Cara Mia’s Folkloric Theatre is consistently, splendidly, nothing short of spectacular. With an eye for remarkable, semiotically potent imagery, and an ear for the clever, understated and mythic, they take intriguing narratives and submerge us in the thick of them. They have the confidence to pursue intuitive logic, trusting it to take us where we need to go.
Tina’s Journey (El Viaje de Tina) features numerous topics: machismo, refuge, assimilation, celebration, honoring the dead, family. Tina is a little girl, who follows her parents across the river into Texas. They are hesitant to do so, but as Tina’s mother explains, “There’s nothing for us here”. [Meanwhile the Winter God and other supernatural beings are staking out dominions and making plans of their own.] Once they reach America (after arduously fleeing on foot) they move in with Aunt Eloisa et al, who feed and welcome them. We see contrasts between Anglo and Latinx culture. They have made it just in time for El Dia de los Muertos. When they arrive, there are Halloween decorations still in place. Halloween and El Dia are similar, but not. They must hurry to make the altar for those near and dear, who have passed to the next realm. There is cooking to do, and special objects to set in place.
One of the glories of Tina’s Journey is the way playwright Berta Hiriart casually, vividly blends mortal activity with that of the other-worldly. Ghosts of Grandmother and Uncle must follow the trail of marigolds left by Tina to find their way back home. Witches appear as part of Halloween festivities, but also consort with greater and lesser deities of earth and air. Another is the inclusion of the fanciful and inexplicable. The gorgeous, blue, translucent swaths of cloth to manifest the glistening, foreboding river. Spirits making their presence known to the living: a marvelous connection between this world and the next. The arrangement of sacred components both holy and everyday on the retabla. Images of The Blessed Virgin and The Heart of Jesus. Whiskey and cards and cigars for Uncle, because they brought him pleasure, when he still dwelt amongst the living.
All the actors in Tina’s Journey wear masks. At the outset, I wondered if we were dealing in iconography, but the longer I watched, the more I realized it enhanced layers of meaning. Masks suggested one aspect of the character’s personality, or purpose, or identity, while dialogue added more still. It was disorienting at first, but before long, it served to amplify the intoxicating spell.
Cara Mia Theatre Company and The Labaratorio De La Mascara present Tina’s Journey, playing November 15th-December 2nd, 2013. Latino Cultural Center: 2600 Live Oak, Dallas, Texas 75204. (214) 516-0706. www.caramiatheatre.org