Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

Though we haven’t been hearing much from the Classic Theater lately, the staff and the new producing Artistic Director, J. Robert “Jimmy” Moore, have been busy.

Since the Classic vacated its former premises in the Woodlawn Theater Building when the pandemic discouraged gatherings in tight spaces, the first thing on the agenda was to find a location – or locations for staging performances for the 2022-23 season.

“We have done a lot of work over the past few months. We explored every road, from renting tiny places with the toilet against the wall, to looking at million-dollar places to buy,” said Moore in a recent interview. “We also looked at different neighborhoods, and I think we are zeroing in on some good options but there’s nothing that we have settled on just yet. We have narrowed it down to a couple of options that we are excited about.”

The goal is to have a permanent home by the opening of next season, in the fall of 2023, he said. The plans and locations for the 2022-23 season, opening September 8, are already in place. “I think we have done well in terms of finding locations for the season that will expose us to new patrons and give more San Antonians the opportunity to experience what we do.”

Season opener, “Roosters” by Milcha Sanchez-Scott, will be presented at La Zona, an outdoor covered courtyard downtown, behind the Alameda Theater, at 333 West Commerce, a space controlled by Centro San Antonio, a nonprofit “placemaking” organization. According to Moore, the space is dedicated to Hispanic arts, which makes “Roosters” a fitting show to be staged there.

The play, which premiered in 1987, tells the story of the Morales family in the rural Southwest. The father of the family, Gallo, has just returned home from prison where he served seven years for murdering a man over a cockfight. His son, Hector, is not happy about his father’s return. Gallo, a super macho guy, is obsessed with cock fighting, and has difficulty relating to Hector. While Gallo wants to continue exploiting the fighting rooster in cockfights, Hector, who took care took care of the animal while the father was in prison, wants to sell it and use the money to help the family. Surrounding these conflicting men are three women, Hector’s mother, sister and aunt, who have their own issues.

Reviewers have praised the play across the board, often focusing on the skillful blend of the comic and the poignant, with a touch of “magical realism,” a practice that combines a realistic presentation with magical elements to enhance the meaning of a scene or the message. “Roosters” was turned into a movie in 1993, with Edward James Olmos portraying Gallo, and Sonia Braga as his wife Juana. Danny Nucci was Hector. Playwright Sanchez-Scott is of mixed Indonesian, Chinese, Dutch, and Colombian heritage, who spent her early life in Colombia and Mexico.

The Classic’s production is directed by Jose Ruben de Leon, with the following cast: Ivan Ortega as Hector, Salvador Valadez as Gallo, Lisa Suarez as Gallo’s wife Juana, Lucero Perez as Hector’s sister, and Marisa Varela as her and Hector’s aunt. Others in the cast are Matthew Dominguez, Luis Garcia, Jr., and Viviana Daghero.

The company’s season will continue with “A Christmas Carol” at the Maverick-Carter House (across from the Tobin), performed entirely by a single actor, said Moore. The season’s third production, August Wilson’s “Fences” will move into the Little Carver on the campus of the Carver Community Cultural Center.

In the spring, the Classic will stage “Measure for Measure” as a Shakespeare in the Park production, followed by the summer musical “Peter and the Starcatcher,” which is the story of how Peter Pan became Peter Pan. This theatrical adaptation is based on the novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It is also envisioned as an outdoor show. It will be the theater’s first ever musical or, more accurately, play-with-music.

“It’s a season of very diverse classics,” noted the artistic director, who worked hard to establish connections with a good number of other San Antonio organizations, to make the 2022-23 season possible.

In addition to all of the above, the company will also stage San Antonio playwright’s Sheila Rinear’s new play, “Bound by Truth, in March 2023. It focuses on a young woman at the court of Henry VIII. Design work for the production will be executed by Broadway professionals, Moore pointed out with excitement.
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“Roosters” runs Sept. 8-25; La Zona, 333 West Commerce, 78205; performances start at 7:30 p.m.; tickets at https://ci.ovationtix.com/36094/productions/1129574; for info you can call the Classic at 210-468-3900 and box office at 210-589-8450