5 Things to Know About Sueño

APT's eighth and final play of the summer season officially opens August 15 on the Hill Stage. José Rivera's dreamy Sueño is mysterious by nature. It's celestial and earthy. Funny, beautiful and profane. Contradiction is built into its bones, just as it is built into our own. Because Sueño is a fable about us - about human nature in all its extremes. That alone makes it a story worth exploring. It also makes it a bit difficult to describe. So today we have five straight-forward things to know about this complex and theatrical story.

1. It was written as an homage to the 17th Century Spanish classic Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca - a play that was groundbreaking in its exploration of reality vs. fantasy and fate vs. free will.
2. It's a fairy tale about an imprisoned prince who, once released, must learn how to be a good person. He doesn't always succeed.
3. Some of the language is glorious poetry, heightened by the cast and core company actors who know how to wield it. On the other hand, some of the language is lewd. People swear. A lot. By APT terms, it would be R-rated, and is not recommended for children.
4. There are two intermissions. Even so, it's the second shortest play on the Hill stage this year.
5. Maybe above all, Sueño is a spectacle, with notes of Shakespearean tragedy, absurdism and farce (and maybe a little Monty Python).

We hope that shines some light on the season's most nebulous play. For more, check out Director Marcela Lorca's notes, our Sueño Season Select or come see it for yourself under the portentous stars.

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