When most people attuned to
the theater think of the Miguel de Cervantes novel, Don Quixote, the
musical Man of La Mancha comes to
mind. However, this could soon change as
the new work by playwright Octavio Solis, Quixote
Nuevo, also based on the classic Spanish novel, becomes more widely seen
around the country. This reimagining of
the befuddled knight-errant and his loyal squire is a hallucinatory roller
coaster of dreamscapes and powerful metaphors.
The work can be very funny, seductively moving, and highly
engaging. The play is at Hartford Stage
through October 13th.
Solis has relocated the
setting to the desert outside El Paso, Texas where we find Jose Quijano, a.k.a.
Don Quixote, a former University professor of literature, now grasping with
reality. His family and friends, unable
to care for his needs, look to settle him in a 24-hour care facility. Before they can follow through with their
relocation efforts, the aged faculty member slips out of the household to seek
adventure and reunite with his lost love, Dulcinea. He recruits a local paletas (ice pops)
vendor, Manny Diaz, a.k.a. Sancho Panchez, to assist him as he roams the nearby
landscape battling real impediments and imagined demons, all the while searching
for his long-ago love. In the end, battered
and on his death bed, with his family now at his side, Don Quixote is able to
make peace with his life and departed inamorata.
The strength of Quixote Nuevo is the inventiveness of
the playwright, the metaphoric language and symbols he has assembled, and the assured
direction and resourcefulness of Director KJ Sanchez. One example employed is the cacophony of
nightmarish and comical characters, sometimes
breaking out in folklore tinged song and dance, that follow and mock Quixote.
One of the central images conveyed
throughout the play is “The Wall.” An
easy interpretation of this emblem would touch on political turmoil and
immigration unrest at the borders.
However, while these attributes are on full display in the show, “The
Wall” means so much more. According to
Solis this includes “the barrier between reality and fantasy…love and fear…and
life and death.”
The first-rate cast, with many of the
performers playing multiple roles, is led by Emilio Delgado as Jose Quijano/Don
Quixote. The actor, lapsing in and out
of reality throughout the show, is superb as the sometimes helpless, but consistently
determined academician. He has a
world-weariness coupled with an innocence as he carries out his quest. Juan Manuel Amador as Manny Diaz/Sancho
Pancho gives a noteworthy comedic performance throughout the production. He delves into physical humor, verbal
assaults, and slapstick clowning. But
his portrayal of Sancho is more layered
than just a joking sidekick. He comes to
believe and cherish the resolve of Quixote, moving from protecting the old man
from himself to helping shepherd him on his quest.
Takeshi Kata’s Scenic Design conjures
up the simple, sometimes unforgiving landscape of the Southwestern United
States. Rachel Healy’s Costume Designs
are whimsical, wild, and wholly original.
David Molina and Eduardo Robledo’s musical compositions add a more
authentic Latino flavor to the show.
Quixote Nuevo, thought-provoking
and entertaining. Playing at Hartford
Stage through October 13th.
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