Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders

If it has been awhile since I've posted here, it's because you can see the last two years of productions that I've seen over the summer in Mexico City in the Latin American Theatre Review journal. However, I just saw a "world premiere" of a production here in DC at the Gala Hispanic Theatre, and felt prompted to share that review here. Without further ado:

        I realized during Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders that when I attend a theatrical production, I hope to experience a somewhat polished performance (as polished as "live" can be), and a product that witnesses a process through which workshopping, critical feedabck, and revisions have occurred. I also look for actors who embody their roles with pizazz, who tell me through their performance that what I am seeing is worth their and my time. For this production, the latter triumphed over the former. And mind you, the performance I attended was a student matinee, with students from various schools (both public and private), who were, generally, inexperienced with how to behave during a live performance. However, attending with them was refreshing, as it was telling to see and hear their reactions, especially toward unexpected and/or non-normative events on stage. I think that we in the theater world are too often accustomed to our own ways of experiencing theater (and its progressive ideals), and it would do well for us to reach more diverse audiences (which is something that delights me each time I go to CDMX and see how diverse and accessible the theater scene is there). In this respect, I applaud Gala Hispanic Theatre's education program and recommend supporting it in ways that are meaningful and sustainable. In what follows, I hope to unpack the dichotomy I outlined above: a work-in-progress that doesn't quite stand up on its own legs, but which nonetheless merits your visit anyway.



        Gala Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights, here in Washington, D.C., is producing an updated version of R.Evolución Latina's 2025 performance of Aguardiente: In process, originally conceived by Luis Salgado and Daniel Gutiérrez. The fact that Gala is billing the show as a world premiere evinces to the public that this new version has been workshopped enough to merit a name change--at least enough to state that what we are seeing is new. However, here is where I'm left baffled by this whole setup. But first, allow me to provide a quick plot summary before I delve into aspects that have led me to arrive at such a state of bewilderment.



        Quick plot detour: Three aspiring artists--Alberto, Alejandro, and Kiara--work together to produce a show that feels authentic to their Latinx roots, despite the artistic wing-clipping demands from investors and other producers in the theatre industry. As their show progressively congeals, we are privy to its development as their characters come to life on stage. Thus, Aguardiente becomes a production within a production. Their characters, Anís and Azuquita, are two young Afro-Latino lovers from a small town somewhere around the Caribbean, who set out on an adventure to explore the world and what it has to offer, without losing their identities. In the musical number “Buscando la ciudad” the writers pass through fictitious cities (Macondo, for example) and real ones (London, for example), looking for the perfect urban environment that will put their characters to the test. After settling on New York City, they receive a call from an investor who wants them to add a circus into their production. Their show takes a drastic shift, then, as Anís meets Beta in the circus, and Azuquita is left out. As the second act develops, both Anís and Azuquita are left struggling with how to reconcile their past identities with their present circumstances. This occurs while the struggling writers juggle with artistic integrity to their Latinx roots, the demands of capitalist investors, and their relationship as friends. Thus, the struggle of the writers begins to parallel that of their characters. Anís eventually breaks with Azuquita to develop a relationship with her new friend Beta. Back in our reality, instead of continuing their production process with these demanding producers, they turn to their Latinx communities to raise the necessary funds, with the help of Kiara, their designated social media influencer. Their show becomes a success, and they are given the promise of a Broadway contract, which they promptly reject. By staying true to their identities and their communities, the writers demonstrate to themselves, to their investors, and to us as an audience, that one should never sell out or change to please others.






        But what has left me puzzled? Let me start with the set. This production relied heavily on AI imagery, as Drew Morris explained in his review. There were misspelled words, odd images with conflicting spelling (circa vs. circo), and the unsettling and uncanny vibe that we’ve come to expect from “realistic” images produced with AI. Let me be clear that I am not opposed to the use of AI projections within theater, but there needs to be a thorough vetting process before an image is projected in the final production. I felt offended throughout the production because what I was seeing felt half-baked. Even the playbill’s main art used AI. I feel that this was a missed opportunity to highlight the actors themselves, especially if the production was looking to be more inclusive through its casting. Since the production highlights identity and community, the use of AI—and bad use of AI—as their scenery and through their playbill seems to undercut the foundational messaging at play of being authentic.

        

        As you can see from the synopsis, there is an embrace of the local, of bucking the “polished” or “mainstream” demands of popular media, as well as learning to sit comfortably within one’s self-defined parameters. Their dramaturgical choice was to represent the struggle that so often occurs behind the scenes when facing pressure from producers and investors. I wonder if Aguardiente becomes this in a nutshell. The show itself is a testament to the “in process” nature of its content. To that extent, I believe that because the production felt unfinished is also the foundation of its message, which has left me puzzled. And don’t get me wrong—I’m happy when a production leaves me thinking and conflicted.


