Marisela Treviño Orta’s beautiful play December: a love years in the making tells the story of an unlikely couple who connect over a shared love of poetry and film. Immerse yourself in the world of this three-decade romance, with these artworks referenced in the play:
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda
December’s protagonist, Carolina, is a poetry professor, whose work is inspired Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. This is arguably his most famous collection of poetry, containing pieces that are both passionate and quaint, romantic and surreal.
Is This Forever, or What? Poems and Paintings from Texas by Naomi Shihab Nye
December also references some more modern works, like this collection by Texas native Naomi Shihab Nye, known for her striking ability to blend multiple cultural influences in her poetry.
Harold and Maude
This quirky yet charming 1971 film served as inspiration for December: a love years in the making. It follows Harold, a macabre young man whose obsession with death leads him to find companionship in Maude, a colorful 79-year-old who inspires a new perspective on life. It’s an ultimately uplifting and heart wrenching story, packaged in a bizarre and offbeat premise.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
In December, Carolina describes The Road Not Taken as ‘the most misunderstood poem in America.’ Can you decipher the poem’s true meaning? Though this is Frost’s most famous poem, he has also produced many works that might appeal to a theatre-lover. In fact, poems like Home Burial, The Death of the Hired Man, A Servant to Servants, and The Fear read like theatrical scenes!
December: a love years in the making runs January 17 – February 2.
