Eastern Student Samuel Nicefaro Opens New Theatre with "Pedro, The Great Pretender"

2016 Nov 28

Samuel Nicefaro '19, an Eastern Connecticut State University student from Hamden, helped christen the brand new Proscenium Theatre with an inaugural performance of "Cervante's Pedro, The Great Pretender." The historic occasion -- the first major production of the Theatre Program to occur in that venue -- took place within Eastern's new Fine Arts Instructional Center from Nov. 8 to 13.

The classic play by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, a playwright of the Spanish Golden Age, follows the tricks of Pedro, a master pretender whose escapades involve him with a slew of characters and careers as he struggles to find his true vocation in life.

Nicefaro majors in Theatre with a minor in Communication and concentrations in Acting and Directing. In "Pedro," Nicefaro played Martin Crespo. "One of the biggest challenges for my character was being in a constant state of joy," said Nicefaro. "I had to develop my voice and mannerisms around this characteristic - always having a big smile on my face; always having my body shaking or jiggling with laughter.

"I was honored to be a part of the first show in our new proscenium theatre," said Nicefaro. "For my acting future at Eastern, I hope to continue to develop my skills and then have a career in voice acting for cartoons."

"Our first production in our new Proscenium Theatre hopes to honor Cervantes' timeless subversive satire by connecting the centuries of his day and ours," said Ellen Faith Brodie, director and theatre professor at Eastern. "The costumes evoke the Spanish Golden Age paintings of Velasquez and his contemporaries. The scenic design was inspired by the 20th-century Spanish artist Jean Miro.

"Cervantes lives on in Pedro and we live on through the hopes and dreams of both the author and his creations," continued Brodie. "We are all Pedro: pretenders in many costumes wearing many masks and dreaming of a better life and a better world."

At Eastern, Nicefaro