Dramatis Personae at Cherry Lane Studio

The Playwrights Realm will present the U.S. premiere of Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco's dark comedy, Dramatis Personae, directed by Erik Pearson, opening at Cherry Lane Studio Theatre on 7 Oct 2010, following previews from 1 Oct and running throught to 23 Oct 2010.

In Dramatis Personae, Peruvian playwright Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco delves into the intersecting lives and minds of three authors searching for inspirational triggers amid the trigger-happy environment of Peru's political coup in the early nineties. When the writers' demons emerge, the lines between fiction and reality blur in this dark comedy that forever changes what it means to be based on a true story.

"It's very exciting to be introducing Gonzalo's work to a New York audience, when I first read Gonzalo's work I was immediately drawn to the way he juxtaposes a focus on the everyday struggles of his characters with the broader political themes that surround them," stated The Playwrights Realm Artistic Director Katherine Kovner. "Dramatis Personae creates an intimate portrait of artists struggling to create set against a backdrop of violence that can never be ignored. What immediately struck me in reading Dramatis Personae is that the question Gonzalo and his characters are dealing with is one that we all grapple with: How do you live your life and continue to feel that it is meaningful when the larger issues that surround you are threatening to engulf you?"

Tickets for Dramatis Personae will go on sale on 1 Jul 2010. Casting, creative team and schedule are still to be announced.

Dramatis Personae premiered at Casa Espacio Libre in Lima, Peru (playwright Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco's homeland) in 2008.

Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco is a playwright and translator from Peru, where ten of his plays have been professionally produced. He is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama. His plays in English include 'The French Play,' Dramatis Personae, 'Father/Son,' and 'Journey to Santiago.'