Synopsis

Life is a Dream

Life is a Dream $13

Pedro Calderón de la Barca - translated and adapted by Nilo Cruz

Published by Dramatists Play Service

5 Male 2 Female

Astrological omens predict that if King Basilio's son Segismundo is crowned, he will become a horrible tyrant who will bring destruction to his kingdom

Basilio imprisons Segismundo for life, but decades later he decides to let his son prove his ability to defy the stars

Allowed to rule the palace, Segismundo wreaks bloody vengeance on the kingdom, confirming the predictions, and the prince is returned to his prison

In Nilo Cruz's sublime translation of Calderon's classic, the question of whether life is a dream or an illusion takes on a renewed relevance and urgency

" ... richly elegant translation ... the ultimate question Calderón and Cruz seem to be asking is how a species capable of creating such abominations as genocide, murder and slavery can also produce Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the Taj Mahal and John Coltrane" ~ Orange County Weekly

"That Cruz was able to translate Calderon's florid style into speech acceptable for contemporary audiences is a tribute to his skill and finely-honed sensibilities" ~ Press-Telegram

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