The Mexico City production of the West-End horror hit play The Woman in Black (La Dama de Negro) is moving from the Teatro San Jeronimo, where it played until Jan. 4, to the Teatro Rafael Solana, where it will re-open Jan. 16.
The show was originally announced to re-open at the Teatro Ramiro Jimenez, but according to producer Antonio Calvo, he decided to move instead into the Rafael Solana since "it's a smaller and more intimate house, more appropriate for this show".
Based on the novel by Susan Hill and adapted by Stephen Mallatratt, La Dama de Negro opened in Mexico City Feb. 17, 1994 starring German Robles as a lawyer obsessed with the belief that his family has been cursed by The Woman in Black, and Rafael Perrin as a sceptical young actor who helps the lawyer to recount his experiences.
For The Woman in Black German Robles won the 1994 Heraldo Award for Best Actor in a Play, and that same year the Mexican Critics' Association awarded Rafael Perrin as the Best Supporting Actor in a Play.
On Jan. 17, 1997, Rafael Perrin (who also directed the show) suffered a heart attack as a result of the stressful role he was playing. Guillermo Sauceda took over Perrin's part, but he left the show in August to be replaced by Jorge Antolin, who currently shares the stage with German Robles. Fortunately, Rafael Perrin is completely recovered, and he recently directed the new Mexican musical hit Houdini: La Magia del Amor (Houdini: The Magic of Love) and the revival of Ray Cooney's Salvese Quien Pueda! (Run for Your Wife!).
Produced by Carlos Bracho and Antonio Calvo, the Mexican production of La Dama de Negro celebrated 900 performances August 21, 1997, at the Teatro Benito Juarez in Mexico City and moved to the Teatro San Jeronimo in October in order to make room for Houdini: The Magic of Love, which opened Nov. 5, 1997.
The original London production of The Woman in Black is playing since 1989 at the Fortune Theatre, where it continues to terrify audiences eight times a week.
Beginning Jan. 16, you can visit The Woman in Black at the Teatro Rafael Solana in Mexico City on Fri. at 8:30PM, Sat. at 6PM & 8:30PM and Sun. at 6PM.For tickets, call (52-5) 554-1633.
--By Claudio Carrera
Mexico Correspondent
