September 25, 2013
ZACH Theatre, Texas’ longest running theatre, is kicking off their 2013-2014 Family Series this week with Salt and Pepper (Sal y Pimienta), a bilingual play celebrating the bonds of family and friendship. Directed by UT master of fine arts candidate Jess Hutchinson, Salt and Pepper features University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance students and alumni, including Michael Quinlara (B.A in Theatre and Dance candidate) as “Salt,” Abigal Vela (B.A. in Theatre and Dance candidate) as “Pepper,” Ben Bazan (B.A. Theatre and Dance, 2012) as “Andy,” scenic design by Rachel Bennick (B.A. Theatre and Dance candidate), costume design by Chin-Hua Yeh (M.F.A. candidate), lighting design by Dawn Wittke (M.F.A. candidate), and assistant direction by Oscar Franco (B.F.A. Theatre Studies candidate).
Written by José Cruz Gonzalez, Salt and Pepper introduces audiences to Salt, a boy whose family has a secret – his grandfather cannot read or write. When Salt befriends Pepper, her love of books sparks his interest in the world of words. Then, a mysterious box of postcards sheds light on Salt's family.
"Salt and Pepper is an extremely well written and moving play that deals with issues of illiteracy and the affect it has on families and communities,” says Nat Miller (M.F.A. 2008), education director for ZACH Theatre. “The play is written by José Cruz González, who is one of the leading Latino playwrights in the United States. We will have 4,000 students see this production, and more than 70% will be from low-income schools, who will be seeing the play at a great reduced price or no price at all. This is our second year of offering bilingual programming for families and schools, and we are excited to be telling stories that represent the communities of children who attend our theatre. Most importantly, this is a well told story that guarantees to capture your heart."
Salt and Pepper runs September 27 through November 2 on ZACH's Whisenhunt Stage. To order tickets call 512-476-0541 ext. 1 or visit ZACH Theatre online. Tickets at $10 for children and $12 for adults.