Stimulating Weekend with Director and Poet from South Florida

The weekend of March 10 – 11 we had the visit of two talented ladies from South Florida, USA:

Sandra Riley (Artistic Director, Playwright, Theatre Director, Historian), and Peggy C. Hall (Poet, Editor, Teacher & Musician), who through the good offices of July Banner came to Buenos Aires to give a workshop on poetry, and also to direct a playreading of an original work by Sandra Riley.

After a very stimulating workshop learning how to analyze poems with the idea of performing them, workshop participants put their learnings into practice with a selection of original poems by Peggy C. Hall, after which the audience could discuss the poems with the author.  It was very interesting to hear the life stories that gave birth to these poems and the work that went into them.   CAST: Ana Astbury, Meli Fuertes, Sylveen Smith and Estela Meije. 

 Then on Sunday, over a delicious tea prepared by the Food Committee, we enjoyed an excellent, moving, reading of Sandra Riley’s play FOOTPRINTS.  With the talented acting of Natalia Goldin and Heller, we followed the life of Kirk and Mary Munroe, two pioneer heroes who colonized Coconut Grove.   Their love story illuminates the world in which they lived,  and explores the fortitude and importance of pioneer women in a community that had yet to give them the suffrage.   The well paced script, accompanied with projections of old photos of the original pioneers, was masterfully portrayed by Natalia and Heller.  We were intrigued by the story, touched by their love, and rooted for them during their misfortunes.  During the emotional ending, you could have heard a pin drop.    Many congratulations to the actors, and a huge thanks to July Banner for being the driving force behind bringing this wonderful work to the Playhouse.

An extra special thanks and congratulations to two wonderful ladies who came all the way to Buenos Aires to share these marvellous original works with us:  Sandra Riley and Peggy C. Hall.