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…
Fortunately, it’s not quite as sinister as it sounds. The cast of Kiss of the Spider Woman and Iron took a recent opportunity to visit the prison cells at Steelhouse Lane Police Station in Birmingham city centre. As both plays, running in repertory at The Crescent from July 3rd to July 11th, are set in prison, it was a great chance to sample the atmosphere and feel the sense of confinement of a prison environment. The cells at Steelhouse Lane were built in Victorian times and resemble a prison wing with three floors of cells – something reminiscent of a scene from the prison in Porridge (without the laughs!). The casts had an opportunity to run a few lines inside a cell and the chance for some atmospheric publicity photographs wasn’t wasted. I’m not sure that I’m allowed to name the custody officer who arranged the visit but we would like to extend our thanks to him and his colleagues for their hospitality during our ‘incarceration’.
Meanwhile, rehearsals for Kiss of the Spider Woman are progressing very well. With just two actors, who are on stage constantly throughout the play, the roles of Valentin and Molina are both demanding and intense. But the rehearsals have not been without their lighter moments. Trying to fit two 6ft-plus grown men into a single bed being one such instance. There are plenty of technical challenges as well, such as Molina’s domestic chores – boiling water, making tea – while Valentin has to deal with a lot of eating – porridge, chicken legs and digestives with marmalade! July is approaching fast but everyone is working hard to ensure a successful production.
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