Themes that carry

Translating and adapting Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s classic play “Life is a Dream” for South Coast Repertory’s latest production was not an easy task, even for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz.

Equipped with several dictionaries and a copy of the original Spanish-language text, Cruz had only four months to turn the elaborate Golden Age masterpiece into a comprehensible production for contemporary American audiences.

“It was very difficult deciphering the old Castilian language because there are a lot of words and sayings that just aren’t used anymore,” the Cuba native said. “I really had to concentrate on the essence of the play, while honoring the beauty of Calderón’s words too.”

Under the direction of Kate Whoriskey, South Coast Repertory’s new adaptation transports Calderón’s tale of destiny and freewill from 17th century Poland to an undefined realm free of historical and temporal restrictions, employing “wildly imaginative” costumes and sets.

“This is not a traditional production,” said John Glore, the show’s dramaturge. “It’s very colorful, very theatrical and very bold.”

Though the show’s surroundings may not be what Calderón imagined, his story remains relatively unchanged. The plot follows the life of Segismundo, who has been imprisoned since birth by his father, King Basilio, because a prophecy indicated he would bring ruin to the throne. When the banished prince reaches adulthood, he is given a brief chance to claim his legacy, but promptly returns to prison after proving a brutal ruler.

By this time, his existence has become so warped that Segismundo begins to question what is real and what is fantasy.

“Thematically, it’s a very rich text,” Glore said. “The central issue is finding the difference between reality and dreams, while focusing on issues like leadership, fate and self-determination.”

For John de Lancie, who plays Basilio, the play also focuses on the evolution of a father and son who overcome conflicting expectations and desires to forge a meaningful relationship.

Though the atmosphere surrounding Calderón when he wrote the play in 1635 may be foreign to modern theatergoers, these main themes speak to audiences of all eras, Cruz said.

Still, the 45-year-old playwright had to make some changes to the text, opting for free verse instead of rhyme and trimming long monologues to avoid repetition.

With the advent of various visual media in the last century, such modifications were necessary to amuse today’s audiences, who come to the theater with very different expectations than they did 400 years ago, de Lancie said.

“Right off the bat, you have the hindrance of translation, but because it is not a play quite of our culture, there is the added challenge of adaptation,” he said. “That’s a very hard job, which Nilo has done really terrifically.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Nilo Cruz’s new translation and adaptation of Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s “Life is a Dream”

WHEN: Opening tonight and running through Mar. 11, the show plays at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays

WHERE: South Coast Repertory’s Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

COST: $28 to $60; discounts are available for students, educators and seniors

INFO: Tickets are available at the center’s box office, online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. There will be post-show discussions with cast members Wednesday and Feb. 20 and an Inside the Season class with creative personnel Feb. 17.