All performances are presented in English and will include Spanish captioning.
“Even in a pandemic time of isolation, it is more important than ever to remind ourselves of our humanity,” said Alfaro. “We artists will always find a way to do so. It feels good to come together with two of my artistic bases in Los Angeles, The Getty Villa and Center Theatre Group, to find ways forward in our storytelling. I couldn’t be with better collaborators in making and celebrating this experience.”
Alfaro’s award-winning trilogy of plays transplant themes of the ancient Greek tragedies of Electra, Oedipus the King, and Medea into the 21st-century streets of Los Angeles, giving voice to the concerns of Chicanx and wider Latinx communities. With performances around the world, including celebrated runs at the Mark Taper Forum, The Public Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Getty Villa, Alfaro’s electric adaptations question the role that citizens and community play in social issues facing us all today.
Alfaro has previously been in residence at the Getty Villa with Oedipus El Rey in 2008 when it began as a Villa Theater Lab work-in-progress performance, and Mojada in 2015, when it made its west coast premiere.
Part of Center Theater Group’s “Live from the KDT” new series, all performances are free and will premiere at 5:00pm PDT at Center Theatre Group Luis Trilogy beginning with Electricidad on November 6, Oedipus El Rey on November 13, and Mojada on November 20. After the premiere date, the readings will be available on demand through January 20, 2021.
About Luis Alfaro
Luis Alfaro is a Chicano writer known for his work in poetry, theater, short stories, performance, and journalism. Luis spent six seasons as the Playwright-in-Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 2013 to 2019. He was a member of the Playwright’s Ensemble at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre from 2013 to 2020. Luis is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
He was recently awarded the PEN America/Laura Pels International Foundation Theater Award for a Master Dramatist, the United States Artist Fellowship, and the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship. His plays and performances include Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, Mojada, Delano and Body of Faith. Luis spent over two decades in the Los Angeles poetry community and toured for ten years as a performance artist. He is a tenured professor at USC. His play anthology, The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro, was just released from Methuen Press. Luis Alfaro was a participant in Center Theatre Group’s 2018/19 L.A. Writers’ Workshop.
The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro Synopses
Oedipus el Rey
By Luis Alfaro
Directed by Chay Yew
Available for streaming beginning Friday, November 13, 2020, 5pm PT
Expires on Wednesday, January 20, 2020, at 11:59pm PT
As he approaches the end of a lengthy prison sentence, Oedipus is ready to taste his long-awaited freedom. But physical liberation comes at a price, and life on the outside proves its own kind of prison ruled by a cruel and violent fate. Based on Sophocles’ classic tale, Oedipus el Rey is an urgent examination of modern institutions, social barriers, and the power of storytelling for those bold enough to challenge the gods of our time.
Mojada
By Luis Alfaro
Directed by Juliette Carrillo
Available for streaming beginning Friday, November 20, 2020, 5pm PT
Expires on Wednesday, January 20, 2020, at 11:59pm PT
Medea and Jason have escaped the worst. After a harrowing journey across the Mexican-American border, the couple has made it safely to the States, where they can work toward a better life for their family. While Jason is convinced the future looks bright, Medea fears a darker fate as they face the challenges of living without documentation. Blending Euripides’ classic with Mexican folklore, Luis Alfaro examines the tragedy behind America’s immigration system and the destiny of one family caught in its grip.
Electricidad
By Luis Alfaro
Directed by Laurie Woolery
Available for streaming beginning Friday, November 22, 2020, 5pm PT
Expires on Wednesday, January 20, 2020, at 11:59pm PDT
In the years following the murder of her father by her mother, Electricidad is committed to vengeance. To get it, she’ll need her brother, Orestes, to return from Las Vegas and help her finish the job. Transporting Sophocles’ Electra to the Los Angeles barrios, Luis Alfaro investigates violence, loss, and redemption through the lens of this age-old tragedy.
Electricidad was produced at the Mark Taper Forum in 2005.
Related Event
The Greeks in the Barrio: A Conversation with Luis Alfaro
Monday, November 16, 2020, at 1pm PT
Free
Getty Museum YouTube
How are the ancient texts relevant for contemporary audiences experiencing these stories again, or possibly for the first time? What continues to make these stories resonate beyond their original context? Join award-winning playwright, poet, performer, and activist Luis Alfaro in conversation with Dr. Rosa Andújar, editor of The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro, as they explore the making of contemporary theater based on ancient Greek classics. Andújar and Alfaro examine his plays Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, and Mojada, their intersections with Chicanx/Latinx culture, and the playwright’s experiences with transferring ancient Greek tragedies to the contemporary barrio of East L.A.