Theater in Oaxaca

Readers of this blog know that Oaxaca is rich with music, dance, and art. However, theater in Oaxaca is not a strong point, and due to my rudimentary Spanish I did not attend any performance.  This week, a drama festival opened with El Ostrakón, a local production.  It would be presented in wonderful (and comfortable) Teatro Macedonio Alcala.  In addition, an English synopsis was available on the web (here), and the performance was free.  It was an offer I could not refuse.
"Worst case," I consoled Adi, "If we won't understand, we'll leave in the intermission."

The play is an allegory of modern society.  The leading character is the Narrator who assumes the roles of several authority-figures as they guide/misguide the hero Gabriel from birth to adulthood.  Portrayed in short, sketch -like scenes, The Doctor, Teacher, Priest, and Banker, cause Gabriel's life to go from bad to worse.  Finally, desperate Gabriel shoots the Narrator, who immediately bounces back to life.
"You can't kill the system," he says, "the house always wins."
In the next and final scene, the Narrator offers Gabriel a way out.  He hands him a potsherd (the Greek Ostrakon) and sentences him to exile.
"He is now free," claims the Narrator as Gabriel slowly crawls up the center aisle, "as fee as our dreams."


To add color and local flavor, the Crowd in the play is portrayed by three monos de calenda.  These are three-meter-tall costumes, which usually lead religious parades (here).  The monos never utter a word, but their blank paper-mache faces, mute-like sounds, and highly choreographed movements, make them the more emotive characters on stage.  For a change of pace, the play includes a risque scene between Gabriel and Sandra, his love interest.  They kiss, and Gabriel sheds everything but his jog-strap. As Sandra's shirt came off, you could feel the vacuum created by the gasping audience.  Luckily, the action froze (the bra stayed on), and pink smoke engulfed the couple's embrace.

I enjoyed the play despite the naive script.  The performance did not include intermission, yet I am sure we would have stayed even if we had the chance to leave.  On our walk home through the Zocalo, we caught a mini-Guelaguetza dance performance.  Never a dull moment in Oaxaca.