All-Spanish play on Latin artist

Frida Kahlo, the artist whose paintings conveyed the pain of her husband's infidelity, her terrible bus accident, and her feelings about women and sexuality will be profiled in a play by El Teatro Espejo, a theater company celebrating its 25th year at CSUS. "Frida Kahlo" is also sponsored by the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

The play will be performed in the University Theatre and presented entirely in Spanish. "I'm hoping we'll bring in a lot of the Spanish-speaking audience from the community," said Manuel Pickett, Professor of Theatre Arts and the play's director.

Pickett said an English synopsis of each scene will be printed in the program, and he will give an explanation of the play in English before curtain time.

Kahlo, who lived from 1907 to 1954, was married to the Latin American artist Diego Rivera, who often used Kahlo as the subject of his paintings. Their meeting and the story of their romance will be the focus of the play. Although Kahlo was known for her emotional paintings, Pickett said that will be a secondary aspect of the story presented.

"It's actually a love story about what [Kahlo and Rivera] believed in as artists and as Communists," he said. "Rivera did things behind her back, and it talks about how their romance survived."

Rivera was known to have extramarital affairs, the painful effects of which were the inspiration for some of Kahlo's art. Kahlo also created many self-portraits, particularly after she was injured in a bus accident that left her sterile.

Pickett said the play starts off in the last days before her death, but then reflects back into her past, telling the story of her life. Pickett said previous knowledge about Kahlo's life would be helpful in understanding the play, but is not necessary. Original slides of Kahlo and Rivera will be shown throughout the play, as well as slides of her paintings.

El Teatro Espejo is a community organization that has worked with the CSUS theatre arts department for the past 25 years. The group has also worked with local schools, to provide acting, singing and dancing workshops. Pickett, a CSUS professor since 1980, is the director of the Teatro.

The company is made up of Teatro members, six of whom are CSUS students. After their performance here, they will be taking the show on tour throughout California.

The play will be performed every night at 8 p.m. from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22. Matinees will be at 2 p.m. on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

Tickets are $8 for students and $10 general. They can be purchased at the door or at the CAMP office in Temporary Building HH. Proceeds from ticket sales go toward scholarships for the CAMP program.