Take two strongly opposing characters: Molina (gay, submissive) and Valentin (revolutionary, macho). Place them in a cramped and de-humanising prison cell. Throw in a little storytelling for flavouring. And stir. Just one of the many topics that Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman explores is the transforming effect that people can have on each other simply by spending time together – even when enforced.
As Molina spins a web of fantasy to create a refuge for himself and Valentin in a world beyond the reality of their cell, the B-movie that he relates introduces the theme of metamorphosis. Irena, the heroine of the movie, is irresistibly drawn to the black panther prowling in its cage at NYC zoo. But Irena, like Molina, is hiding a dark secret. No, all is not as it seems in the Villa Devoto prison in Buenos Aires. Love is not the only thing in the rancid air of the cell. Everything is in a state of flux and as the characters start to mirror each other’s traits, mutation abounds. Woman becomes wildcat, macho turns metro and camp meets Castro; all accompanied by that lesser known miracle of turning porridge into poo. Intrigued? We hope so. Rehearsals continue apace (with some stellar performances, I hasten to add) and it’s all coming to a stage near you in a little under three weeks time (preview performance on Saturday, July 4th at 2:45). So why not come along and see if it changes your ideas too? The web is already being spun…
A wonderful summary and very thought provoking…The rehearsal process has made me look at the whole idea of exploitation in a new light,Saturday night in the Living Room had me all fired up in protest after seeing three very old men (post sixties) leching with three clearly paid for very young African women (just)… And I wondered about the everyday fantasies we weave that allow us not to say anything at all…What I am turning into! Will Saturday nights on Broad Street ever be the same again!
Congratulations to Cherie on her moving production. As part of a small but perfectly formed audience on Sunday afternoon, I saw the beautifully controlled performances of Peter and Matt. A wonderful demonstration of initially underplaying, gave both actors an opportunity to take me through all the ranges of emotion this exciting piece of theatre has to offer.
In addition to these outstanding performances the set, lighting and sound provided the artistic icing on the cake – completing a superbly rounded (I don’t say that lightly) Crescent production.
Sheila Carradine