References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot and Other Plays

José Rivera

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN: 9781559362122
• eBook ISBN: 9781559366359
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

Surrealism, magic realism and expressionism are the hallmarks of Jose Rivera’s influential body of work. This new volume collects the author’s plays written in the past five years, including References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot ("effortlessly melds otherworldly fantasy with gritty realism to make sparks fly onstage."—The Journal News), Sueño (a reworking for Pedro Calderón’s Life is a Dream) and Sonnets for an Old Century, the author’s most recent work, which recently premiered in Los Angeles.

Puerto Rican-born playwright José Rivera plays have been produced all over the world and his work has been translated into seven languages. His best known work includes Marisol and Each Day Dies with Sleep. "Rivera has a messianic mission to replace old and dying creeds with vibrant new visions."—Robert Brustein, New Republic

Also available by José Rivera
Marisol and Other Plays
PB $15.95 1-55936-136-0 • USA

REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALÍ MAKE ME HOT

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This play is dedicated to my soldier-brothers:
Julio, Charlie, Tony and Hector

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SPECIAL THANKS TO

Julia Edwards, Jo Bonney, John Ortiz, Camilia Sanes, Jeff Storer, Jessica Hecht, Jerry Patch, John Dias, Mervin P. Antonio, Zannie Voss, Michele Vazquez, Maricela Ochoa, Iona Brindle, Ruth Livier, Oscar Arguello, Rachel Malkenhorst, Wendy Johnson, Jesus Mendoza, Stefan Olmsted, Adam Rosenblatt, Dana Parker Bennison, Imoh Ime Essien, Adam Saunders, Joel McCauley Jr., Chris Schussler, Laura K. Lewis, Julio Monge, Tony Torn, Danyon Davis, Carlo Alban, Timothy Huang, Shirley Fishman, Richard Coca, Sol Castillo, Sue Karutz, John Iacovelli, Doc Ballard, Nephelie Andonyadis and Megan Monaghan

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PRODUCTION HISTORY

References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot was developed with the assistance of the Mark Taper Forum (Gordon Davidson, Artistic Director), the Ensemble Studio Theatre West (Garrett Brown, Artistic Director), The Joseph Papp Public Theater/ New York Shakespeare Festival (George C. Wolfe, Producer), the Relentless Theatre Company (Olivia Honegger, Artistic Director), Duke University, South Coast Repertory (David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director; Martin Benson, Artistic Director) and The Playwrights’ Center (Polly Carl, Exectutive Director).

References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory (David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director; Martin Benson, Artistic Director) in Costa Mesa, California, on January 28, 2000. Pacific Life Foundation was the Honorary Associate Producer. It was directed by Juliette Carrillo; scenic design was by Monica Raya, costume design was by Meg Neville, lighting design was by Geoff Korf, the composer and sound designer was Mitch Greenhill, the dramaturg was John Glore, the stage manager was Randall K. Lum and the production manager was Jeff Gifford. The cast was as follows:

MOON	Robert Montano
COYOTE	Victor Mack
CAT	Svetlana Efremova
GABRIELA	Ana Ortiz
MARTÍN	Wells Rosales
BENITO	Robert Montano

References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot received its New York premiere at The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival (George C. Wolfe, Producer; Fran Reiter, Executive Director; Rosemarie Tichler, Artistic Producer) on April 11, 2001. It was directed by Jo Bonney; scenic design was by Neil Patel, costume design was by Clint E. B. Ramos, lighting design was by David Weiner, sound design was by Donald DiNicola and Obadiah Eaves, original music was by Carlos Valdez, the dramaturg was John Dias and the production stage manager was Mike Schleifer. The cast was as follows:

MOON	Michael Lombard
COYOTE	Kevin Jackson
CAT	Kristine Nielsen
GABRIELA	Rosie Perez
MARTÍN	Carlo Alban
BENITO	John Ortiz

CHARACTERS

MOON, the moon in the sky, Gabriela’s friend.
COYOTE, a wild one.
CAT, a fat one, Gabriela’s pet.
MARTÍN, a Latino of fourteen, Gabriela’s neighbor.
GABRIELA, a Latina, twenty-seven, an army housewife.
BENITO, a Latino, twenty-nine, Gabriela’s husband,
a soldier.

SETTING

TIME: Shortly after the first Persian Gulf War.
PLACE: Barstow, California.

PROLOGUE
Gabriela’s backyard. Night.

ACT ONE
Gabriela’s backyard. Night.

ACT TWO
Gabriela’s kitchen. 7:00 A.M.

ACT THREE
Gabriela’s bedroom. Night.

ACT FOUR
Gabriela’s backyard. 7:00 A.M.

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And I’ll sleep at your feet,
to watch over your dreams.

—FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA
BLOOD WEDDING

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PROLOGUE

Barstow, California. Night.

A cement-covered backyard. Cactus. Birds-of-paradise. Large spiny-edge aloe.

A wooden fence upstage. Beyond is the desert surrounded by low, barren mountains.

The Moon, standing on an old refrigerator, plays the violin: something lush and sentimental.

Lying on the ground, staring at the night sky, is Gabriela, a Latina of twenty-seven, wearing a T-shirt and tight cutoffs.

She talks to the Moon.

The Moon looks at her hungrily.

GABRIELA:

Before you’re born, I wonder,
as you looked around
and took inventory of the womb . . .
did it look like this?
Did you see the moon and stars in there?
Did you see floating bits of fire in there?
Maybe you saw the food and air from your
mother’s bloodstream
looking like constellations
against the deep, deep black
of your mother’s night sky.
Like tonigh...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALÍ MAKE ME HOT
• Dedication
• REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALÍ MAKE ME HOT
• SUEÑO
• SONNETS FOR AN OLD CENTURY
• 36 ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WRITING PLAYS
• Credit information, continued from the copyright page
• Copyright Page