Event Article

Playwright Milcha Sanchez Scott, author of Roosters, a story about one hispanic family's struggle with spirituality, and the crushing of old myths, visited last Friday's Acting Workshop class to discuss her work.

Roosters will be opening at Fullerton College on April 23 in both English and Spanish. The play will be presented bilingually, in order to draw in the local Hispanic community.

Sancnez-Scott talked with ·students about the play's symbolism, and its strong sense of . family. Students seemed enthralled with her remarkable insight. She talked about the play's violence, underlying spiritual dominance, and Hispanic "machismo" (masculinity) Cast, crew and director Bob Jensen presented questions about the play and in which manner they were to portray her characters.

The motion picture of the same name, starring Edward James Olmos, Sonia Braga, and Maria Conchita Alonso was addressed. Sanchez-Scott said that the movie version of her story lost its essence.

Directors were switched after only a week's production, and she described the second director as being a "hard-on realist." The story's youngest star, Angela, ended with a different fate than the screenplay had depicted.

Sanchez-Scott would like to see her original ending restored in FC's interpretation. She feels that it should have been more spiritual, and have projected Angela's transformation to "something bigger."

The play's main character, "Gallo" Morales ("Gallo" is Spanish for "rooster") raises roosters out in the desert where he lives. His intention is to create "a high-flying kicker" and the greatest fighting cock around. He steals "the Filipino's" rooster to mate with his hens and is caught. He kills "the Filipino" and goes to jail for seven years. The entire play takes place in one day - the day of his return. His father has died and given the rooster, known as "Zapato" (Spanish for "shoe") to "Gallo's" son, Hector.

From here, the story develops into a struggle between a man, his family and his inherent belief that everything is based upon the rooster.

Two separate casts have been assembled for Roosters; one in English and one in Spanish. The productions will be performed from April 23 through 27. For ticket information, call the campus box office at (714) 871-8101.