(Photo Credit: Daniel Martínez)

        The unpolished vibe extended to the minimalistic set as well: a rolling whiteboard with notes and post-its, a keyboard to practice new melodies, and blocks for staging. But this actually worked well, as the show seems to sit in its unrefined positionality. We are not witnessing a Broadway production, mind you, and the show makes no insinuation it is trying to be that. Furthermore, the screens on which the AI images were projected were also used to project virtual calls, allowing the characters to communicate across borders through technology. Finally, the lighting from the stage was augmented into the audience with a fog machine that steadily pumped out a haze through which the colors would extend during big numbers. This part felt immersive, which I did find myself enjoying, especially during the musical numbers with great choreography and dancing.

        On another note, the plot and character developments also felt unpolished, but not because the show is trying to buck the trends of mainstream expectations. For example, the relationship between the two fictional lovers seems to be held up only by the sole fact that these two happen to be from the same town. Later, when Anís leaves Azuquita for Beta, there is only a sense of gratitude to Azuquita for allowing her to explore who she is. I posit that much of this play tries to pay respect to Latinx heritage and underrepresented communities (especially in the Latinx world), but that the rushed (literally the struggling writers are working under deadlines they find hard to meet) and underdeveloped characters undercuts its message of inclusivity and celebration of Latinx heritage. Granted, it is hard to develop their relationship when half the play itself is about the writers and not these characters, but that is a choice they made when creating a show within a show.



        After the performance that I saw, the students who remained were curious about how the characters felt when Anís went from a heteronormative relationship to a lesbian relationship. Unfortunately, no one in the cast or production crew addressed that question. I wonder if it’s because they don’t have to think about that in the production or because they felt uncomfortable speaking about that with kids. So, on the one hand, I applaud the production for seeking more inclusive representations by lifting marginalized communities like the Afro-Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities, but on the other hand, it felt very much like lip service to these communities, which ultimately, I believe, undermines their production. Ironically, what makes this decision more striking is that the writers themselves strive to reject the forced inclusion of certain ideas from overbearing producers to make their show mainstream, but in their quest to be authentic, they include underrepresented communities with no sense of authenticity. In all actuality, the play within the play produces two parts whose sum does not equal a whole.



        There were also brief, nationalistic moments for the audience, which so often occurs among events geared toward Latinx communities. In a production meant to highlight pride in Latinx identities, the show made intertextual and popular references to La casa de Bernarda Alba, 100 años de soledad, Rita Moreno, West Side Story, In the Heights, and other icons, figures, and canonical Spanish pieces. All of this seemed geared to boost pride for their audience as the production gloried in predecessors who paved the way for writers like those on stage, and a production like Aguardiente. In a very real way, this musical is a love letter to the Latinx community in all its diversity, but to celebrate it, they certainly don’t make the experience profound.

   

        If I am harsh on the production, I think it is warranted. Surely the director and playwrights saw this criticism from miles away—and embraced it. I’m just now arriving at it after seeing it for myself. The show (the production I saw and the show being produced within the show) feels rushed and underdeveloped, which seems to be the point. Maybe we can enjoy theater that isn’t polished or ready for mainstream consumption. Maybe we can enjoy something that strives for inclusivity but lacks depth. This unfinished quality and unsettled feeling have left me truly puzzled about my feelings toward Aguardiente overall. I doubt I’ll ever have a definitive answer or resolution, and that’s fine with me. However, what I will say is that the live band, the actors, the energy, and the singing are top notch, and enough for me to recommend the show before it closes on Sunday, May 24th. Just know that what you are about to see truly remains “in process”.



(Pictures of the production are credited to Gala Hispanic Theatre)

Mi madre y el dinero

 

In 2018, I witnessed a piece of theater that has forever altered the way I view “realism” in theater. That play was Tijuana, a one-person show starring Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez, in which the main character travels to the eponymous border city to experience what it is like to live in poverty. You can read about my experience with Lázaro and the play in my previous blog entry. My main takeaway from that experience was that what appears as real (video recordings, pictures, testimony) may in fact be a farcical realism trying to make a different point altogether. In other words, playwrights/directors may be portraying reality while simultaneously calling into question the realities they are portraying. With that in mind, on Sunday, I traveled to the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris to see the play Mi madre y el dinero, a “work in progress” with Josefina Orlaineta and Anacarsis Ramos, a mother-son duo. It is an intimate play about their economic struggles, as well as about the construction of the play we are seeing, told from the perspective of both. 

The front cover of the playbill.

A panoramic view of the theater I took after the performance.

This is what the playbill states: Durante más de seis décadas (1960-2020) Josefina Orlaineta, madre de Anacarsis Ramos, ejerció más de cuarenta trabajos y negocios en Campeche, uno de los estados con mayor tasa de pobreza y rezago económico en México. 

