June 13-14, 2008 - New Off-Broadway theatrical production of 'Luceafarul' /The Legend of the Evening Star' at the Marjorie Dean Theatre (translation A.G.Sahlean. The work is one of the main pieces featured in the 'Eminescu - Eternal Longing, Impossible Love' book/cd.
The original music score by Ion Ionescu was performed 'live' by the composer, with Terrence Christgau Montgomery, repeating as director as well as off-stage narrator and Voice of Demiurge.
The performance featured the talents of the 2005 initial cast Raluca Georgiana Shields (actor/dancer/choreographer) with Patrick Murney as the new Catalin, and Eric Ortega (actor/dancer) as the new Evening Star.
The production included an additional scene inspired by the original correspondence between Eminescu and Veronica, the poet's life-long love. The two appear in the opening scene as real-life characters, played by Eric Ortega and Raluca Georgiana Shields.
Both Eminescu and Veronica shed their personae in the play to become The Evening Star and Catalina, respectively, the main characters in The Legend. The two actors/modern dancers also shared the production choreography.
You can follow this link here to see the details of the 2005 Off-Boadway production. The page also features an abridged version of Eminescu's poem in both Romanian and English. A new project is underway with A.G.Sahlean's Eminescu translations which will also include the full poem.
