No Sabo (formerly “Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid from Queens & his Guayaco Dad”)

What I liked

Early on, Moncayo-Torres says he does not believe in “works-in-progress” but “messes-in-progress” and that’s what this show is: messy, in the best ways possible. From the literal set of boxes and baggage the father and son unpack together, to the interactive nature with the family members in the audience, to the hilarious and heartbreaking conclusions that this relationship will never be completely healed or put back together, yet what is family if we don’t at least try? Like many wonderful storytelling shows, it reveals all (or most) of the dirty laundry, but also not at anyone’s expense. Moncayo-Torres and his dad do not share the same language, but the connection is there, the relationship is real, and there is nothing certain at the end — it’s all what the future holds between them.

What I didn't like

I’m not sure if the concept of the clock on stage worked — there was something that went wrong during the Father’s Day performance and I’m not sure if I ended up missing something because of it. That, plus sometimes I would look at the clock and know there was only so much time left, which was slightly distracting. That said, not a huge critique because I loved the show.

My overall impression

Habla y te Salvas: Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad is nothing short of being one of the most original and gutsy shows I’ve ever seen. It’s not just an exciting part of the Fringe Festival, but of theatre in LA. Christopher Moncayo-Torres and his dad, Abel, deconstruct all ways that storytelling can connect us, break us, and bring us back together is incredible, a feat of artistic strength only the most daring pieces are willing to take. It goes there, in real time, and the results are nothing short of amazing. Truly nothing like it in any festival or on any stage. It’s one of the best solo shows I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch.