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Friday, January 5, 2018

Out There 2017: Teatro El Público: Antigonón

The Walker's annual mindbending theater festival got off to bombastic start last night. 


Photo Courtesy of the Walker Art Center

Do you ever just feel a little bored? Just a little worn out, like things are the same ol' same ol' all of the time and just aren't as intriguing anymore?

Thankfully I had a very revitalizing year of theater in 2017 (you can see my best-of round up here), but it's always nice to do something totally new to mix it up, especially at this time of year when resolutions abound and everything is being reexamined with fresh eyes.

The Out There series at the Walker Art Center has long been one of my favorite ways to mix up my engagement with and understanding of the performance arts. I've seen everything from the legendary Bill Jones to hip hop laden spoken word to split stage Japanese magical realism to a completely indescribable Baz Luhrman-esque on-stage dance fest, and it just keeps coming.

This year promises to provide more of these mindbending works, beginning with Teatro El Público's Antigonón. One of my favorite parts of the Out There festival is the fact that it draws incredible international talent to the Twin Cities, allowing us all to affordably see groups we'd never otherwise be exposed to. Teatro El Público, an edgy Cuban group, is just such an entity.

Antigonón, a radical piece by Carlos Diaz (a leading member of Havana's underground theater and drag scene) re-envisions Sophocles' famous play Antigone. Antigone's subject matter clashes in Antigonón with intense drag costumes, political commentary and a montage of graphic historical film footage to create an emotional, kinetic show that will shove you straight in the chest. The performers are led by a group of three powerful women who narrate us through the bulk of the show with a presence that I can only describe as fearlessly vigorous. From the first word each woman hisses, stomps and punches her way through the narrative, and their unstoppable energy drives Antigonón forward with force. The two male performers provide a softer delivery that includes a folksy song sung in drag and a series of explicitly eye candy poses. It's an interesting gender flip and one that I wasn't expecting.

Be warned, if you are a sensitive person, that this is not a performance for the fainthearted: at least 80% of the performance is done in full or partially explicit nudity and there are plenty of swear words throughout the dialogue; even though they're in Cuban Spanish, you'll know exactly where it's going. I don't mind an edgy delivery (so long as the ends justify the means) and it was fine for me here, with the nudity in particular used almost as a blunt against the sharp narration. It's easy to forget how artistic the nude human form can be, and these performers had no problem displaying their masterpieces here. I enjoyed the creative costumes once they were utilized, and my only real complaint is that I wish we had heard more from the single black female performer. Her poetic, sonorous soliloquy moved me more than any of the rest of the dynamic action, and I'd have liked to have more exposure to her narrative throughout the performance.

Either way, Out There shows are always an insight into the unknown that provide a refreshing break from the usual theater fare. You may love it, you may hate it, but there's no doubt that you'll leave an Out There performance with food for thought and a fascinating topic of conversation. Each performance runs for one weekend only, meaning you have only two days left to see Teatro El Público: Antigonón. I suggest you head to this link to learn more and buy tickets, and a word to the wise: you can get a discount if you purchase for the whole series at once.

For a roundup of past Out There performances I've covered, see the following: 






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