 On April 10 and 12, 2008, in partnership with The National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read, Roberto Cantú, professor of Chicano Studies and English, who is intimately familiar with "Bless Me, Ultima," produced a dramatic reading as a stage adaptation of the novel at Cal State L.A. Cantú first reviewed the work when it was published in 1972, and has published and lectured extensively on its art, structure, and significance.The production featured veteran television and film actress Alejandra Flores ("A Walk in the Clouds", "Friends with Money") as Ultima.Theresa Larkin, a theatre arts professor at Cal State L.A., adapted and directed it.