El Espiritu Natural / The Spirit of Nature

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center presents the mythical fantasy El Espiritu Natural/The Spirit of Nature, March 16 -26. Originally written as three separate plays, written by Su Teatro’s Executive Artistic Director Anthony J Garcia, the new work is episodically structured. As part of Su Teatro’s continued celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the new play utilizes the previous script to tell the story of NeldaRio and Nita Luna. The play features three stories, El Rio: Las Lagrimas de la Llorona, La Tierra: The Mystery of the Three Sisters and Ehecatl: The Wind of Creation each story blends into the next. They focus on lessons about Nature, from the wind to water to the land.

Family Adventure
The stories are funny, yet thought-provoking and offer an action-packed family adventure. We follow sisters, NeldaRio and NitaLuna, as they try to save the world from the encroaching danger of “ The Absence”. The sisters must work together to preserve their history, traditions and very existence, and still make it back safely to celebrate their, soon-to-be centenarian, aunt’s birthday party.

Memory vs. Climate Change
El Espiritu Natural/ The Spirit of Nature is part of the second half of Su Teatro’s Golden Season, a two-year Community Celebration of Su Teatro’s 50 years. Among the many contributions the company has made to the American Theater canon has been the creation and production of more than 40 original works. To that end, Su Teatro is producing and reading all of their original works to commemorate this milestone. The plays that lie deeper in the archives are being highlighted.

El Espiritu Natural/The Spirit of Nature is a response to today’s climate crisis grounded in Indigenous mythology and traditions. Garcia pulls from Mexican folklore and Aztec metaphors to bring awareness to the issues that we face globally. Audiences can expect to hear familiar names like La Llorona, Ehecatl, and Barack Obama, who aid NitaLuna and NeldaRio journey included. The play features music by renowned composer, Daniel Valdez, as well as original compositions by Garcia, under the musical direction of Chicano Music Hall of Fame
inductee Rudy Bustos. Featured in the production are Super Veteranos (longtime Su Teatro members) Debra Gallegos (KUVO’S Canción Mexican co-host) and Angel Mendez-Soto, who will play the roles of the 99-year-old Tia Sofia and her much younger brother, the 97-year-old Tio Beto. Adriana Gonzales and Natalie Fuentes, who appeared in recent Su Teatro productions along with newcomers to the company, Lauren M Long and Juan Madrid round out the cast.

Performance Schedule
El Espiritu Natural/ The Spirit of Nature runs March 9 – 26, 2023, performances are Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and a Sunday Matinee at 2 pm on March 26. All performances are at Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, Denver.

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