"Dinner for Two/Cena Para Dos"

By Amelie Fillaudeau

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater will present "Dinner for Two / Cena Para Dos" by Santiago Moncada in a bilingual production, translated by Charles Philip Thomas and directed by Tony Mata, from May 8 to June 1. The play is a romantic comedy by this distinguished Spanish dramatist and film writer. It is the play's English language premiere.

Emi, a 40-ish, attractive, introverted widow who is a bit shy and hopelessly romantic, is being coached out of her shell by her friend Berta, an extroverted, lively, colorful woman of the same age who revels in the pursuit of men. Berta plans a bait-and-switch date in order to match up Emi with Pedro, a suave, wealthy and eligible widower in his early sixties. What follows is a comedy of errors with embarrassments, sudden reversals, surprising twists and ultimately, a happy ending.

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in "Dinner for Two/Cena Para Dos" by Santiago Moncada, translated by Charles Philip Thomas, directed by Tony Mata. L-R: Jezabel Monero, Fred Valle, Angelica Ayala. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

Santiago Moncada (b. 1928) is a highly regarded major playwright in Madrid. He is author of over 40 staged comedies, among them "Games at Midnight," "The Young Woman who Didn't Return," "Violence and Trumpets," "Save the Dolphins," "Dinner for Two" and "Better in October." His play "Among Women" was presented for ten consecutive years in Buenos Aires and for three years in Mexico. His plays have been translated to numerous languages. He has also written over 80 cinematic properties. His films include "Dear Professor" (1966), "When the Horn Sounds" (1974), "To Catch a Black Cat" (1976), "The Man Who Knew how to Love" (1976), "Despido Improcedente" (1980), "Gorillas with a Lot of Rhythm" (1992), "Rest in Pieces" (1987) and "The Family...30 Years Later" (1999). He has co-produced twelve films with French, Italian and North American studios. Among his many distinctions are the Premio Elisenda de Montcada for his work "Letter to No One." He was a finalist in the Planeta Contest for his work "The Stress." He is a two-time winner of the Calderon de la Barca Award (1962 and 1963). Moncado lives in Madrid but travels constantly. He has been a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of the General Society of Authors and Editors in Spain.

Translator Charles Philip Thomas has translated works by Marco Antonio de la Parra, Rovner, Guillermo Schmidhuber, Alejandro Sieveking, Roberto Ramos Perea and many others. He is a professor of Spanish at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh.

Director Tony Mata has directed, choreographed and performed in over 150 productions, both in NY and in regional theater. In NYC, he has worked with Circle Rep, PRTT, Lincoln Center Festival. New Dramatists, Riverside Shakespeare, INTAR and Repertorio Espanol. He received SSD&C Foundation's Directing Fellowship in NY. His critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Lorca's "The Evil Spell of the Butterfly" was nominated for five ACE Awards and won two, including Best Production. This summer he will work with Opera Festival di Roma. He is head of Musical Theater for University of Florida and is an affiliate faculty member for the Center for Latin American Studies.

Jezabel Montero (Berta) has appeared Off-Broadway in "The Giants Have us in Their Books (INTAR), "Lobsterface" (INTAR), "Brother Loves" (ATA) and "A Couple of Bimbos Sitting Around Talking" (Vital Theatre). She plays the title role in "Yerma/Blood Wedding/La Gringa" at Spanish Repertory Theatre (OOB). Her regional credits include "Yo Soy Latina" at Crossroads Theater, New Brunswick. She received the 1987 ACRIM, ACCA and ACE awards for her portrayal of Aurelita in the critically-acclaimed play "El Super." She graduated UCLA in theater, was the radio traffic voice in WADO's morning show for three years and has been seen in several independent films. She recently produced a documentary, "Blondes are Latin Too." She is a founding member of Kismet Theatre Company in Hoboken.

