El Coqui Espectacular - Federal Way
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CenterStage - El Coqui El Spectacular and the Bottle of Doom
A Review of Centerstage's "El Coqui El Spectacular and the Bottle of Doom"
Centerstage Theatre has a mission to present challenging plays to its audience in the hope that understanding cultural differences through the arts, that change will take place in the hearts and minds of the participants - audience and performers alike. What better place than a stage, with well-cast actors and a bright young playwright, to bring forth dilemmas faced by this generation's Puerto Rican heritage and emerging work force hopefuls?
It has been 45 years since Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suit" launched a nationwide interest in Hispanic Theatre. Now comes writer Matt Barbot with "El Coqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom" which received the Kennedy Center Latinidad and Darrel Ayers playwriting Awards in 2018. Barbot's focus is less on the richness of Hispanic culture in comparison to Valdez. "El Coqui" brings focus to a cultural identity crisis in which three main characters are deemed too Puerto Rican or not Puerto Rican enough. The play uses comedy and several "spectacular" devices to tell the story of how they cope with obstacles of prejudice from the people in their everyday lives. The authenticity of the voices of this generation of teens and early 20s is fresh and welcome at a time when understanding of cultures and various heritage is most needed.
One structural facet of the play that was reminiscent of the phone call sequences in "Bye Bye Birdie" was a repeated chorus of characters responding to rumors and eye-witness events surrounding "El Coqui" via their cell phones. In fact, their voiced opinions culminated in a Greek Chorus effect, including how their opinions changed and grew over the course of the story.
Nick Marston played the primary character of Alex. Nick goes to Silas High School, which only a mile or two away from our home. We've seen him in two different productions at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. He has a great future ahead of him if he wants to stay working on stage.
Accolades are due to whomever created the two-floor apartment with the open window and ladder for coming and going.
Richard Cubi was the Puerto Rican culture and language consultant. We have seen Richard on stage at Tacoma Musical Playhouse for almost two years now.
Luis Ciccia, almost the only actor we have not seen on stage before, plays Joe the brother of the main character Alex. His character is constantly on one of those cellphones mentioned earlier along with earphones . . . the real life of many people today.
The vivacious and tough Yesica, played by Viviana Garza, is a young photographer who follows El Coqui and the other characters around to document their events. She encourages them to think beyond just the initial events and to envision something better.
The Latinex connection involved Viviana Garza and Amie Coronado both of who entertained us in earlier pantos at Centerstage. Both Deanna Martinez and Aimee Coronado reached out to us via "In the Heights" from Tacoma Musical Playhouse, as well as Deanna doing a fantastic performance in Centerstage's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".
Our favorite connection with the actors was via Rolando Cardona-Roman. It wasn't until near the end of the play that we got to see Rolando without a mask and speaking directly to the audience. Rolando immediately bonded with the audience and we could feel his caring.
This award-winning show will only get better and better. We would love to see it again near the near of its run. Centerstage had chosen a winner.
"El Coqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom" runs through April 16. Get your tickets via https://centerstagetheatre.com/tickets-2/
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