A partir de herramientas teatrales y cinematográficas, Josefina y Anacarsis reproducen algunos de estos trabajos para reflexionar sobre la crisis económica como estado permanente de vida, la expansión del trabajo a todos los espacios de una familia, la vergüenza de clase, la indefensión social de los trabajadores independientes (tanto comerciantes como artistas) y las negociaciones que se hacen al interior de un proyecto para contar la vida de alguien más. 

A map emphasizing the location of the state of Campeche in Mexico.

During more than six decades (1960-2020) Josefina Orlaineta, mother to Anacarsis Ramos, worked more than forty jobs and businesses in Campeche, one of the states with the highest rates of poverty and economic lagging in Mexico. 

Using theatrical and cinematographic tools, Josefina and Anacarsis reproduce some of these jobs to reflect on economic crises as a permanent stage of life, the expansion of work to all corners of the family, the embarrassment of class, the social helplessness of independent workers (vendors and artists) and the business deals that are made inside a project which aims to retell the life of someone else. (my rough translation)

Anacarsis speaking to the audience.

As you walk into the production, you are led behind the curtain of the theater on the stage. There, Josefina is cutting her son’s hair. There were occasional moments of dialogue between the two, as well as with the audience. Immediately, the two have established an intimate space for them and for the audience. Since we are also behind the curtain, in a non-traditional space for theater productions, one also senses the attempt to "reveal," in an intimate environment, the machinations of theater and establish a setting in which the audience feels the authenticity of those on stage. We are literally “behind-the-scenes,” if you will. The set consisted of open shelving and a long table, in which the actors on stage remained exposed during the production. Above this minimalist set was a projector screen, in which, during various points in the production, text, images, and videos were projected to the audience, providing a glimpse into life in Campeche, within the walls of their home, and the inner thoughts of Anacarsis. 

The opening of the play as Josefina actually cuts Anacarsis's hair, while a video plays the setting of the malecón in Campeche.

Anacarsis remarked, toward the beginning of the play, that audiences and producers in Mexico have a thirst for realism on stage. As such, his exposition of life in Campeche, told through the eyes of someone both in (Anacarsis) and outside (Josefina) of theater, with projected diary entries, cuts to the core of the human experience and “realism” that he recognizes that audiences desire. The exposition was divided into 7 scenes: estética, negociación, abarrotes, zapatería, chorizos, y el dinero, y actriz. Josefina started the play cutting her son’s hair while also explaining how she threw herself into opening a beauty salon—despite confessing that she didn’t know how to cut hair at first. In a later scene, Anacarsis stacks boxes on the table as they talk about opening and supplying an abarrotería (or a mini convenience store) until an Oxxo opened up next to them.

Anacarsis stacking the boxes during the segment about opening up an abarrotería. The Google maps image shows the location of their convenience store in Campeche.

In one of the vignettes, about chorizos, mother and son put together chorizo links on stage, replicating the countless hours they spent in the past. In fact, the son challenges the mother to sell some of her chorizo to an audience member, further creating a realist link between her ability to sell chorizo and convincing the audience that she in fact did sell chorizos. 

Josefina attempting to sell her chorizos to an audience member.

In each of the scenes, either videos or on-stage demonstrations proved to the audience their acquired talents in each of these stages of their family’s economic lives. Finally, at the end of the show, Anacarsis hails his mother onto the stage. She appears from behind the shelves, where she had been hiding for a little while. Now, however, instead of her simple clothes, she is dressed in a crown and cape, wielding a sword. She recounts some theatrical lines and pronounces that she is no longer scared of acting. She has culminated her abilities now with acting. Upon her final line, where she declares she is no longer scared of acting, the main curtain on the stage arose, exposing the grandiose venue’s theater, all to the reverberating applause from the packed audience. 

Josefina comes out to "act" before the audience.

The ending of the performance toward the empty theater.

And yet, I can’t help but pause and wonder aloud if what I witnessed is what I witnessed. This takes me back to my first idea, about realism on stage. The fact that Anacarsis mentioned the thirst for realism in Mexican audiences today makes me question whether he is, perhaps, trolling his audience with the appearance of realism. Is he intermingling fiction with reality? Is all that I saw a farce, real, or a mixture of both? As I stated earlier, this wouldn’t be my first experience with farcical realism. 

A list of the jobs Josefina states that she's had over the span of a few decades.

But it turns out that this type of genre in the theater has picked up in popularity here in Mexico. During my stay in Mexico this year, I have already witnessed three different performances in which the protagonists relate intimate stories of their lives. Autofiction is a genre in which the playwright finds inspiration in their own reality to retell the events of their life, but they intermingle fictitious elements into the storyline, creating a piece of theater that becomes engaging enough to sell to an audience. Thus, it is difficult, and rich, for audiences to imagine what is real and what is fiction. Blurring the lines between what is true and what is fiction is a fascinating endeavor, as those who study the genre of testimonio or those who work with memory studies may attest to. 

