culture@dailylobo.com
Albuquerque teems with theater, and this year has been no different. Every weekend there are two, three or even four shows performed around the area.
There’s been more good theater than bad overall, and most of the bad was just a little off — not the cause of mental Ebola.
UNM’s Theatre and Dance Department, as an educational institution, doesn’t always meet the standard of the community theater surrounding it, but that was not the case this year. The all-female cast of “Metamorphoses” was truly laudable between September and October. The Greek myths were fresh and funny, and creative choices and designs overflowed from the project.
Then the Vortex Theatre managed to produce the best version of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” I’ve ever seen, though it’s a play I’ve seen performed as many times as I’ve attended “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I had nearly given up on the play for being too safe and stale, but the Vortex demonstrated a sharp and vivid levity for the gender-swapping extravaganza.
The best performance of the year, by far, came from Las Meganenas, a Latina-centered performance troupe with a socially conscious side. The troupe performed “Río de Lágrimas (River of Tears)” last summer at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. The piece was stellar, addressing the female homicides in Ciudad Juárez while throwing in a little La Llorona for good measure. We even got a Coronita at one point.
The poetry of the piece was beautiful, the costumes visually fascinating, and the message completely conveyed. The best aspect of all was having each audience member select a stone with a name inscribed on it as they entered, leaving the audience to fidget and wonder over its purpose. During the performance, the performers told the audience that each name was that of a disappeared woman. They then asked for them to bring the stones to the front and place them on the stage.
Sobering and noticeable, the exercise added literal weight to each name and tragedy. The idea was simple and brilliant.
Tricklock Theatre Company moved to a new space Downtown next to The Box for their international festival “Revolutions,” which showcased pieces from Poland, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland.
Blackout Theatre went viral with their video “Shit Burqueños Say,” which ended up with more than 700,000 views. Not quite a Keyboard Cat doing Gangnam Style, but certainly enough to count as “Internet Famous.”
I, myself, did a two-person Arthur Miller show that no one really saw, but we enjoyed doing it regardless.
Although you tend to get more feedback from a negative review, I find I remember the beautiful plays more than the terrible ones. Those are sometimes more fun to write about.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Positive emotions seem to have a longer shelf life, even if there’s less potential for acerbic silliness.
