(PRINCETON, NJ) -- A priest is torn between two loves. Marcela (Hannia Guillen) and her Cuban-American family are struggling and Father Monroe (Raúl Méndez) offers them warmth and kindness. Generosity blossoms into love as the lines between vocation and passion begin to blur in Bathing In Moonlight by Nilo Cruz. Artistic Director Emily Mann and Cruz reunite for the first time since the Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics with this lyrical and romantic new play, which runs now through October 9.
About Nilo Cruz’s return, director Emily Mann said: “This is one of Nilo’s most enchanting plays. It’s not only a beautiful love story, but also a story of family and faith written by one of the greatest poets of the American theater. I’m honored to have Nilo Cruz back at McCarter Theatre.”
Bathing in Moonlight‘s cast is an internationally impressive pool of talent, featuring Raúl Méndez (Father Monroe), Priscilla Lopez (Martina), Hannia Guillen (Marcela), Katty Velasquez (Trini), Frankie J. Alvarez (Taviano), and Michael Rudko (Bishop Andrew).
McCarter Theatre is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, NJ.
About the Cast
Raúl Méndez (Father Monroe) makes his American stage debut as Father Monroe. Famous for his chameleon-like performances in numerous Mexican film/TV/stage roles, Méndez is fast becoming a known talent in the English-speaking world after becoming a star with his breakout performance as Chacorta in NBC/Universal Telemundo’s Señor de los Cielos. Currently, he can be seen on two Netflix Original Series, as the unstable antagonist Joaquin on Sense8 under the direction of Lana and Lilly Wachowski & James McTeigue and as President Gaviria on José Padilha’s Narcos.
Priscilla Lopez (Martina) returns to McCarter having previously appeared in Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics. In Lin Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-Winning In the Heights, she originated the role of Camila Rosario. She received a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress for her portrayal as Harpo Marx in the Broadway musical A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine and her performance as the original Diana Morales in A Chorus Line led to an OBIE Award and Tony Nomination.
Hannia Guillen (Marcela) began her career in Miami’s film/theater/TV industry before moving to Los Angeles to play Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald in the NBC’s Passions. Currently based in New York as a part of the prestigious Repertorio Español, Hannia stars in Doña Flor y sus Dos Maridos, En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, and La Nena se Casa. Additional projects penned by Nilo Cruz include Theatre for the New City’s A Bicycle Country; The Color of Desire (World Premiere, The Actors Playhouse); and Sotto Voce (Asolo Rep).
Katty Velasquez (Trini) is an up-and-coming, New York-based actor with credits including guest starring roles in Law and Order: SVU and Blindspot, as well as appearing as Lina in Leonardo Santana Zubieta’s acclaimed short film Nadie nos Mira.
Frankie J. Alvarez (Taviano Jr./Taviano Sr.) reunites with Nilo Cruz after starring in the title role of the 2012 bilingual repertory production of Hamlet: Prince of Cuba & Hamlet: Príncipe de Cuba at Asolo Rep. He is best known as Agustin on HBO’s critically-acclaimed series Looking and Looking: The Movie. Additional stage credits include Othello (workshop, NYTW, dir. Sam Gold); Those Lost Boys: The Ten-Year Reunion (co-creator, Ars Nova); and Hamlet: Prince of Cuba/Hamlet: Príncipe de Cuba (Asolo Rep).
Michael Rudko (Bishop Andrew) Broadway credits include The Audience, Romeo & Juliet, Mary Stuart, The Best Man, Timon of Athens and Serious Money. His distinguished career has included appearances on stages in Europe and across the country, including Antony & Cleopatra and Julius Caesar (Globe Theatre, London); Henry V (Theatre for a New Audience); as well as productions at Arena Stage, Center Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Mark Taper Forum, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Yale Rep., the Wilma, and many more.
TOP PHOTO by Matt Pilsner. All other photos by T. Charles Erickson
