Cosas pequeñas y extraordinarias (Small and Extraordinary Things)

It is going to be difficult to see another drama on this trip that will be more visually and emotionally brilliant. Images of this play continue to percolate in my head, and I am still held in a sense of awe and wonder at the creative brilliance put into this masterpiece. In fact, while I was watching the play, I was thinking to myself, this is going to be one of those plays that will be reproduced for decades to come. I felt like I was in the middle of history in the making. But enough about my afterthoughts. If you will permit me, let me describe this majestic drama.

We originally went to see this production on Saturday at the Teatro Galeón at the INBA (Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes), but it was sold out. We ended up seeing another piece of theater, which was a pleasant experience, but not much to write about. Then we bumped into Fernando Bonilla and Valentina Sierra, who were able to find a way to get us in to the production on Sunday afternoon. Mind you, the production ended on Sunday, so we were able to see the last production before they went on tour.

Centro Cultural del Bosque, next to the Auditorio Nacional. Photo Credit: Pim

From the beginning, while waiting to enter the theater space, the actors mingled with the kids who were waiting to enter. There was also a special program for children with a small book with activities and a small story asking the children questions about how they would react if they had to move to another country. According to Tim, Daniela and Micaela work well with theatre for younger audiences. After seeing this production, I concur! The mise-en-scene was fantastic. They used a projector to put different things on two projector screens throughout the play. For example, they projected grandma's letters, moving water with blue dye, Emma's room, and other experiences. Also, Jacobo Lieberman created original music and sound for this production. More and more I am learning that background music in plays, when used in creative and effective ways, can be a deciding factor between a moving experience, or something close, but not quite enough. Finally, all four of the actors, Daniela Arroio, Micaela Gramajo, Sergio Solís, and Mario Eduardo D'León were stellar. At every moment of the play I was enraptured by their characters and, not once, taken from the story.

Kids in Emma's new home playfully tease her because of her strange jacket in such a hot climate.
Photo from TipKids

The subject matter of this play is immigration and refugees, but more importantly, how this affects the lives of children. The story follows the life of an eight year old girl, Emma, played by Micaela Gramajo, who loves collecting "cosas pequeñas y extraordinarias" (small and extraordinary things) in her small community. Because where she grew up was cold, she always wore her investigting coat with 22 pockets. This is where she would keep the things she found until she could place them in her museum. She keeps a pocket book where she documents when, where, and how she finds the things she collects. This was a beautiful part of the story, because it showed us the innocent, excentric, and exploring nature of children.

We begin to learn about her community's troubles when, at the beginning of the play, she asks why her parents stopped taking her to see her uncle. Then, we learn that things are becoming more dangerous in her community. She can only go from home to school and back each day. Finally, her parents decide to flee the country. They must leave their family, community, friends, etc. to find a safer place to live. For Emma, though, her grandmother and uncle, as well as her little museum of small and extraordinary things.

Emma's Museum of Small and Extraordinary Things.
Photo taken from Ángel Fuentes Balam's article in Ciudad Ocio

When Emma moves with her family to a new country, the climate, language, and customs are very different. For a girl of eight years, she finds her new home terribly different, and decides to stay inside her room. She misses her grandmother, with whom she continues to write and receive letters. The actresses asked an older lady to read the letters from her grandmother throughout the play. My goodness it was beautiful. Even the lady who read the letters found it difficult to read them because of the sentimental value of writing a close relative who you can no longer see.

The family arrives in the new country. Mother and daughter roles are different from what we saw.
Photo Credit: Yazmín Ortega. 

But, soon after Emma's arrival, a cat arrives, played by Sergio Solís, and befriends her. He learns about her museum, and, because a cat's nature is also to explore new things, he convinces her to go out with him and look for small and extraordinary things in Emma's new vicinity. Emma is hesitant, but accompanies him. While out exploring, they see another girl of Emma's age, whose name is  who likes to dance on the beach. Slowly, Emma and her become friends. Litte by little, Emma adapts to her new community. But it wasn't easy. Miscommunication, differing expectations, and her longing to be with her grandma and uncle, make it so that she breaks down one night and refuses to accept her new home. She wants to return. For her, nothing is small and extraordinary. She demands an explanation from her parents why she can't go back home. They decide to tell her that people aren't safe, that they disappear. In her innocence she replies that no one just disappears. And her parents tell her she is correct. People make other people disappear. She can't handle any of this. Sobbing, she runs to her room and decides to never leave again. Then, something truly magical happens...

Emma sees whales in the ocean. Photo from INBA.

At the height of her desperation, cat tells her to look out at the ocean. Emma sees a parent whale with child, swimming through the ocean. Hypnotically, she wades into the water to get a closer look. My goodness, this scene was absolutely breathtaking. The ambient music, the illuminated whales, the ocean waves, and the dark scenery all contributed to a truly magical moment, both for the spectator, and for Emma. And it is at this pivotal moment that Emma realizes there are extraordinary things in her new home. She then decides, after many attempts at persuasion by the cat, to inaugurate her second museum in her new home.

I am in tears just writing about this. If I could only see one piece of theater while in Mexico City this trip, and it was this one, the entire trip would have been worth it. Unfortunately, the play ended it's production at El Galeón at the Centro Cultural del Bosque. However, and fortunately, the company is now touring the Mexican Republic. When this drama returns to stage, you don't want to miss it! Absolutely magical!

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There is a version recorded on YouTube if you don't have the opportunity to travel to Mexico and see this production. Obviously, it's better live, but you can get an idea of the performance here: