COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 25, 2024) — The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company is proud to present “Water by the Spoonful,” live on stage Feb. 15–March 3, 2024. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Quiara Alegría Hudes is a heartfelt meditation on lives on the brink of redemption that challenges our notions of family, forgiveness, community, and courage.
The production will be directed by Elise Santora, a Broadway, television, and film veteran who directed “In the Heights” during the 2022-23 theatre season. Santora also acted in three previous shows with the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company, including “Elf: The Musical” and considers the FAC her “home theatre.”
“Water by the Spoonful” follows Elliot, a Puerto Rican veteran of the Iraq war, who is struggling to find his place in the world. In an online chat room, recovering addicts have formed an unbreakable bond of support and love. As birth families splinter and online families collide, the boundaries of family and community are stretched across continents and cyberspace. “Water by the Spoonful” is a must-see production that will move and inspire audiences.
“I really love Quiara Alegría Hudes’ writing. The language is fast-paced and succinct and my approach to directing the play will reflect that energy,” said Santora. “I have dealt with some of these same issues in my family—PTSD from the Vietnam War and drug addiction. When I read the play, it resonated with me. I know how to get into this. I know how it should be approached.”
“The shyness we might have of showing some issues in our families is handled with respect,” Santora continues. “And it’s universal because we have all felt dissonance and chaos due to addiction and war in some form. There is a universal truth being displayed through the lens of people of different backgrounds. The audience can see these characters are striving to get to the other side of their trauma by working through the dysfunction in their lives.”
Santora is a renowned actress, singer, dancer, and director with an impressive career in theater, television, and film. Some of her other appearances include roles in “Guadalupe in the Guest Room” and “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” She has an impressive resume of acting credits in television, most notably, “The Manifest,” “New Amsterdam,” Netflix’s “Iron Fist,” and “Orange is the New Black,” as well as film, Broadway, and off-Broadway shows.
Additionally, Santora has been a teaching artist for MTC, Lincoln Center, TDF, and the NY Board of Ed for over two decades and was awarded the Ultimate Inspiring Latina award at the Nuyorican Poets Café. She is a Ford Foundation grant recipient for her one-woman show “A Woman and Her Cigar,” a published poet, and a life-long activist.
The cast of “Water by the Spoonful” includes Robert Ascencio, making his FAC debut, as Elliot; Claire Nolasco, last seen on the FAC stage in “In the Heights,” as Yazmin; Marlene Montes, last seen on the FAC stage in “In the Heights,” as Odessa; Guiseppe Jones, making his FAC debut, as Chutes & Ladders; Lilli Hokama, last seen on the FAC stage in “Elf The Musical,” as Orangutan; Colton Pratt, last seen on the FAC stage in “Guadalupe in the Guest Room,” as Fountainhead; and Hossein Forouzandeh, making his FAC debut, as Ghost.
The artistic team includes Lex Liang (scenic design), Oriana Lineweaver (costume design), Nita Mendoza (lighting design), Travis Wright (sound design), Sammy Gleason (properties), Heather Brose (stage manager), Anna Monzon (assistant stage manager), Rebecca Savage, and Maia Rychlik (prop supervisors).
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets start at $26 for Wednesday performances and standard seats. Reserve online at fac.coloradocollege.edu or call the box office at (719) 634-5583.
Discounts are available for groups of ten or more, military service members, and patrons 40 years old and younger. Contact the box office for details.
Students can purchase rush tickets 1 hour before the performance at the FAC front desk for $15 (Colorado College students receive free rush tickets). Tickets subject to availability; must purchase in person; CC students must present a CC Gold Card.
Museum admission: Ticketholders receive free admission to Fine Arts Center Museum. Museum hours and information about current exhibitions is available online.
ABOUT THE FAC THEATRE COMPANY
The award-winning FAC Theatre Company produces an annual season of innovative and exciting theatrical productions and is committed to creating stories that heal, uplift, educate and enlighten in a thoughtful and inclusive environment.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The story of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) begins with the founding of the Broadmoor Art Academy 1919. A museum, performing arts theatre, and community art school, the FAC is a pillar in the cultural community of the Rocky Mountain West providing innovative, educational, and multi-disciplinary arts experiences designed to elevate the individual spirit and inspire community vitality. For more information about the FAC, visit fac.coloradocollege.edu or follow on Facebook @CSFineArtsCenter.
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