Her rule is law.
Their voices are the resistance.
The Ensemble Company, the repertory theatre company in residence at Imagine Performing Arts Center, will continue its seventh season with the Michael John LaChiusa musical adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s final play, BERNARDA ALBA.
BERNARDA ALBA tells the tales of a powerful matriarch, who imposes a strict rule on her household following her second husband's funeral: "Not a breath of outside air is going to enter this house. It's going to feel like we've bricked up the doors and windows," she proclaims. Bernarda's five daughters, however, struggle with her cold wishes. The girls' dreams and desires challenge their mother's harsh rules and the outside world begins to slowly permeate their isolated existence. With words and music from Michael John LaChiusa (THE WILD PARTY, MARIE CHRISTINE), this musical retelling of Lorca’s play is told through pulsing castanets and the resounding rhythmic stomps in the flavor of flamenco.
BERNARDA ALBA received its world premiere from Lincoln Center Theater in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2006. Directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, the all-female cast included Phylicia Rashad in the title role as well as Saundra Santiago, Judith Blazer, Sally Murphy, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Nikki M. James as the daughters. The UK premiere in 2011 was led by Olivier Award-winning actress Beverley Klein.
The Ensemble Company’s production of BERNARDA ALBA will be directed and choreographed by associate artistic director Gabriel Garcia (A CHRISTMAS CAROL, IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, RED) and star Ensemble Company veterans Janine Papin (APPROPRIATE, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, THE NORMAL HEART) as Bernarda Alba, Brenna Arden (IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER) as Prudencia/The Mare, and Briana Small (LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, A CHRISTMAS CAROL) as Adela, with ten actors making their company debuts: Whitney Baldwin as La Criada, Mimi Batista as Martirio, Sophia Cintron as Angustius, Sonia Cordero-Small as Maria Josefa, Angela Cotto as Poncia, Cherry Gonzalez as Magdalena, Elle Grant as Swing, Abby LaMarre as the Young Maid, Laura Powalisz as Amelia, and Amy Sullivan as Pepe/Antonio/The Stallion.
BERNARDA ALBA will run September 5-14, 2025 in the Barbara Lynn Johnson Theatre at Imagine Performing Arts Center (1220 Oviedo Mall Boulevard, Oviedo, FL 32765), with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, and a special industry night performance on Monday, September 8th at 8:00pm. Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors (60 and up), and $20 for students (with I.D.) and are available for purchase by visiting www.imagineperformingartscenter.org/events.
Also check out other Arts events in Oviedo, Theatre events in Oviedo, Performances in Oviedo.
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