Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Internationally-known Argentine theatre group Jícara will perform the world premiere of their new play, La rosa en el desierto (The Rose in the Desert) at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 in the SRO Theatre of the Cultural Arts Building at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The creators describe La rosa as theatre of movement and objects. The play centers on two images: the rose as a source of beauty and rebirth and the soul as a desert. It is performed in Spanish, but spectators do not have to speak Spanish in order to fully appreciate its power and its message. The 50-minute piece is best suited for audience members over the age of 12.

Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for UNC Wilmington students. To order tickets, call 901.962.2061.

The actors of Jícara, Roberto Uriona and Mirian González, who hail from Buenos Aires, have created, written and staged more than 20 theatrical productions, first as founding members of a theatre troupe called Diablomundo and currently with Jícara. Their plays invite audiences to cross national, linguistic and socio-economic borders in order to acquaint themselves with one another.

Uriona and González have performed at theatre conferences and festivals all over Argentina and the world. They have participated in the first New York International Festival of Puppets, hosted the politically-committed Bread and Puppet theatre, and have given guest lectures and workshops in acting, design, and costume classes at universities and professional companies.

The performance of La rosa is part of the group's week-long visit to UNC Wilmington from January 30 to February 4. On Wednesday, Jan. 30, from 4-5 p.m. in the SRO Theatre, Uriona and González will hold a question-and-answer session on "Surviving as an Independent Acting Troupe in Contemporary Argentina." A reception, sponsored by UNCW's Centro Hispano, will immediately follow in the lobby of the Cultural Arts Building. This event is free and open to the public.

Jícara will also guest lecture in Department of Theatre courses at UNCW and visit area elementary and high schools. Their presentations will engage students in creative interactive exercises that will focus on overcoming stereotypes and dealing with cultural differences.

Jícara's appearance in Wilmington is sponsored by UNCW's College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Theatre, Office of International Programs, Centro Hispano, Public Service and Continuing Studies, and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

Media contact:
Denise DiPuccio, International Programs, at 910.962.7933 or dipucciod@uncw.edu