“Una Noche de Drama y Melodrama,” a live theater production and original student film, will be shown Friday (April 28) at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Carey Auditorium of the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame.
Sponsored by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, the show is free and open to the public.
The productions are the culmination of work conducted in two Spanish courses that provide an opportunity for students to explore Hispanic culture while improving their Spanish language skills. “All of this is done for a grade, and I would say that, especially in the last weeks, a substantial amount of time is devoted to both projects,” says Elena Mangione-Lora, assistant professional specialist in Romance languages and literatures.
The live theater project is open to all levels of Spanish speakers. This year the project features selections from “Fuente Ovejuna,” a play by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega.
The film class, by contrast, is geared toward more advanced Spanish speakers, and operates under the direction of Mangione-Lora and Kevin Barry, associate director of the Kaneb Center. This years film, “Locura y Pasión,” is a student-run telenovela, or Hispanic soap opera. The film has some adult themes and is not recommended for children.
Donations will be collected at the show, and all proceeds will be donated to La Casa de Amistad in South Bend.