Let CSUB’s ‘River’ carry you away
It was love at first sight for Cal State Bakersfield theater chair Mandy Rees when it came to “The River Bride.”
The director first discovered the show, which plays this week at Dore Theatre, when picking scripts for an analysis class.
“When I first read the script, I was drawn into the story and impressed by the beautiful, poetic language,” she wrote of playwright Marisela Treviño Orta’s work. “It is based on Brazilian folklore so along with characters and situations we can relate to, it has that extra element of fantasy that takes us in surprising directions.”
Set in a fishing village along the Amazon River, the play leans into the mythology about the pink river dolphins who are said to transform once a year into men in order to seduce women.
Helena (Jocelyn Torres) and her sister, Belmira (Cayelyn Smith), are preparing for the latter’s wedding to Duarte (Divyang Motavar) when Moises (Javier
Alejandro Soto-Gonzalez), a mysterious man in a white suit with a head bandage, is plucked out of the river.
Rees said the student cast, which also include Jacob Cota and Laura Cruz Velez, has enjoyed the challenges of bringing multilayered characters to life.
“We see how each of the six characters deal with falling in love. They discover that sometimes it takes a leap of faith to give someone your love. But if
you hesitate, if you allow your fears to get the best of you, it can lead to regret.”
With some greenery and environmental sounds, Rees said they are able to transport the audience to the Amazon with the beautiful pier and boat built by set designer Chris Eicher.
The director hopes viewers are
enchanted by the love story.
“Maybe they will also think about taking a ‘leap of faith’ and not letting opportunities for love pass them by.”