The play ,EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM, is the coming-of-age story of a young Latino Gen Zer struggling with his self-identity and facing up to his cultural heritage. The show is fun, fast-paced and wrapped within the world of comic book superheroes and corporate America. Playwright Matt Barbot has crafted a show with well-developed characters and a satisfying storyline that touches on themes of community, gentrification, and cultural appropriation. Having the work infused within a dynamic comic book ethos elevates its entertainment value.
 |
| Xavier Cano (in back) and Jason Sanchez in EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM. |
Alex (Jason Sanchez) is a free-lance artist, still living at home with his mother Patricia (Susanna Guzmán) and yearning to become a full-time comic book creator. At night he dresses up as his costumed caped crusader known as El Coquí Espectacular. But is his goal really to fight crime? Alex’s self-doubts and lack of direction are magnified by the taunting and battles with his imaginary supervillain El Chupacabra (Michael John Importa), and Junior, the local bully.
Alex’s older brother Joe (Xavier Cano) works in marketing for a large corporation that adds him to the team developing an ad campaign for a soft drink targeting the Latino community.
One night, on patrol as El Coquí, in his Sunset Park, Brooklyn neighborhood, Alex encounters Yesica (Melissa DuPrey), a Latina photographer, who wants to document his nighttime escapades. The two form an alliance that goes viral once Alex, persuaded by his brother, allows his comic book creation to be co-opted to become the center piece for the sugary soda promotion. This turn of events sparks a redefining of Alex’s life and relationship with loved ones.
Under the sure-handed, inventive direction of Kinan Valdez, EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM is a high-spirited, entertaining piece of theater. He deftly merges comedic and campy moments with the serious topics articulated by Playwright Matt Barbot. Valdez has teamed with a superb creative team that has added a vibrant luster to the show. They are Gerardo Diaz Sanchez’s impressively realized, multi-faceted Set Design; Jiyoun Chang’s artfully rendered Light Design; and Charles Coes & Nathan A. Roberts’ clever and humorous Sound Design that, at times, are reminiscent of the old Batman TV show – POW, BAM, ZONK! John Horzen’s bold, flashy projections and Rea J. Brown’s colorful and cartoonish Costume Design complete the picture of this thrilling production.
 |
| Xavier Cano, Jason Sanchez, and Melissa DuPrey in EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM. |
The cast is first-rate. Jason Sanchez, in the role of Alex, is the focus of the play. The actor adeptly shifts from ambivalence to sure-footedness in his portrayal of the young man, seeking to make his mark in life. Xavier Cano provides a balanced counterweight in the role of older brother Joe. While more even keeled on the outside, Cano satisfactorily displays an inner tension as he grapples with the complexities of a Latino in today’s world. Melissa DuPrey is appealing as Yesica, demonstrating a flakiness and nonchalance that belies her character’s serious underpinnings. As Alex and Cano’s mother, Susanna Guzmán’s Patricia brings stability and common sense to the swirling chaos around her. Michael John Importa, in the dual role of the caped villain, El Chupacabra, and the bully, Junior, provides both comic relief and a alternate pathway to the presentation of the show’s consequential issues.
In continuing with Long Wharf Theatre’s mission of bringing theater to the people, the production of EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM is being staged at the resplendent Lyman Center on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University.
 |
| Jason Sanchez in EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM. |
EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR and the BOTTLE of DOOM, playing through February 23. Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.
No comments:
Post a Comment