When Crawford MacCallum stands in front of a theater-going crowd this afternoon and gives his instructions for building in Santa Fe, he might sound a bit like just another out-of-town developer.

MacCallum will detail plans to establish lots of houses, gardens, orchards and vineyards.

But the words instead are unique, historical ones. They are the instructions that eventually led to the beginning of development in Santa Fe.

MacCallum will read the orders of Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco, whom MacCallum plays in the theatrical reading of the Instructions to Don Pedro de Peralta.

In the performance — set in Mexico City in 1609 — MacCallum and three other actors read Peralta's words, alternating in English and Spanish. The instructions for Peralta include details on how he should travel to Santa Fe, how he should set up the "villa," what should be done with "Indians" and who should govern the area.

Peralta, once governor, is a celebrated figure in New Mexico history, the namesake for Santa Fe's Paseo de Peralta.

MacCallum, a retired astronomer, said one of the more enjoyable parts of getting ready for the one-time performance was learning the Spanish used more than four centuries ago.

"It's very legalistic," he said. "It's 400 years old.

"There is a whole lot of advice and instructions written in a very formal way. Some sentences go on for half a page."

The cast worked for a month to pare down some of the Spanish into modern parlance. They then practiced the roughly 30-minute piece three times a week for about three weeks.

One challenging part for MacCallum, 79, is wearing the viceroy's costume, which MacCallum described as a "a heavy, big, fancy coat."

The show is part of the city's 400th anniversary celebration and performed by Teatro Paraguas, a bilingual theater group founded by MacCallum and his son, Argos.

The group hopes it can someday perform the reading for local school kids.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Reading of the Instructions to Don Pedro de Peralta

When: 2:45 today, followed by a 4 p.m. concert by the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Spanish and Mexican music

Where: The Lensic Performing Arts Center

Who: Teatro Paraguas

Cost: $18-$65

"On arrival at said provinces he shall inform himself of the condition of the settlements therein and endeavor before anything else to put into execution the foundation and settlement of the villa that is intended and ordered to be built there, so that people may begin to hold and live there with some good order and motivation. Here he shall permit the villagers to elect four councilmen, and these shall elect two ordinary alcaldes in each year who shall try civil and criminal cases that may arise in said villa and within five leagues around, marking them by boundary and jurisdiction and without prejudice to any intermediary, and keeping a record in criminal cases of all decisions and legal orders. However, they shall have no jurisdiction over Indians, this being reserved to the governor or his lieutenant."

— Part of the translated instructions to Don Pedro de Peralta from Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco, March 30, 1609.