First U.S. performance of Spanish play to be held at USI

The United States premiere of the play, All Who Are Left (Todos los que quedan), written and directed by visiting instructor and scholar, Raúl Hernández Garrido from Madrid, Spain, will be performed at the University of Southern Indiana. The text has been adapted into English by Dr. David Hitchcock, associate professor of Spanish at USI. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30, as well as a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 31, in the Mallette Studio Theatre in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center. The performances, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the departments of Performing Arts and World Languages and Cultures, are free and open to the public.

The story follows a young girl searching for her father, whom she initially thought dead after the Spanish Civil War, in an attempt to discover her roots and identity. "This play focuses on the compromises people make in order to survive wars and other atrocities," said Hitchcock. "The children and grandchildren are often left to try to pick up the pieces of the past."

Hernández Garrido has taught at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, also in Madrid, as well as offering lessons through theatre workshops. He is teaching courses in World Languages and Cultures and Performing Arts during the fall semester at USI. Along with being a playwright and instructor, Hernández Garrido also is a filmmaker, novelist, scriptwriter and television producer. He also is the co-founder of the popular Spanish theatre group, Teatro del Astillero. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his plays.

While this is the first performance of All Who Are Left in the United States, many of his works have been performed across North and South America. His plays are described as darkly atmospheric, blending fantasy and fragmented reality with a dramatic, cinematic tone that pulls audiences into the experience.

While admission is free, due to limited seating availability, it is highly recommended that tickets be reserved in advance. To reserve tickets contact Kathy Stroyeck at 812-461-5220 or kstroyeck@usi.edu.