What I liked
This was the most beautiful, stylized, and personal piece of theatre I saw throughout the whole of the festival.
These are the stories of my people, my culture, and my childhood, and the fact that I got to experience something that I would normally have to travel to remote and secluded places in my native land here in my proverbial backyard was something truly special. The fact that I, a Mexican son of immigrants, got to see myself represented onstage by the actors, costumes, and movement, to hear my mother tongue be spoken onstage, and then be granted the gift of hearing the language of my ancestors, all while seeing the names and places I grew up hearing about come to life is something that brought me to tears. Every single piece of this show worked perfectly with each other, and brought the whole of the audience into the world of the show. The main story of the play was unique, but entirely applicable to each and every one of us sitting in the audience, as the message of hope and finding oneself by being true to their origin is a universal constant. As below, so above – and from within does truth flow out.
Art is a gift, and the job of an actor is to tell the story magnificently to an audience; all of the artists, from the actors to every single member of the creative succeeded in telling this story.
What I didn't like
The only thing that can be improved is that it needs to be longer, because I desperately wanted more by the time the show was over. I was captivated from the moment I sat in my seat, and by the end, I didn’t want to leave. The world of Mictlán felt real in that space, and having to leave was the last thing I wanted to do
with my time. The joy, hope, and pride I felt in seeing my culture and the stroies I grew up with being acted out onstage needs to be shared with everyone.
My overall impression
It is truly a gift to see the ancestral stories of one’s childhood come to life in such a beautiful and dynamic way. A trip to the Underworld and finding your purpose there being the framing device to share the message of one’s purpose coming from within and always being a part of oneself is coveyed so clearly, and touches the hearts of the audience. From the costumes, to the bilingual presentation of the show (trilingual when taking into account the native Nahuatl spoken), to the masterful use of staging in such an intimate space, this show truly embodies the nature and artistic goal of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
