Latin surrealism at the Getty Villa – Piedra de Sol

Tomorrow and this weekend ONLY at the Getty Villa you can catch a special performance of Piedra de Sol (Sunstone), being produced as part of Duende CalArts, an ongoing initiative to explore Pan-American work and issues.

Conceived, adapted and staged by Mexican director María Morett, this multimedia work for the stage is inspired by the surrealist love poem of the same name by the late Nobel laureate Octavio Paz. Considered one of the poet’s greatest works, Piedra de Sol (Sunstone) is a circular poem based on the circular calendar of the Aztecs (or sun stone,) and overflows with images both modern and historical. This original staging is performed in an aural tapestry of English, Spanish and Nahuatl.

Lo sabía el Azteca, lo adivinaba el Griego: el agua es fuego, y en su tránsito nosotros somos sólo llamaradas
— Octavio Paz

The Aztec knew it, the Greek devined it: the water is fire, and in its transit we are only blazes.
— Octavio Paz

Awarded the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature, Octavio Paz wrote Piedra de Sol (Sunstone) in 1957. His poem was praised as a magnificent example of surrealist poetry and serves both as an autobiography and portrait of a generation.

Observes director Morett, “Piedra de Sol (Sunstone) considers the defense of the love force, the footprint of shattered illusions and the search of communion and explores the mysteries of time, love, desire, nature and history.”

This production at the Getty Villa integrates the poetry of surrealist poet André Breton and warrior/philosopher king Nezahualcóyotl.  Morett’s staging immerses the audience in the ellipsoidal perspective of the original poem and is brought to life by the performing ensemble of CalArts actors and musicians and a design team of current CalArts students and alumni.

The play is being presented by The Center for New Performance at CalArts (CNP) and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) School of Theater in association with the Getty Villa.

Piedra de Sol (Sunstone) will be performed at the Getty Villa, in association with The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of the Empire exhibition.

Performances: Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m.,

Saturday, May 15 at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.

and Sunday, May 16 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $7 and available by phone at 310.440.7300 or   click here to make a reservation.

The Getty Villa is at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California.

Additional information is available here

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Report by Pauline Adamek