Somewhere in Quixote

ewhere m So QuiXo te in

Cuesheet

IBERIAN SUITE: global arts remix

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

A U.S. premiere as part of the Kennedy Center festival

Ron Lalรก Theater Company An inspired adaptation of the novel by Miguel de Cervantes Directed by Yayo Cรกceres Performed in Spanish with projected English titles

Presenting Underwriter HRH Foundation

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

A Man and His oovel A Novel Performance

The Story of Don Quixote

No matter how familiar you are with the story of Don Quixote (pronounced kee-HOH-tee), prepare to experience it in a whole new way. A Spanish theater company of five male actors will recreate some of Don Quixote’s comic exploits but also introduce a new character on stage—the author himself, Miguel de Cervantes (mi-GEL dey ser-VAN-teez), writing in his Spanish library in the 1600s. Oh, and he’s not just sitting behind a desk, either. The ever-critical writer pauses and speeds up the action and enlists the help of his friends (and you, the audience!) to shape his tale. In this theatrical adventure, the performers weave together words from the book, live music, and lots of humor to tell the story and explore some of the novel’s themes like nobility, honor, and morality.

Alonso Quixano, a middle-aged hidalgo (hi-DAL-goh, a man of lower nobility) from La Mancha, Spain, has read so many books about chivalry—the customs of medieval knighthood, including courtesy, valor, and generosity—that he goes insane and believes they are true. He sets out as a knight-errant (a wandering knight) to defend the helpless and defeat the evil, renaming himself Don Quixote, dubbing his horse Rocinante (raw-thee-NAHN-te), and naming a peasant woman his lady love Dulcinea (duhl-SIN-ee-uh), even though they have never met.

Other Characters ce in the Performan

l nengeli, a fictiona Cide Hamete Be es ur uixote’s advent author of Don Q uises a friend who disg Sansón Carrasco, to te xo s to get Qui himself in attempt return home ors Knight of the Mirr hite Moon Knight of the W and hbor of Sancho Tomé Celial, neig s ight of the Mirror squire to The Kn om gendary hero wh Montesinos, a le s he saw in a cave Quixote believe ncho’s wife Teresa Panza, Sa tional princess Micomicona, a fic r, herd, housekeepe Plus a boy, shep rber, biscainer priest, soldier, ba ), region of Biscay (a man from the . and goat herder

Alas, Don Quixote’s first adventures end poorly, and while he recovers at home, his housekeeper and others burn many of his chivalry books.

But after he recruits his neighbor Sancho to be his squire, more comic adventures ensue when they meet innkeepers, disappointed lovers, escaped convicts, slaves, farmers, a mischievous Duke and Duchess, and more. Through it all, despite his madness and numerous humiliations, Quixote proves himself to be good and honorable.

After losing a battle, Quixote returns home and to his senses and disclaims his adventures.

CoDe Alive on Stage ITED UN GDOM N I K

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The writer, Miguel de Cervantes

A Soldier Turned Author Before he wrote novels, Miguel de Cervantes had quite an adventurous life of his own, which influenced his storytelling. He was born in 1570 near Madrid and struggled financially most of his life. As a young man, he became a soldier known for his bravery fighting Spain’s battles against Turkey and Italy. In 1575, pirates kidnapped him and sold him to the Moors (Muslim enemies of Catholic Spain at the time) as a slave.

After five years and several failed escape attempts, he was freed and returned home. Soon after, he began writing. He published part one of Don Quixote in 1605 and part two in 1615.

The First Bestseller Don Quixote became the world’s first modern novel—and bestseller. People loved its parody of chivalry romance books and its many misadventures.

Ever since, the story has inspired imaginations and influenced artists of all kinds. Among others, it is referenced in French writer Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s art, German composer Richard Strauss’s music, and more recently in movies and the 1965 Broadway hit musical Man of La Mancha. The book spawned a new word, quixotic (kwik-SOT-ik), to describe something Quixote-like or the impractical pursuit of idealistic goals. It also made popular the expression “tilting at windmills,” which means attacking imaginary enemies as Quixote does when he charges windmills he mistakes for giant knights.

ALL PRODUCTION PHOTOS BY CEFERINO LÓPEZ (CNTC)

A Few More Things About the Performers Spain’s Ron Lalá Theater Company aims to offer engaging theater performances with humor and live music. The awardwinning “Ronlaleros” (as company members call themselves) describe Somewhere in Quixote as their “greatest adventure: staging the funniest, most entertaining, moving, and profound novel in history.”

Watch for…

Listen for…

✷ how three of the five male actors

✷ recorded music that helps set

perform multiple characters (including women)

✷ how all the performers act, sing, and play musical instruments

✷ quick costume changes and one key costume piece for each character

✷ how the knight and squire first burst forth from the stalls

✷ how the costumes and sets reflect the colors, shapes, and textures of parchment (old writing material) and ink

✷ creative use of props, like an elastic band for a horse’s reins or a musical instrument becoming a helmet

the mood

✷ live music performed on Spanish guitar, shaker, tambourine, African kalimba (a plucked percussion instrument), and Asian gourd

✷ how sound effects such as a crackling fire and rain are produced live on stage

Think about… ✷ what words you would use to describe Cervantes and Quixote

✷ which characteristic of Quixote’s you admire most, and why

✷ why Don Quixote has been such a popular literary figure for hundreds of years

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education Alicia Adams Vice President International Programming and Festival Curator IBERIAN SUITE: global arts remix is presented in cooperation with the governments of Portugal and Spain.

Festival Leadership Committee Honorary Chairman, His Majesty King Juan Carlos José Andrés, Natalia and Carlos Bulgheroni, Helen Lee Henderson, Amalia Perea Mahoney, Former President Felipe González Márquez, The Honorable Luis Alberto Moreno, and David M. Rubenstein Festival Benefactors include the Portuguese Secretary of State for Culture, Ambassador Elizabeth F. Bagley, Natalia and Carlos Bulgheroni, Amalia Perea Mahoney and William Mahoney, and David and Alice Rubenstein.

Major Sponsors include Arte Institute, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, EDP, Fundação Luso-Americana, Marca España, SPAIN arts & culture, and ThinkFoodGroup.

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Kaplan, Inc.; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, the National Committee for the Performing Arts, and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

✷ what the title, Somewhere in

And remember:

Quixote, means

✷ be ready to participate in telling the story ✷ turn off and put away your phones and electronics ✷ finish talking before the performance begins

EX

ore!

M e or l p

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Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts