The title of Tennessee Williams’ 1953 play, “Camino Real” (produced through 8 p.m. Saturday by the UC San Diego department of theater and dance) means the royal road, or the imperial highway. Williams, who insisted the title be pronounced “Cámino Réal,” took a flyer from his forte, southern gothic reality, with this leap into the surreal, written between “The Rose Tattoo” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Set in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic town square, “Camino Real” pretty much bombed in its initial production at the National Theatre on Broadway, playing only 60 performances, including previews. In a 1970 revival at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, it played even fewer performances. Today its performance is largely in the realm of universities. The UCSD production features 25 student actors, 14 of them MFA candidates. The production of “Camino Real,” one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of the theatrical year in San Diego, is not to be missed by theater lovers and those longing to see the other side of one of America’s great playwrights. The jaw-dropping, fully realized production is the thesis project of Adam Arlan, who completes his MFA in March. Arlan’s creative team, whose work is also astonishing, comprises MFA students Alicia Peterson Baskel (choreography), Alina Bokovikova (costumes), James Tan (lighting) and Ian Wallace (scenic). “Camino Real” plays upon Wallace’s sprawling, Hispanic-flavored town square. The action, set in an unspecified time, concerns an American visitor named Kilroy (appealing naïf Patrick Riley), who stumbles upon the scene and then tries to escape, aided by Casanova (Hugo Medina) and Don Quixote (Daniel Rubiano). Other literary characters include Marguerite (Cate Campbell), Esmeralda (Zoe Chao) and Byron (Zachary Harrison). Bokovikova’s amusing costumes are in the styles apropos the characters’ periods, and all are similarly and oddly stressed, making an evening-long feast for the eyes and the imagination. Also of great fascination are the details of Wallace’s fantastic set, wondrously lit by Tan. The town is ruled by a militaristic hotelier, whose name is Gutman (a grand turn by Ross Crain), whose henchmen are everywhere. Their “handiwork” is scooped up by Street Cleaners that resemble the plague patrol in medieval Europe. To see this production is a privilege that restores one’s faith in the future of American theater, enhances one’s knowledge of theatrical past and reinforces one’s opinion that the UCSD department of theater and dance must be among the best training programs in the country. Remaining performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 5, at Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, located in the Theatre District shared by UCSD and La Jolla Playhouse. Call (858) 534-4574 or visit http://theatre.ucsd.edu/season for tickets and information.
