Of Dreams and Dresses

The playwright who scribed “For all of life is a dream/And dreams are nothing but dreams” could never have imagined just how much that simple verse would inspire other artists across the centuries. This summer, the words of 17th-century playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca come alive in the International Hispanic Theater Festival, as part of a grand tribute to Spain. Miami’s own Spain-inspired architectural icon, the Freedom Tower, will open its doors to host “One Hundred Years Dressing Calderón,” a lavish exhibit featuring 40 costumes and 10 plotted designs from Spanish productions of Calderón’s work in the past century.

Although the plays are Baroque, costume designs have been interpreted in contemporary ways, including avant-garde styles from Western Europe. Hailed as the Spanish Shakespeare, Calderón wrote more than 100 comedies, tragedies, and philosophical works and is well known for his autos sacramentales, one-act religious plays in which the allegorical character of the Devil takes center stage in the battle between good and evil. The exhibit runs through August 31. Admission is free. Call 305-237-7186, or visit www.teatroavante.com/english/exhibition.aspx.
July 30-Aug. 30, 2008