REVIEW: Baño de Luna (GALA Hispanic Theatre)
Preview: Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Kicking the new season off at GALA Hispanic Theatre in my very own neck of the woods is Baño de Luna, an emotive play written and directed by Pulitzer winner Nilo Cruz. In this, Cruz explores themes common in Latin American drama, such as the relationship with the Church and supporting ones’ family, though in this case places a specifically spiritual lens over the whole story. I’ve heard good things about this production so I was excited to go check it out in my own backyard on 14th Street!
Book: Cruz’s book does not stray very far from the aforementioned themes, yet as a tradeoff it lingers around them to the point of tropiness. Marcela is a single mother in Miami living with her teenaged son Trino and mother Martina, spending her days playing piano at the local church, led by Bishop Andrews. She struggles to pay the bills, ultimately relying on a priest at the church by the name of Father Monroe to lend her the money to keep the house. Relatively quickly into the show, Monroe’s long-term infatuation with Marcela is revealed to the audience, which blemishes his intention to Marcela in regards to the money. Things become all the more twisted when Taviano, her brother, suddenly returns from medical school in the Dominican Republic with shocking news. This premise has the makings of fruitful confrontation between several characters. Yet, it dwells on the dynamic of Marcela and Monroe often, even when there isn’t much to say. A priest struggling with his vows to the church and his love for a woman can be an interesting plot device, but it is stretched out to oblivion. Side plots vary between fulfillness, ranging from Taviano’s conflict with the others to the barely-explained dream sequences of Martina. Especially as key events of the show play out -- including the tense, wistful climax -- characters that could (should!) react to them to some degree are unfairly removed from the story and rob us of entertaining points of views and ideas that would fluff up an otherwise unremarkable story. 2/10
Acting: A standout performance, Raul Mendez instantly captures the audience with lowly warmth as Father Monroe. His subtleties reverberate around the stage, from his cozy interactions with the audience to his slight reactions you have to really pay attention to find. Impressing as well were Luz Nicolas as Martina, the sly-talking snarky matriarch of the family, and Hiram Delgado in the dual role of Taviano (junior) and Tavio (senior). The latter cleverly rolls the gravel in his voice and elevates his swagger when necessary, avoiding the potentially awkward pitfalls of playing someone’s son and husband simultaneously. I only wish we saw more of Martina; the endless stretch of focus on Marcela grows stale. 6/10
Production: Cruz makes great use of the space, creatively using the gilded chasm (a wonderful choice by set designer Clifton Chadick) etched into center stage as a metaphorical division. While I’m not the biggest projection guy, Hailey Laroe collages visual motifs of Mary, moonlight, and other elements of the natural world onto the curtained stage walls tastefully to promote the ambience. The most intriguing production element was Christian Henrriquez’s lighting design which ranged from contrasting bursts of energy to hellish warmth from the chasm, effortlessly matching mood to the point where it seems the actors themselves will the atmosphere on their own. 8/10
VisDev: Pre-show staging is ethereal and mystical; a gloomy platformed stage with foggy projections cowers below a massive angled wooden cross. It’s gloomy and pensive, and immediately transports the audience to a spiritual mindset, which well-frames the motifs of the show. Program art is a blood-red attempted joining of hands in front of a cross, one with rosary beads and one slightly closed. However, the implied motion of the latter creates tension that leads viewers into unrequited intrigue and creates a darkly vibe that matches the show, if not too dreary. (The production itself is lit optimistically in comparison.) 7/10
