Christopher Cruz, Catalina Maynard, Amalia Alarcón Morris, Sandra Ruiz, Carla Navarro, Manny Fernandes in "El Huracán"
Don’t worry if you get lost in this play. It’s about loss, and magic, and memory and its lack, and aging, and rediscovering things lost and family and forgiveness. And oh, yes, Florida’s Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and its aftermath.
Daniel Jáquez directs the West Coast premiere of the dual-language play “El Huracán” through February 19 at Old Town’s Cygnet Theatre.
It’s a 135-minute visit to places most people don’t want to go but where many of us will end up – getting older, getting forgetful, beginning to lose track of life experiences – and the ultimate insult, being reminded of them and of other mistakes we’ve made along the way.
This story is about a multi-generational Cuban family living in Miami. Daughter Miranda (Sandra Ruiz) returns home to help her mother Ximena (Catalina Maynard) and a family friend, Fernando (Christopher Cruz) prepare for a Category 5 hurricane. A former circus performer, Abuela Valeria (Amalia Alarcón Morris) comes back from a senior center to be with the family, but she keeps seeing visions of lost husband Alonso (Manny Fernandes) and sister Alicia (Carla Navarro). She may have Alzheimer’s; it’s certainly at least memory loss, and she has trouble recognizing family members. But she delights with a few occasionally-remembered stage tricks from her past life in the circus.
Will the house and/or the family survive the hurricane? Or each other? Everyone has problems, but from an artistic standpoint Yi-Chien Lee’s staging is not one of them. It’s blue-dominated, with a huge circular snake-like I’m-not-sure-what above center stage, where set pieces like a bench or other wooden pieces can be placed on the floor or on a revolving circle in the center.
It’s well designed and nicely lit by Elba Emicente Sanchez, with props designed by Teresa Jove.
Daniella Toscano’s colorful costumes give the Cuban feel, and Peter Herman’s wigs reflect the early 1990’s time frame.
If you’ve experienced memory loss or other failings of age in yourself or family members, you may find this difficult to watch. But it tells an honest story.
The details
“El Huracán” plays through Feb. 19, 2023 at Old Town’s Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs Street in old Town.
Shows Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets: (619) 337-1525 or boxoffice@cygnettheatre.com
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