
Sunday, March 8 at 3pm
Wednesday, March 11 at 1pm and 7pmT
Thursday, March 12 at 10am (student matinee) and at 8pm
Friday, March 13 at 8pm
Saturday, March 14 at 3pm and 8pm
Sunday, March 15 at 3pm
Sponsorship
Guadalupe in the Guest Room is supported by lead sponsor U.S. Trust. Inside Two River is sponsored by The William T. Morris Foundation. The Before Play series is sponsored by Zager Fuchs, PC.
Two River Theater is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division within the Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, Monmouth University, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Durso Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley, Investors Bank, Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, William T. Morris Foundation, Springpoint Senior Living Foundation at the Atrium at Navesink Harbor, and many other generous foundations, corporations and individuals.
Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, creates great American theater performed by award-winning artists. We produce American and world masterpieces, and new plays and musicals. Two River Theater offers new-play commissions and artistic development activities that support the most adventurous artists in the American theater; invites its audience to be part of the creative process through readings and open rehearsals; and cultivates students and young people to participate in innovative arts-education programs and become a new generation of theatergoers. Founded in 1994 by Joan and Dr. Robert M. Rechnitz, Two River Theater is easily accessible by car, train, or bus, with great restaurants and shopping within walking distance of the theater. For more information, visit tworivertheater.org or call 732.345.1400.
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, and made her jazz vocalist debut in Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin’ Jazz “LADY” at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
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