Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary

Anna Price — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:30:53 +0000

‘Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary’ is a one-woman show, written and performed by Marissa Chibas. In it, she traces the history of her family and, through this, the history of post-revolutionary Cuba. Her father, Raul, wrote the manifesto for the Cuban revolution along with Fidel Castro, and her uncle Eddie Chibas was a popular politician who denounced Batista and called the Cuban people to action, before committing suicide live on his radio show. Marissa Chibas portrays both men, and several other characters, as she depicts how events unfolded.
The audience are mesmerised by Chibas’ passion as she tells her story. Certainly, there are many dramatic events within the show, for example we learn of Raul’s brush with death at the hands of the authorities and of Eduardo Chibas’ final broadcast. However, it is the smaller, ordinary details which give the audience a glimpse of family life and of the personalities behind the politics. Chibas’ fond recollection of family parties with other Cuban exiles, watching her parents dancing and learning to dance herself, are particularly touching. Her careful placing of family photographs round the edge of the stage as she speaks bring it home that this is, at heart, still the story of a family -albeit a remarkable one. It is a fascinating account of the events and politics of Cuba with Marissa Chibas bringing the characters to life, as only someone who knew them could.

4/5

The Bacchae

Adrian G. Velazquez — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:40:02 +0000

CalArts Group bravely bring Euripides’ play ‘The Bacchae’ to the Edinburgh Fringe and go one further by being an all-male cast. Though, technically, this resonates to the times when the actual words were written (Fourth Century B.C.), it is a brave decision in modern times since, with it, now comes a sense of gay debauchery that works perfectly well within the narrative.
Dionysus has been denied an honorary place as a God much to his frustration. His mother was murdered, he is also the son of Zeus, but nobody believes him. On the whole, Dionysus just wants revenge, and with the help of The Bacchae (those who follow his doctrine of wine, sex and carnival joy) he will avenge his honor.
Doug Spearman does a great Dionysus (his entrance on stage a fantastical visual treat), while the rest of the cast are equally good on their roles. Nathan Frizzell’s (as Pentheus) transformation from Bacchae-hater to follower is perfectly rendered, the composure of the King of Thebes rapidly lost once he succumbs to Dionysus power.
Though the play does have some jarring moments (the disco scene that represents Pentheus descent into the sexual and care-free spirit of the Bacchae), these are minor issues in a solid production. The Bacchae has been modernised and over-sexualised to good result. We salute you, Dionysus.

4/5

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Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary

The Bacchae