Photo credit - Jason Ayer
From our friends at USC Theatre & Dance …
The USC Department of Theatre and Dance will present The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs, a centuries-old, female-authored comedy from the Spanish Golden Age, November 13-20 at Longstreet Theatre.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with additional 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15. Admission is $15 for students, $22 for USC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $25 for the general public. Tickets may be purchased online at sc.universitytickets.com. Longstreet Theatre is located at 1300 Greene St. Entry is through the rear breezeway off Sumter St.
One of only two surviving plays from Ana Caro (ca.1601–ca.1645), a celebrated writer of the Spanish Golden Age, The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs is a subversive 17th-century comedy whose sharp social commentary still resonates today. When Leonor is suddenly cast aside after being seduced by the faithless Don Juan, she concocts a daring plan to disguise herself as a cunning swordsman (Leonardo), restore her honor, and bring her former lover to justice. Filled with wit, romance and intrigue, this modern translation of Caro’s pioneering masterpiece is a fast-paced theatrical romp about a woman reclaiming her agency in a world designed to deny it.
Director Jesse Jou, an associate professor in the theatre program, describes the play as “a swashbuckling romantic comedy,” with a heroine whose wit and determination make her a compelling character across the centuries.
“Leonor is a really dynamic heroine, similar to some of Shakespeare’s strong female characters like Viola in Twelfth Night or Rosalind in As You Like It,” Jou says. “But what makes Leonor very different is that she really is the most driven person in the play. And while she’s constantly outwitting other characters to achieve her goals, she's also very deeply human and flawed. She’s very vulnerable in questions of love.”
The production uses a recent translation of the play (originally titled Valor, agravio y mujer) created by UCLA’s Diversifying the Classics project, an initiative of scholars dedicated to making plays of the Spanish Golden Age (late 15th – late 17th centuries) accessible to English-speaking audiences.
“It’s a wonderful project,” says Jou. “What excites me about working on plays like this is encountering writers from so long ago who are talking about things we can still relate to today.”
Along with turbulent romance and witty repartee (often directed to the audience), Caro’s story features exhilarating swordplay, which Jou says he’s particularly delighted to bring to the stage with the students.
“We have been very fortunate to connect with the Carolina Historical Fencing Association,” Jou says, “who will give our cast a taste of what sword fighting might have entailed in this period. We also have a wonderful fight choreographer in Patrick Michael Kelly, who's giving shape to the fights and helping to make sure they’re as safe and exciting as possible. I’m thrilled when students have an opportunity to learn skills they don’t often get to use in most modern plays.”
The all-undergraduate cast includes Lucas Alvarado-Barahona, Conner Belin, Isnerys Carrasquillo, Destiny McCorvey, Billy McNeill, Chloe Newport, Lucía Ramos Calleros, Asher Thompson, and Lilly Thompson. The production’s design team includes graduate design students Egba Evwibovwe (scenic) and Helen Ryser (costumes), along with faculty members Jim Hunter (lighting) and Patrick Michael Kelly(sound).
“I hope audiences have a great time watching this story about love, adventure and justice,” Jou says. “Plays from cultures and histories from all over the world can show us things about our own lives that still resonate now.”
For more information about The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs or the theatre program at the University of South Carolina, contact Kevin Bush at 803-777-9353 or bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.