Southeast presents poetic tragedy in 'Blood Wedding'

Love can be tragic -- especially forbidden love. Often times, forbidden love leads to a tragedy that plays out the conflict between one's wishes and societal ideas and traditions. "Blood Wedding" premieres tonight, bringing such tragedy to the stage at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus.

"It is a very striking, beautiful play," director Rob Dillon said. "I've studied it since I was an undergrad. It is considered a modern classic. It's a Spanish classic in English translation."

Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca wrote "Blood Wedding" in 1932, after reading a newspaper account of a young bride who abandoned her husband-to-be on their wedding day to escape with her childhood sweetheart. In short, "Blood Wedding" is a true story of love, lust and betrayal.

"It's poetic and it presents the inevitability of tragedy," Dillon said.

The story can be compared to other great tragedies, such as "Romeo and Juliet," in that the bride (played by Jazmin Patino) and Leonardo (Jacob Buckenmyer) can be considered star-crossed lovers. Leonardo is from a family who is responsible for deaths in the groom's (Dalton Riddle) family, which infuriates the mother of the groom (Ronnie Rossi).

The love story is elevated to a tragedy of fate after the couple runs off together, prompting the jilted groom to go after Leonardo and challenge him to a duel. This knife duel provides a specially choreographed scene -- it doesn't appear in the original play -- in which the predicted bloodletting occurs.

Dillon said the production also features an all original score written by R. Gideon Morrison, which includes an overture, wedding music and love theme for the bride.

"There were things such as 'guitars are heard' in the script, so I thought I would have him write something original," Dillon said.

While the first half of the play is realistic, the second half is more dreamlike. Even death (Alissa Brooks) and the moon (Alex Klier) are personified. But overall, the play presents tragedy -- life and death.

"I hope [the audience] take away a sense of emotional release," Dillon said. "Maybe they cry a little, maybe they cringe a little but they never experience bloodshed themselves. Tragedy makes you feel, not think. Tragedy idealizes the human spirit by making suffering noble. You watch others get sacrificed because of higher ideals, and experience passion and emotion vicariously."

"Blood Wedding" opens at 7:30 p.m. today and runs through Nov. 13. There is also a matinee at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets can be purchased for $13 at the River Campus box office, by phone at 651-2265 or 800-293-5949, and online at metrotix.com.