K-State to stage 'Breaking Coloring Boundaries' Nov. 16

Media Relations and Marketing
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-0117
Phone: 785-532-6415
Fax: 785-532-6418

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Alberto Domingo Gonzalez Valdes, adg2@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Michelle Hall, 785-532-6415, mhall@k-state.edu

Thursday, November 9, 2006

K-STATE TO STAGE 'BREAKING COLORING BOUNDARIES' NOV. 16

MANHATTAN -- Students and instructors of Spanish at Kansas State University hope to break cultural boundaries through an upcoming performance.

The play "Breaking Coloring Boundaries" will be staged at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in the K-State Student Union Little Theatre. Admission is free.

In the play, complicated personal situations are represented through different characters living in a social environment both real and mystical, said Alberto Domingo Gonzalez Valdes, a visiting assistant professor of modern languages from Cuba.

Valdes is the author of the play and will be directing the performance. The actors are all students and instructors of Spanish at K-State. "Breaking Coloring Boundaries" will be a bilingual performance.

The play is a love story displaying "transcultural entanglements." That is, the story includes magical and animistic ideas traditionally used in Cuba to deal with individual problems, but in a contemporary sense. Valdes said the beliefs, language features and spiritual values of Afro-Cubans living in Havana today are threatened by increasing tourism, which brings with it jobs but also social conflicts.

In the case of Mayeya and Billillo, the characters in "Breaking Coloring Boundaries," Billillo pines for Mayeya. However, her focus is on a foreign bachelor with money who promises a chance to travel and a better life.

Valdes said it is important to bring Hispanic culture to the public, especially through art and entertainment. Issues touched on in the play include race, ethnicity, gender, social class, national borders and political, economic and ideological policies. The title of the play refers not just to skin coloring, but cultural boundaries and language limits, he said.

"People should not miss this unique opportunity, considering the importance of the increasingly Hispanic population in this area and around the country," Valdes said. "It is a very urgent challenge for Americans to learn about Hispanic culture and values, considering the very competitive future in a global dimension."

Valdes, who has experience as a writer and actor, said the play is a result of student performances in his classes. He teaches literature and language, and said his students will sometimes role play while working to understand a story.

"It has been a rewarding experience working in a cooperative environment, sharing ideas and helping each other," he said.

The play will be followed by a performance by K-State dance group Latiritmo.