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Passion play Sitting on a wooden stool in the far right corner of the dark stage, a musician drums his fingers on a classical guitar while a man and woman passionately embrace. Suddenly, another man enters the room. It is the bridegroom (Scot Davis), who discovers his bride-to-be (Alma Pasic) in the arms of Leonardo (Matt Malliski).
A bride abandons her groom
on their wedding day to follow her
heart and childhood sweetheart
in 'Blood Wedding'By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-BulletinThe two men confront one another and suddenly, a knife is drawn. All the while, several other actors slowly clap their hands above their heads, encircling the furious men while two women vigorously stomp their heels in a flamenco-style dance.
The dramatic play, "Blood Wedding," written in 1933 by Frederico Garcia Lorca, is based on a true story of a young bride in rural Andalusia who abandoned her husband-to-be on the morning of their wedding day in favor of her childhood sweetheart.
"The characters struggle to save their blood by upholding the strict traditions imposed on them by society and protecting their honor no matter what the consequence," said director Amber Jo Manuel.
ON STAGE
What: "Blood Wedding," directed by Amber Jo Manuel
"The themes from the play are very universal," said Manuel. "We don't do what we want to do because we're scared.
"It has a lot to do with the playwright's life," she said. "He had to suppress what he really wanted to do."
Lorca was born in 1899 near Granada in southern Spain. Born to a prosperous family, Lorca was more interested in the lives of gypsies than his own aristocratic class, said Manuel.
As a child, Lorca began writing poetry and plays. Although he was considered one of the top poets of his time, Lorca suffered socially in his conservative Spanish hometown due to his homosexuality. He had every reason to be afraid.
In 1936, during the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca was executed. It is believed Lorca was killed to send a message to those whose lifestyles didn't conform to tradition.
Lorca later became known as the people's poet and a symbol for victims of political oppression, said Manuel."The play is all about unleashing your passions and not suppressing anything," she said. "This is about letting go and going for what you want."
Suffering is another theme that is expressed in the play. Manuel relates to the anguish portrayed in the play. Her father, Richard Manuel, died of kidney cancer and her 10-year-old nephew, Barry Brooks, was killed by a drunk driver. They died nearly one year apart from each another.
"My emotions in life have helped me understand the play on a different level," she said. "The way that this play deals with death, you don't bury it or hide it. You use that energy."
As a child, Manuel studied ballet, tap and jazz dance, later exploring different types of body movements in places such as Chile, Peru and Bali.
While directing plays in California, Manuel received the Shelly Award for Best Choreography in the San Francisco Eastern Bay Area in 1997.She put her knowledge to use in "Blood Wedding," by incorporating slow arm, hand and body movements, as well as song.
She chose to attend the University of Hawai'i at Manoa to expand her studies in non-Western art. "I'm really interested in theater that combines body and movement," she said. "I like the actors to choreograph their own piece, to use their own expression.
"This is a highly emotional piece," said Manuel who is directing the play as part of her master's degree work. "He (Lorca) wanted the audience to feel," she said.
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