Curtain Call

In this way, audiences—myself—may begin to question their/my own limits between fiction and reality in life. I recently watched the series “Death and other details” on Hulu, and this element of memory recall becomes a fascinating tool to highlight that what/how we remember the past may, and probably will be, colored by our later information through hindsight. Thus, to what degree is any historical representation truly “faithful” to actual events when so many perspectives evolve and are colored by other viewpoints?

The title of the production on the screen at the end of the show.

For me, this performance made me consider not so much the economic and social ideologies inherent in the scenes themselves, but the machinations used to create the story and the idea of reality. In fact, the quest for “realism” on stage has left me wondering how possible it even is anymore. With the rise in Artificial Intelligence, the use of different medias on stage to capture reality, and the theatrical “behind-the-scenes” techniques employed in this production, I am left wondering what to believe when something occurs right in front of me. What I am saying may sound dystopic--that I struggle with accepting what I see as real--but I think it cuts at the core of what our task as scholars and humans is today: to think critically about what we consume in order to authenticate what we should believe or discard in our quest for "truth" and creating a better world based on that truth.

Chilangolandia, mi amor

It is difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that it has taken me years to return to my beloved Ciudad de México (CDMX) and its vibrant and dynamic theater scene—a long-distance relationship prolonged by the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing my dissertation, and a new job/move. So, to my utter delight, the first production on this trip was Chilangolandia, mi amor at Foro A Poco No on calle de la República de Cuba. My first play back turned out to be a love letter to the city by those who live the good, the bad, and the chingado. 

The 80-minute billed production is a cornucopia of histories and experiences that help build/reflect a sense of community among those who call CDMX their home (whether since birth, by choice, or by force). The actors share stories and interact with the audience—thus creating this two-fold sense of community through stories and action. I might add that with the rise of artificial intelligence, and concerns about dwindling human contact, coupled with an ever-increasing sense of loneliness, this play reminds us of the many players that construct a community, as well as community fostered through theater experiences. This play also reminded me that I feel such a community in CDMX each time I return. It feels great to be back! 

The playwright, Mario Conde, wrote in the playbill: 

No se trata de las historias de la ciudad, sino de la historia que la ciudad misma es. El calor dentro de un taxi, el olor de una quesadilla callejera, las inundaciones en avenidas, la música del concreto: emociones que vivimos a través de personajes de papel para expresar lo mucho que se ama a una ciudad que nos da todo para odiarla” 

It’s not about stories from the city, but the story of what the city itself is. The heat inside a taxi, the smell of a street-bought quesadilla, the floodings on the avenues, the music from the concrete: emotions that we live through character roles that express how much we love a city that gives us every reason to hate it (my translation). 

The roughly 20 stories, not in chronological order, that I could count throughout the production were: street vendors, a lucha libre fight, relating traffic news from a helicopter, a female lover acting as if she were the city, relating episodes of tragedy in the city, a male calling on a prostitute, relating their run-in with the trademarked word chilango, a moment to talk about their theater, relating aspects of the city through the alphabet, the curtain call, a lamplight with skull, the dance of death, a robber with gun, the evolution of the bus, relating a story with an Aztec codex, cut-out scenes of the city, the death of a lady in a traffic accident, the representation of death on scaffolding, the suggestion of a new city crest, commuting to work late on the bus. 

The four actors, David Almaga, Abigail Espíndola, Omar Esquinca, and Erika Franco, inhabited various roles throughout each of these scenes, demonstrating their tremendous, and nimble, acting skills, and their ability to engage—in the moment—with the audience and themselves (there was a moment another actor needed help unrolling some yarn and they stepped in to help). Throughout the production, then, the fourth wall was not only crossed, but shattered. In fact, at one point, Erika Franco, who was playing the role of a street vendor, came to me and asked me to buy something from her. At first, I thought this was just part of the show and she was going to move one, but she insisted. So, I pulled out my collection of coins, and, in the dark light of the theater, handed her I have no idea how much. And then she gave me a de la Rosa marzipan.

One might argue that they know their audience (themselves?) well—the constant swiping and messaging, Hollywood, 24-hour news cycles, have all created a world in which we, as consumers, crave attention spans with new content. Our production lasted around 70 minutes, and with the inclusion of approximately 20 scenes, that means the average length of each scene lasted around 3.5 minutes. The caveat to this calculation, however, is that there were transitions and addresses to the audience that could very well have been considered a scene. All of this said, the production was a fluid tour de force of the fast-paced life that one lives in a behemoth of an urban setting like CDMX, which is the 5th largest city in the world, with over 21.5 million inhabitants, per the 2018 UN population estimates. 

The production ends today (Sunday, July 14), so if you happen to be reading this and are in CDMX, I highly recommend taking the time to do so.