The theater troupe responsible for this production is from Chichicastenango, El Quiché, called Aj-Tzay (roughly "los que vuelan"-those that fly in English). The name comes from a tradition in Chichicastenango that dates before the colonization of Guatemala called "el palo volador" (roughly the flying stick). A few men climb to the top of a pine tree cut down to its bole or trunk. After reaching the top they slowly let themselves down on a rope. Chichicastenango is a tourist destination mainly for its traditional Mayan market on Sundays and Thursdays. Moreover, the Popol Vuh originally came to light in this small town. Thus, receiving theater from a troupe from this special place is a treat for those of us located in the capital.
The play itself is metatheater (or theater that knows it's theater) and it tends toward the grotesque: obscene gestures, lots of swearing, mutilation, guns, and finally, the actual execution of a chicken. Given the avant-garde nature of this show it was censured from Guatemala for some time. For more information about the play itself from the actual playwright you may check this website: Why Arce Leal wrote this work (in Spanish). The metatheatrical aspects include: actors "acting" as if they aren't ready for the play, bringing in a "blind" man to play the guitar (as if he were a real audience member in the beginning), actors engaging with the guitarist/singer on the front row and speaking directly to the audience (breaking down the 4th wall). Arce Leal's desire to blur the lines between fiction and reality created an atmosphere of uncertainty.
This uncertainty played well into the concept I took from the play: we may be actors but what we are presenting is real life so don't escape too far from reality. Indeed, the audience couldn't always be certain if the actors were really a part of the space with us or consumed in their own world. All this said, these actors were not professionals. It was obvious during climactic parts and emotional scenes that each character had simply memorized his/her's lines and prepared to recite them on stage to his/her partner. That really pulled me out of the play (but hey, if metatheater is your cup of tea then maybe the poor acting could be a director's choice to keep us back in reality!). However, with all this said, I am deeply grateful this troupe brought this play to us and am also grateful for any production of theater I can find here!
The biggest turning point in the piece was when the actress pictured above came on stage and directed herself to us. Holding a live chicken she informed us that for practical reasons and theatrical limitations she could no longer continue her roll as the oppressed chicken. Rather, this live chicken would replace her for the upcoming execution. She as well as many others on stage had been turned into an animal. They represented the poorer, more indigenous people of Guatemala who had become slaves under a repressive government and capitalist system. Previous to taking the stage the owners of the chicken farm had mutilated her "beak" with a candle to show the rest that eating their own eggs (for lack of real, sustainable food) was an abominable sin. This wasn't enough so the owners decided to publicly execute the rebellious chicken to stop their mutiny.
They tied the chicken to a trunk and the executioner waited behind with a sharp machete. He simply walked towards the stump and then decapitated the chicken (with a sharp "bwak" from the chicken). About 10 seconds later the larger part of the chicken moved and we heard a noise. It was the most dramatic scene of the play, and I would argue the climax. The "great distributor" came on stage with his assistants and declared how much they had won through their capitalist efforts. The rest of the actors came on stage and declared they weren't chickens anymore and were real humans. From there the play quickly finished and the actors bowed. It was a very quick denouement.
The capitalist/communist argument persists here in Guatemala. The Cold War affected much more than Russia, Cuba, Europe and the U.S.S.R. The U.S. government meddled in a lot of affairs in Latin America in order to maintain their interests and stabilize the region as a capitalist hemisphere. Even at my church there was someone who mentioned this topic saying we could never live in a friendly communal way as Christ would have us because the developed countries had shoved capitalism down their throats and there's no way to reverse it. The whole idea of oppressing the farmers because the "great distributor" wants to make more money is a classic demonstration of anti-capitalist sentiments. I choose not to entangle myself in this debate. Each person has their respective views. I simply want to show that the Cold War capitalist vs. communist ideals have not died away (as this popular Guatemalan play shows).
There were far more people at this event than the previous (most likely because there was only one function). However, for me, the play lacked a lot of "umph." By "umph" I mean something to take away. One of the most talked about ideas throughout the world is the idea of government and corporate oppression of the masses. This play demonstrated that idea through the "animalización" of these characters into chickens. However, it didn't leave us with an idea of how to solve the problem. For me it's one thing to address a problem, it's a completely other thing to be constructive and put forth new ways of thinking about the problem with a solution in mind. This play may have meant far more to Guatemalans during the actual Civil War. It may mean more to those whose lives revolve around agriculture. For me the production revolved around the shock factor of the executed chicken and I left hoping that dead chicken was going to be useful on their long way back to Chichicastenango.
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