DCT Mainstage 2005:

Third World Poverty

THE FEMALE HEART
by Linda Faigao-Hall

The play takes place in the early 1990's and tells the story of two siblings, Anghel and Adelfa, living in the so-called "Smokey Mountain," the infamous mountain of garbage outside Manila in the Philippines. Confronted by extreme poverty and her brother's ailing health, Adelfa agrees to become a mail-order bride to Roger Golden, a man from Brooklyn who is willing to pay for Anghel's medical treatments & for a price.

CAST:
Obie Award Winner Ching Valdes-Aran, Tim Davis, Rona Figueroa, Victor Lirio and Sean Sutherland

Directed by: Jamie Richards
Producer: Natasha Marco
Production Stage Manager: Karen Hergesheimer
Set Design: Dan Kuchar
Lighting Design: Ryan Truppe
Sound Design: Paul Armstrong
Costume Design: Ardith Ibanez

Theatre:
The Harold Clurman Theatre, Theatre Row

"Faigao-Hall has a powerful story to tell ...THE FEMALE HEART touches all our hearts!"

-Paulanne Simmons,
nytheatre-wire.com



"Faigao-Hall vividly dramatizes the mercilessness of poverty, the forces that drive immigration, the miscues and incongruities between Filipino and US cultures..."

-Deirdre McFayden,
offoffonline.com



"Faigao-Hall never shies away from the difficult moral questions her topic raises, which ultimately is the true strength of the play."

"Jamie Richards directs the play with a soft hand, allowing the subtleties of the characters to emerge with naturalness and ease. The action moves forward and backward in time, and Richards skillfully handles these transitions; the production holds the audience rapt throughout the densely-packed 70 minute performance."

"Rona Figueroa is stunning as Adelfa, bringing a fully realized, emotionally centered character to life.

"Victor Lirio brings charm and tenacity to the role of Anghel."

"The role of Roger could easily have been played as a simple monster, but Tim Davis brings a great deal of self-awareness and depth to the part."

-Pete Boisvert,
nytheatre.com