Theatre is one of my great passions in life, and as such I am privileged to see many different productions a year. Most are enjoyable, some merely pass the time, and when you are lucky you find an occasional play that gets under your skin, into your mind, and makes you a better person for it. Recently I was fortunate enough to be in the audience to see Boleros For The Disenchanted now playing at the Barksdale Willow Lawn, and I can truthfully say that this play is one of the most exciting evenings I have spent in a theatre. No extra qualifier needed.
Playwright José Rivera has fashioned a play that on the surface resembles a traditional boy meets girl story as the first act unfolds in a Puerto Rico that no longer exists. Young Flora, a sheltered girl who dreams of the perfect life with a husband she loves turns her back on the philandering young man who is courting her in favor of a young serviceman who approaches her in the traditional courtly romantic manner. So far so good, but hardly the amazing story that is yet to unfold.
The play takes a left turn after intermission and we are treated to seeing Flora and her husband almost 40 years later – after life has had its way with them. As the older Flora, Patricia Duran is amazing. She is able to dig deep into her emotional bedrock and delivers a performance that is both riveting and heartrending. If the path of greatness is paved with service, then she is a truly great person. She takes the downward spiral of her life in stride and uses her experiences to help other people find their own path.
Her husband Eusebio, played by Jorge Alberto Rubio has developed severe health issues and Rubio must interact while stationed in his bed. It’s tricky for an actor to use the shrinking playing space of his body to create the character – he can’t move around the room, he’s trapped permanently in the moment and can’t escape a scene by leaving. It’s a daunting task but Rubio pulls it off very effectively and his scenes with Duran are the lifeblood of the show.
Brian Barker’s set is superior as he recreates both Puerto Rico’s rural lands and the claustrophobic house that Flora and Eusebio share later. However it is Lynn Hartman’s lights that are the true stars of the technical side. She bathes us in soft moonlight, a romantic memory in act one and the harsh reality of the day for act two. Even her blackouts, which do not go to total darkness, give us a little light, a glimpse of ghostly characters who remind us of the closeness between life and death. It is marvelous to see.
Director Bruce Miller is at the top of his game, and that is a lofty place to be. He has brought together a fine script with talented actors, a top design team, and the addition of the Latin Ballet Company to provide another element that raises the play to high art. It is a remarkable feat and who knows how long it will be until we are treated to something so beautiful again.
For WCVE Public Radio, I’m John Porter.
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