Rufina Amaya makes cultural appearance in Three Lives during Hispanic Heritage Month in the Unites States

EL PASO -- When it comes to powerful Latin women, the name Frida Kahlo always comes to mind. But in addition to Kahlo, women like Rufina Amaya of El Salvador and Alfonsina Storni of Argentina also made an impact in their home countries. (Photo UTEP: Karina Barros acts as Rufina Amaya)

"Tres Vidas" is a theatrical production based on the lives of these three women, and El Pasoans will have the opportunity to learn more about them Friday at UTEP's Magoffin Auditorium.

"We're really excited about this show, and in a way, it's sort of an experiment to see if people respond to this type of programming," said Marina Monsisvais, program coordinator with UTEP Special Events.

Monsisvais said that the department gets flooded with proposals for shows or special events, but that this show in particular piqued her interest.

"This really fit with our idea to bring in more cultural programming for the students. Right away, we thought it was something that could resonate with the community," Monsisvais said. "We decided to try it for Hispanic Heritage Month."

The show, written by Chilean scholar Marjorie Agosin, premiered in 2001 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is now touring throughout the United States.

To present the show, UTEP Special Events received two grants, one from the Chicano Studies Department and the other from the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies.

The show stars actress and singer Karina Barros in the role of all three women.

For each performance, she will be accompanied by the Core Ensemble Trio.

The show, which will be in English, will be presented in the style of chamber music theater, which, according to the Core Ensemble Web site, combines dramatic narrative and dance with chamber music.

Dennis Bixler-Marquez, director of the Chicano Studies Department at UTEP, said audiences -- both students and community members -- will enjoy the performance about these three historic figures.

"Any type of performance is far more engaging than a reading assignment. We have movies and documentaries, but it's hard to match a live performance," Bixler-Marquez said.

"People tend to connect to a story on a personal basis when they laugh or cry during a performance. They engage because of that personal experience."

Bixler-Marquez said while most audience members will have some knowledge of one of the characters, Frida Kahlo, this will be an opportunity to learn about the two other women featured -- each of whom should be celebrated in their own right, he said.

"In the case of Rufina, she went through the civil war experience in El Salvador and is the sole survivor of the massacre at El Mozote," he said. "Meanwhile, Alfonsina is recognized as the foremost Argentine feminist poet, triumphing in a field that has not necessarily been open to females."

Maribel Villalva- mvillalva@elpasotimes.com; 546-6129- El Paso Times

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