En route to Avila Spain, Carlotta, and Becky, (her New York magazine publisher) stop over in Barcelona for the night to visit Carlotta's estranged husband Andrés.
The women's luggage has gotten lost on flight so they now are forced to return after Avila for their luggage.
A delusional Andrés attempts to reconcile with Carlotta in the comforts of his studio/home but finds Becky to be a defiant challenge to his temperamental misogynist contrarian posturing’s. Through humorous teasing, pseudo intellectual sparring, and cultural Spanish pride that includes traditional dishes he proudly presents to Carlotta, yearnings are exposed, and truths revealed.
Carlotta and Becky return transformed from Avila. Carlotta's article on Saint Teresa of Jesus' mysticism now is ready for publishing, and the two women are also ready for swearing allegiance to their love for each other having felt the ecstatic blessing of Saint Teresa.
Saint Teresa of Avila was an empowered Sixteenth Century mystic, and a heroine of the highest order. During a time when the Inquisition was in its fervor, and the Saint’s spirituality could easily have been interpreted as heresy, she single-handedly reformed a branch of the Catholic church; the Discalced Carmelite Order, returning to its strict original intentions of fraternity, silent prayer, and service.
This story is of the collective unconscious, searching for the female, intuitive, caring mother. Through this triangular dynamic truth is uncovered. Language, culture, gender, religion nor political beliefs can resist for the heart has no boundaries.
Teresa's Ecstasy is about the female archetype (caring, nurturing, creator), versus the male archetype (destroyer, deserter, punisher). We all have both archetypes, and it's not about man against woman. Inspired by Saint Teresa of Avila, Carlotta and Becky transform as they begin to look at love from a wider perspective. While Carlotta explores the Saint's life as a writer, she evolves in parallel.
Starring:
Shawn Elliott, Linda Larkin and Begonya Plaza
Directed by Will Pomerantz
Produced by Jack Sharkey & Jim Weiner
CHERRYLANETHEATRE
under the direction of Angelina Fiordellisi
Avila Productions LLC presents By Special Arrangement with The Cherry Lane Theatre
Featuring music by Albert Carbonell
TERESA'S ECSTASY had an Off-Broadway production from March 4 through April 1st, 2012
“Beware of having unintended spiritual epiphanies. Begonya Plaza’s new play, TERESA’S ECSTASY, is about the unexpected influence of Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Carmelite nun, on modern-day Carlotta, a Spanish writer… The well-written, touching and often funny drama…” Jennifer Farrar, Associated Press
“…TERESA’S ECSTASY, a sumptuous three-person comic drama about sex, love and spirituality…” Erasmo Guerra, New York Daily News
AGENT: Lawrence Harbison - [email protected]
PUBLISHER: Broadway Play Publishing, Inc. Tel: 212-772-8334 www.broadwayplaypubl.com
Becky: "St. Teresa says that God defends true love, above church, and worldly justice."
Photographs by Anya Garrett and Teresa Plaza
Linda Larkin, Jack Sharkey, and Begonya Plaza
Albert Carbonell & Jim Weiner
Barry Gifford, Begonya Plaza & Willem Dafoe
Darmia, Donna Murphy, Begonya, Robert Rose, Shawn Elliott, Linda Larkin, & Yul Vazquez
David Grossman, Ashley Fellman, Xanthe Elbrick, Begonya Plaza & Jack Sharkey
Links to reviews & interviews:
CAT RADIO CAFE interview with Begonya and Albert March 12, 2012
THE JEWISH WEEK - TERESA'S ECSTASY
T&B ON THE AISLE A THEATRE DIARY
ZACKCALHOON PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
ADAM SZYMKOWICZ INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHTS
ZACKCALHOON INTERVIEWS SHAWN ELLIOTT
A letter from our Executive Director:
"There's a little miracle about to be worked March 4th through April 1st at New York City's historic, magnificently renovated Cherry Lane Theatre in the form of a world premiere comedy/drama entitled TERESA'S ECSTASY, penned by and co-starring Begonya Plaza. She sharing the stage with Shawn Elliott and Linda Larkin, the esteemed Will Pomerantz at our directorial helm.
TERESA'S ECSTASY stands among some twenty theatrical endeavors I've been honored to help make possible since donning my "angel wings" in late middle-age, that once-pastime quickly evolved into a most gratifying second career, one which you've enthusiastically and graciously supported in recent years by means of your attendance and/or prayers and well-wishes.
This project bodes my most ambitious commitment to date, a beautiful, bold creation whose journey I've been proud to walk from developmental infancy to full fruition.
Beyond your valued presence as audiencemembers, I'm privileged to extend an invitation to join me as full participants in this worthy venture.
Kindly visit TERESA'S ECSTASY, there meeting our phenomenal cast and creative team, there likewise linking to our IndieGoGo wherein you may make a tax-deductible contribution, qualifying you as a full-fledged member of "Team Ecstasy," perks included, the ultimate benefits of which you'll realize, deeply so, in mind and heart when the curtain rises on a much-anticipated four-week run, your role as benefactor as vitally essential as the those played out on stage.
Additionally, please search "Avila Productions" and "like" our Facebook fanpage entitling you to updates and behind-the-scenes information as we progress.
With heartfelt wishes, I thank you in advance while welcoming you to the magic which is TERESA'S ECSTASY."
Most warmly...
Jack.
"Shawn: “Teresa’s Ecstasy” stands as probing a psychological treatment as it is thoroughly engaging entertainment. In the reading experience one bonded instantaneously with each of the characters, actually projecting far forward envisioning a full production featuring “these very actors, please God.” The lead question the play poses for me is “When a man loves a woman unreservedly, how much of himself is he willing to sacrifice to ensure her happiness to the detriment of his own?” What touched me throughout was the consistently limitless depth to which Andres worships Carlotta and the absolute extremes he’ll employ in an effort to win her back despite, in truth, never having lost her… not really. I look forward to Teresa’s Ecstasy’s eventual fully-staged realization, one in which the visual artistic imagery can only beautifully complement the magnificence of the words we heard so vividly brought to life by means of your exceptional, and generous talents. Peace, Jack" Jack Sharkey - theater producer and our first generous supporter.
SCULPTURE- Bernini is praised for his synthesis of sculpture, painting, and architecture. The church was extended so that a hidden window could be added to cast light upon the sculpture, as if from the Holy Spirit. Cherubs painted on the entrance arch bear a banner inscribed with the words Jesus spoke in one of Teresa's visions: "If I had not created heaven, I would create it for you alone."
ANGEL - "He was not tall, but short, and very beautiful," related Teresa of her vision, "his face so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest types of angel who seem to be all afire."
SWOON - Bernini brings all the passion and rapture of Teresa's story to represent, perhaps for the first time, the now-immortalized image of a swoon: head thrown back, eyelids half-closed, mouth slightly open as she moans in ecstasy.
GARMENTS - Teresa is covered in monastic habit, yet through Bernini's genius, the heavy garments reveal rather than conceal Teresa's internal state.
FOOT - Her dangling bare foot is emblematic of the Disclaced ("Shoeless") Carmelites, the reformed religious order Teresa founded (from Matthew 10:10, "no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick").
CLOUDS - In translating Teresa's mystical vision into stone, Bernini first captured Teresa's reports of levitation by having her borne on a bank of marble clouds. (The clouds are hollow, to decrease the weight of the wall-mounted sculpture.)
For inquiries regarding "Teresa's Ecstasy"
E-mail: [email protected]