Golden State Today

UC Berkeley’s Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies is gearing up to present Marisela Treviño Orta’s The River Bride this weekend. The play, set in a small Brazilian fishing village, tells a tale of love, regret, and transformation through the lens of Brazilian folklore and lyrical storytelling.

Sisters Helena and Belmira, portrayed by Jayda Valen and Sarah Avalos respectively, are at the heart of the story, grappling with conflicting views on love, marriage, and familial responsibilities. The student designers at Berkeley have worked tirelessly to create a magical realm that brings the play to life on stage.

Mirin Scassellati, the scenic designer, emphasized the importance of capturing the emotions of the world the play is set in, stating, “It’s really thinking about how people perceive the world — if someone believes something to be true, then it’s true.” The design team aimed to incorporate elements of magical realism, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

Costume designer Lee Garber-Patel drew inspiration from Afrofuturism to create a timeless and spaceless aesthetic for the characters. Lighting designer Amy Abad used bold colors and shadow play to enhance the mood and atmosphere of the play, incorporating subtle foreshadowing elements.

The student designers, who spent months imagining the world of The River Bride, emphasized the significance of working in person after a year of virtual productions due to COVID restrictions. Scassellati highlighted the importance of communal storytelling, stating, “This is a fairy tale, but it comes out of an oral storytelling tradition.”

Abad echoed this sentiment, noting the unique creative freedom and support offered by the theater program at Berkeley. “We can go to our faculty supervisors and be like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work,’ and you’re able to have all these ideas and push your vision,” she said.

The River Bride will open on Thursday, March 14, and run through Sunday, March 17. For more information and ticket purchases, interested individuals can visit the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies’ website.