cover photo by James Leynse
"Few playwrights are persuasive enough
to make an audience root for a young man who batters his girlfriend and
considers kidnapping and murder to get what he wants. But from the moment we
meet Rosario Cortez, singing to his infant son and promising him a better future
with a passion that burns white-hot, we like him. After we see his living
conditions--sharing a cramped room with his father and grandfather, who spend
their days watching porno films--we know that extreme measures are necessary.
That doesn't mean that we approve of Rosario's means or the ways in which he
expresses his anger. But we understand his motives, share his dreams and admire
his tenacity. It is not surprising that the writer who's created Rosario and his
world of longings is Edwin Sánchez, who also wrote TRAFFICKING IN BROKEN
HEARTS. hat haunting play centered on a love triangle involving a street
hustler, an abused teenager and a yuppie lawyer, all yearning for something more
in their lives. Sánchez knows how to capture the world of dreamers.
...play...moves gracefully...carried along by beautiful writing..."
Aileen Jacobson, Newsday
"BAREFOOT BOY WITH SHOES ON is yet
another grim portrait of urban ghetto life, but it's also a touching drama
that's worthy of attention..."
David Kaufman, Daily News
originally produced by Primary Stages, New York
5 M, 1 W
I S B N: 0-88145-178-9, $8.95