BOLEROS FOR THE DISENCHANTED by Jose Rivera at A.C.T.
Flora (Lela Loren, center) comforts her drunk and frustrated father, Don Fermin (Robert Beltran), as her mother Doña Milla (Rachel Ticotin), looks on. Photo by Kevin Berne.
BOLEROS FOR THE DISENCHANTED by José Rivera, directed by Carey Perloff. A.C.T. Ticket Services, 405 Geary Street at Mason, 415.749.2228, and online at www.act-sf.org.May 7 – May 31, 2009.
AN ENCHANTING BOLEROS FOR THE DISENCHANTED AT A.C.T.
After flirting with the artistic and financial disaster of the pretentious War Music, A.C.T.,is back on track with a brilliant staging of José Rivera’s semi-autobiographical charming, poetic love story Boleros for the Disenchanted. Enhancing artistic director Carey Perloff’s superb direction is the stunning staging on Ralph Funicello’s colorful set, Nancy Schertler’s evocative lighting, Fabian Obispo’s original music and sound, and Sandra Woodall’s costumes, deserving the opening night standing ovation.
Born in San Juan Puerto Rico, José Rivera is a prolific chronicler of Hispanic life, receiving many honors as his plays continue to be mounted throughout the United States. The Off-Broadway production of Marisol garnered an Obie award and his script for Motorcycle Diaries movie earned an Oscar nomination. For Boleros he has dug deep into his family life creating a heartfelt paean to the memory of his parents. It is a personal journey filled with love, conflict, and admiration. Although it has earmarks of being a realistic journey, Rivera’s dialog is poetic, non-realistic and filled with imagery giving their love story a chimerical, romantic patina that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.
It is 1953 when the play opens in the front yard and porch of the Calderon family’s home in Miraflores, Puerto Rico. The protagonist is 22 year old Flora (Lela Loren), engaged to alocal lothario Manuelo (Dion Mucciacito) against the wishes of her mother Dona Milla (Rachael Ticotin) and father Don Fermin (Robert Beltran). Flora’s conceptions of love are flights of fancy that are shattered after learning that Manuelo has been dipping his wick, and justifying his actions as a man’s prerogative, into a number of women. Flora and Manuelo’s confrontation scene is a gem as she returns the engagement ring and Donna Milla banishes him.
A month passes and despondent Flora is sent to visit her cousin Petra (Michele Vazquez) in the town of Santurce. Petra’s greatest desire is to leave Puerto Rico for the U.S. while Flora reaffirms her love for the island. Enter gentle Eusebio (Drew Cortese), wearing his National Guard uniform, who is immediately smitten with Flora while the plaintive Bolero plays on the jukebox. After a series of not-so-chance meetings Eusebio is allowed to meet her parents. For that meeting Rivera has written a hilarious scene of Don Fermin’s confrontation with Manuelo ending with Eusebio asking for Flora’s hand in marriage. Act one ends on the marriage day and the young couple state they are going to the U.S. causing tears from Dona Milla and a curse from Don Fermin.
Act II takes place 40 years later, 1992, in Flora and Eusebio’s modest home in Alabama. Rachel Ticotin is now playing the Older Flora and Robert Beltran the Older Eusebio who is bed ridden having had his legs amputated below the knees due to complications from diabetes. Their six living children, three died in childhood, have grown and departed and Flora has faithfully looked after the bed ridden Eusebio. Eusebio, fearing that he is dying makes a last-rites confession to a most practical priest (great monolog by Drew Cortese) that stuns and sends Flora into a rage. Yet when Eusebio has another stroke requiring more attention Rivera creates a tender scene reaffirming that love includes many hardships and sacrifices.
Rachael Ticotin and Robert Beltran do wonders with their roles as the switch characters between the 40 years of acts II and I. Lela Loren, Dion Mucciacito, Drew Cortese and Michele add depth and contrast to the adults. Loren’s flights of fancy on the meaning of love are lyrical. Mucciacito’s philandering Manuelo has a ring of truth. Michele Vazquez’s Petra brings back memories of Rita Moreno in West Side Story.
Running time 2 hours and 30 minutes with intermission.
Flora (Lela Loren, center) comforts her drunk and frustrated father, Don Fermin (Robert Beltran), as her mother Doña Milla (Rachel Ticotin), looks on. Photo by Kevin Berne.