Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department faculty member Emilio Williams is the author of ¡Bernarda!, a new adaptation of Federico García Lorca’s classic drama The House of Bernarda Alba.

Presented in its world premiere by Teatro Vista under the direction of Wendy Mateo, ¡Bernarda! runs October 18 through November 19 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 1700 Theatre, located at 1700 N. Halsted in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Student discounts are available. For tickets, click here.

The production’s lighting designer is Columbia College alum Conchita Avitia ’18, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Theatre Design. As recently reported in this blog, Avitia recently 2023 Joseph Jefferson Award for her lighting design for Teatro Vista’s world premiere of The Dream King, by Columbia College alum Marvin Quijada ’05, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting. And Teatro Vista’s social media strategist is Columbia College alum Jess Godwin ’05, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting.

After the death of her husband, Bernarda places a strict veil of mourning over herself, her four daughters and her senile mother. As the daughters’ desires and emotions clash with their mother’s strict control, tensions rise within the household. The sisters’ jealousies and rivalries boil over as their longing for freedom reaches a crescendo that exposes the destructive effects of Bernarda’s authoritarian rule. Emilio Williams’  daring new work remains faithful to the relevance of the original while re-imagining it for a new generation. Using an all-Latina cast and an all-femme design team, Teatro Vista challenges traditional forms by bringing a new perspective to this classic.