THEATER REVIEW : A ‘Wedding’ Full of Passion : Fiery moments in the Rancho Santiago College production--notably the male characters’ burning machismo and sincerity--bring Federico Garcia Lorca’s play to life.

The plays of Federico Garcia Lorca are not easy to stage. His lyrical--if often violent and angry--dramas are clear-cut, bare-boned and explicit.

There is not a Lorca play that does not require extensive production values to bring the heart and meat out of the writing. Those values are the high point of this production of “Blood Wedding” at Rancho Santiago College’s Little Theatre West.

Director Barbara Covington has surrounded the core of the action with a panoply of Spanish dancing in its rigidly structured grandeur (choreography by Juan Talavera), heart-wrenching vocals. She has also, finding emotionally weak moments in the English translation, allowed her actors to speak in Spanish during some of the more passionate scenes. It’s a good choice. The actors are at home then, and you can almost feel the beat of their hearts.

In a very large cast, many of the actors are not adept enough to plumb the depths of Lorca’s writing, but several find moments of fire that bring the words to life.

Sara Guerrero, as the Bride, has a burning-ember quality beneath her angry and willful exterior. As the wife of the Bride’s earlier lover, Cynthia Vargas restrains the volatility inherent in this difficult role. Sandra Borner as the Bridegroom’s Mother has a stoic power reminiscent of Greek tragedy, and Arme Z. Caballero as the Bride’s buoyant Friend brings a delicate sense of frivolity to her role.

The males are stronger in the long run, particularly Adrian G.D. Lopez as the naive Bridegroom, and Alberto Correa as the Bride’s former lover, the randy Leonardo. They both burn with machismo flames and sincerity, and their vocal duet, an emotional duel of great import, is very impressive.

Arleen Hurtado and Richard Chavez are excellent as the dancing images of the Bride and Leonardo, twirling and arching in their dance of doom, in a production that looks very good on tilted platforms in the small theater space. The scenic and lighting design by D. Silvio Volonte allows the action to be fluid and very darkly pictorial, as does the costume design by Wilma Mickler-Sears.

* “Blood Wedding,” Phillips Hall Little Theatre West, Rancho Santiago College, 1530 W. 17th St., Santa Ana. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Ends Sunday. $6-$8. (714) 564-5661. Running time: 2 hours.

Adrian G.D. Lopez: Bridegroom

Sara Guerrero: Bride

Alberto Correa: Leonardo

Cynthia Vargas: Leonardo’s Wife

Sandra Borner: Bridegroom’s Mother

Arme Z. Caballero Bride’s Friend

Arleen Hurtado: Bride Dancer

Richard Chavez: Leonardo Dancer

A Rancho Santiago College Theatre Arts Department production of Federico Garcia Lorca’s drama. Directed by Barbara Covington. Choreography: Juan Talavera. Scenic/lighting design: D. Silvio Volonte. Costume design: Wilma Mickler-Sears. Sound design: Justus Matthews. Makeup design: Barbara Matthews. Production stage manager: Lisa LeClaire Taylor.