RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 1, 2005) — Fernando Krapp Wrote Me this Letter, directed by Thomas Riccio, artistic director of The University of Texas at Dallas’ innovative new media and performance program, StoryLab, will open in the University Theatre on the UTD campus Friday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. The play, written by Tankred Dorst and translated by Michael Roloff, will run on weekends until Oct. 2, with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
An adaptation of Miguel de Unamuno’s novella, Nada Meno Que Todo un Hombre (Nothing Less Than a Man), the play tells the story of Fernando Krapp once he returns to his former hometown after making his fortune. A true aesthete, Fernando desires to control his surroundings. Upon his return, he selects the “most beautiful woman in town” to be his bride and arranges the marriage with her poor father. The woman, Julia, at first bitterly scorns the forced marriage, and her conflicting feelings for her husband lead her to begin an affair with a local count. Eventually, however, Fernando learns to love, and Julia realizes she loves him and is loved by him.
Dorst once spoke of his interest in “the discrepancy between utopia and reality, between the person you would like to be and the person you are.” This play explores the difference between the world Fernando Krapp would like to create and reality. The performances at UTD will be a regional premiere of the play, which has been performed in the U.S. only once before.
Although the play is not well known in this country, Riccio pronounced it to be a “powerhouse of emotions.”
As a storyteller, playwright, filmmaker and translator, Dorst has received numerous prizes and distinctions. When Dorst was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize in 1990, he was praised as “a companion to the times.”
More information about the play can be found at http://ah.utdallas.edu/season0506/fernando.htm.
More information about StoryLab and Professor Riccio can be found at http://www.thomas-riccio.net.
Tickets for the performance are $15 for general admission and free at the door to UTD students with a valid identification. Ticket office hours for advance purchase are from 2 to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. To purchase tickets using Visa, MasterCard or Discover, please call 972-883-2972.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ Web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s Web site at www.utdallas.edu.