The America Literary Translators Association (ALTA), in collaboration with the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre in Tucson, AZ, is excited to announce the winner of the 2023 Plays in Translation Contest!

This year’s competition winner, Russian Roulette (The Likelihood of a Casino Burning Down With Our Mother Inside It) by Luis Guerrero, translated by Katherine Walker, has been selected from a diverse field of global plays translated into English that ranged from dark comedies to quiet character studies, on a breadth of themes including socio-political corruption, family dynamics, and medical decision-making.

The Mexican play Russian Roulette dramatizes the story of the events of August 25, 2011, the day that members of a drug cartel set a casino on fire in Monterrey, Nuevo León, killing over 50 people. After the massacre, there were calls to address the cartel violence, as well as the corruption in politics and the gambling industry. The problems, however, have posed an ongoing challenge to activists.

In 2011, Saúl comes home to his mother and siblings in Monterrey, Mexico. He finds himself clashing with his mother, Irene, over her daily visits to the casino, which neither his brother nor sister discourage. Saúl is additionally appalled at the daily violence enacted by the cartels, and what he sees as the community’s resigned acceptance thereof. When Irene leaves for the casino on the fateful morning of August 25, timelines diverge and realities fracture. This gripping drama examines fate, chance, and luck against the backdrop of the question that plagues the characters to no end: what if…?

Since its inception, The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre has been thrilled to present new works of translation and adaptation with such beloved works as The Little Prince, Blood Wedding, and The Crack: Among Wild Animals. This event is a collaboration between ALTA and the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre as a part of Arizona Translates!.

Directed by Raulie Martinez

Showtime:
November 11, 2023 at 7:30 PM

For more information, including ticketing information for ALTA46 attendees, visit the Scoundrel & Scamp’s webpage.