'In Mortal Sin,' which Wilson Blass and Paulo Quevedo are co-producing, might probably benefit from some of the publicity surrounding the telegenic Roman Catholic priest Alberto Cutié (see the promotional poster at right.)
In a recent conversation, the Puerto Rican playwright/director gave us some background. In the play, Juan de Dios (Quevedo) falls in love with Milagros (Pinzón) and struggles on whether to maintain his devotion to God or his earthly affection to the woman.
Certainly nothing out of this world, and hard from a novelty.
In fact, Blass himself makes the point that his play is based on the real life stories of two Roman Catholic priests (both known to Cutié, not necessarily at a personal level.) One of them is a known university professor, says Blass, who left the priesthood to marry and eventually divorced the woman, not before tormenting and berating her for having caused his downfall.
In a previous incarnation of his as a reporter for a syndicated program on one of the major Spanish TV networks, says Blass, he was contacted by police. They wanted him to help them lure the other priest, whom at the time they suspected to be a pedophile, into a solicitation charge. Because he wasn't wired to register the conversation, Blass adds, he opted to warn the priest that they were being watched and later told police that the priest had actually advised him to leave the area, as it was a known place for homosexual encounters.
Some time later, that second priest was murdered by members of a teenage gang.
You'll have to watch the play at the Byron Carlyle to see how Blass ties this all up.
Some of this obviously resembles Cutié's story. The clandestine sexual relation. The dilemma of serving the Church or loving the woman. Unknown to most, says Blass, is that Cutié was the first to read the play and approve of it. Most striking is his assertion (belief, perhaps) that the play itself may have somehow pushed Cutié towards engaging in the behavior that ultimately has brought him to where he is right now:
"He projected himself (on the script.) It was his own life (that he was reading about,) without my being aware at all that it was so."
In a recent conversation, the Puerto Rican playwright/director gave us some background. In the play, Juan de Dios (Quevedo) falls in love with Milagros (Pinzón) and struggles on whether to maintain his devotion to God or his earthly affection to the woman.
Certainly nothing out of this world, and hard from a novelty.
In fact, Blass himself makes the point that his play is based on the real life stories of two Roman Catholic priests (both known to Cutié, not necessarily at a personal level.) One of them is a known university professor, says Blass, who left the priesthood to marry and eventually divorced the woman, not before tormenting and berating her for having caused his downfall.
In a previous incarnation of his as a reporter for a syndicated program on one of the major Spanish TV networks, says Blass, he was contacted by police. They wanted him to help them lure the other priest, whom at the time they suspected to be a pedophile, into a solicitation charge. Because he wasn't wired to register the conversation, Blass adds, he opted to warn the priest that they were being watched and later told police that the priest had actually advised him to leave the area, as it was a known place for homosexual encounters.
Some time later, that second priest was murdered by members of a teenage gang.
You'll have to watch the play at the Byron Carlyle to see how Blass ties this all up.
Some of this obviously resembles Cutié's story. The clandestine sexual relation. The dilemma of serving the Church or loving the woman. Unknown to most, says Blass, is that Cutié was the first to read the play and approve of it. Most striking is his assertion (belief, perhaps) that the play itself may have somehow pushed Cutié towards engaging in the behavior that ultimately has brought him to where he is right now:
"He projected himself (on the script.) It was his own life (that he was reading about,) without my being aware at all that it was so."
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