Fred Valle (Pedro) is a veteran TV, stage and screen actor who is a two-time winner of the coveted ACE Award for Best Actor for "The Oxcart" (PRTT) and "La Lupe, My Life, My Destiny" (PRTT), in which he played six different roles including Tito Puente. On stage, Mr. Valle has toured in "Los Jibaros Progresistas," "Simpson Street," "The Accompaniment," "The FM Safe," "Tropicana, The Musical," "The Taming of The Shrew," "The Rope" "Oh Dad, Poor Dad" and "Rising Son Falling Star," among others. In TV, he has been seen in Spanish soap operas including "Inocente De Ti" (for Univision). He has also played leading roles in series such as "Asi Es La Vida," Tierra de Pasiones," "Loteria," "Decisiones" and others for Telemundo. His play, "I'm a Winner," was presented by PRTT in 1990.

Angelica Ayala (Emi) has appeared in "Una Gallina Llamada" at Pregones Theater, "Woman with Piquant Sauce" at PRTT and "The Golem" (La MaMa), among others. She has appeared in numerous films in Venezuela (her native country), Italy and France. She does voice-overs and dubbing and has appeared in numerous plays by SEA's repertory children's company. She received a 2007 ACE Award for "El Ultimo Rosario De Medea."

Set design is by Christina Gould. Lighting design is by Scott Cally. Costume Design is by Summer Lee Jack.

ABOUT PUERTO RICAN TRAVELING THEATER
The mission of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre (PRTT) is to educate and acquaint the general public with important contributions by playwrights from Latino or Hispanic extraction; to present and produce truly bilingual professional theater; to offer artistic development to emerging and established artists; and in these ways to contribute towards the diversity of American theater and national culture. The company was founded in 1967 by Miriam Colón Valle following the highly successful run of the English-language production of "The Oxcart," René Marqués' classic drama of Puerto Rican migration. The play was directed by acclaimed director Lloyd Richards and starred Miriam Colón Valle, the late Raúl Juliá, and Lucy Boscana. Realizing that such a professional production was not accessible to most of the families from economically disadvantaged communities, Ms. Colón Valle, PRTT's Founder and Artistic Director, made the decision to present the play free of charge in New York City streets with funding secured from then Mayor John Lindsay. This initial summer production helped launch the Spanish bilingual theater movement and led to the creation of a major cultural legacy for the State of New York and the U.S. Many Latino theaters exist in cities across the nation today inspired by the pioneering efforts of the PRTT.

PRTT's lasting impact is felt in 40 years of continued theater programming and audience development, including the introduction of new and significant Hispanic voices to the professional theater mainstream; a unique, culturally diverse model for playwright development and enrichment; cultivation of an awareness of the theater as a viable career for economically disadvantaged youths; and year-round Spanish and English language offerings through mainstage productions, a summer tour, a training program and a Playwrights' lab.

The company has received multiple ACE Hispanic Critics Awards, the HOLA Latino Actors Awards, Village Voice Obie Awards, as well as the New York State Governor's Arts Award, NALAC Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of the President of the United States.

PRTT occupies a former firehouse building at 304 West 47th Street, in the heart of the Broadway district. It undertook a $2-million renovation of the distinctive red-brick structure to include a fully equipped, 194-seat theater with proscenium stage. PRTT's Mainstage, Playwrights Unit, and Administrative Offices are housed at this location. PRTT's Raul Julia Training Unit operates in the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center at 1680 Lexington Avenue, between 105th and 106th Streets in East Harlem. This Center is an important community hub for the Latino and African American communities.

The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre's programs are made possible thanks to the generosity of the New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, American Express, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Con Edison, Shubert Foundation, Hispanic Federation, New York City Council, and other supporters. We also wish to show our gratitude to all individual contributors including Members of the Combined Municipal Campaign and the United Way of New York City.

Performances are May 8 to June 1, 2008 at Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, located at 304 West 47th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). The event is produced by Miriam Colon. English language performances are May 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 at 8:00 pm. Spanish language performances are May 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and June 1; Spanish language shows are Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm and 6:30 pm. Tickets are $30 and $24 for seniors and students. Ticketing is available online at www.telecharge.com and by phone through Telecharge 212-239-6200. Further information is available at www.prtt.org (Theater's website) and 212-354-1293.