sent ▁a ▁tele gram ▁to ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁Film ▁Festival ▁den ying ▁permission ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁feature , ▁but ▁the ▁letter ▁arrived ▁a ▁day ▁late . ▁The ▁un fortun ate ▁audience ▁then ▁had ▁to ▁end ure ▁this ▁mal odor ous ▁mel od rama ." ▁▁ ▁was ▁adapted ▁for ▁the ▁stage ▁by ▁play w right ▁Hugo ▁Car ril lo , ▁and ▁first ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁Com pa ñ ía ▁de ▁Arte ▁D ram ático ▁de ▁la ▁Universidad ▁Popular ▁directed ▁by ▁Rub én ▁Mor ales ▁at ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁Festival ▁of ▁Gu atem al an ▁Theatre ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁popular ▁success , ▁with ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁performances ▁during ▁its ▁ten - month ▁run , ▁much ▁longer ▁than ▁the ▁two ▁months ▁of ▁week end ▁performances ▁that ▁were ▁standard ▁for ▁the ▁festival , ▁and ▁the ▁run ▁broke ▁Central ▁American ▁box ▁office ▁records . ▁ ▁The ▁production ▁later ▁tou red ▁Central ▁America ▁and ▁other ▁groups ▁have ▁also ▁performed ▁it , ▁so ▁that ▁over ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁have ▁seen ▁the ▁play ▁in ▁over ▁eight ▁other ▁countries ▁besides ▁Gu atem ala . ▁▁ ▁Car ril lo ▁was ▁not ably ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁st aging ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁by ▁others ; ▁he ▁grew ▁angry ▁at ▁a ▁Salvador an ▁production ▁that ▁changed ▁a ▁few ▁scenes , ▁and ▁casting ▁differences ▁with ▁Joseph ▁P app ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁can cellation ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁New ▁York ▁Latin ▁American