Panuelos at the ATA
The landmarked American Theatre of Actors is approaching 50 years of bringing cutting edge theatre to New York City. Founded by President and Artistic Director James Jennings in the 70’s, the ATA prides itself on being a repertory establishment supporting new artists and new works. After a successful run at New York Theatre Festival, now American Theatre of Actors presents PAÑUELOS, by David Allard.
Panuelos is a historical drama that takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the time of the Dirty War of the 70’s and 80’s. It was a dark and oppressive time in Argentina. The government became a military dictatorship led by Jorge Videla. Tens of thousands of citizens labeled as subversives were kidnapped and murdered during Videla’s regime.
A panuelo figures heavily into this play. In English, panuelo translates to handkerchief. In this show it was used as a clothing accessory, as a means of symbolizing victims and as a blindfold.
At the beginning of the play, we meet Veronica who is a devout conservative military widow. Her 25-year-old son Daniel lives with her. Veronica lost her husband when Daniel was very young. The two characters could not be more diametrically opposed. Despite the fact that she loves her son, Veronica is an uptight woman who desperately tries to impose her traditional values onto Daniel. She wants him to attend church regularly, get married and provide her with grandchildren. Daniel is an endearing optimist who is happy to be a waiter and enjoys attending parties with his friends. Daniel is also gay. He likes adorning his neck with his mother’s pink panuelo. Everyone around him accepts that he is gay except for Veronica who is in utter denial. She is also in denial about how heinous the government is. Before Videla came into power, Daniel would engage in peaceful protests with an LGBTQIA group. Now Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo march in twos with a white panuelo on their heads carrying a large picture of the children and grandchildren who were made to disappear by the government. While Veronica is at church, Daniel is taken by a soldier, accused of subversiveness, imprisoned, and tortured.
The primary function of theatre is to entertain. Reality is suspended as we spend a few hours forgetting our daily woes. Theatre can also be used as a means to expose audiences to scenarios and perspectives that they may not have been previously aware of. Theatre can be used to solicit empathy. These were the functions of Panuelos. The heavy subject matter in the play shed light on a dreadful time in history and broke the hearts of the audience members watching a child desperately seek acceptance from a parent.
This was playwright David Allard’s first play. He’s off to a great start with this well-written compelling piece with characters of substance. His background in politics gave him a good handle on the subject matter. He was unafraid to go to dark places to reveal historical atrocities.
The cast was stellar. Every actor on that stage was brilliant and all in. The expert direction of Sean Prasso brought out the best in everybody. Marie Laine commanded the stage as Veronica. She brought strength and vulnerability to her role in her deeply emotional portrayal of a mother struggling to connect with her son. Juan Carlos Salgado created a beautiful soul in his portrayal of Daniel in his exciting Off-Broadway debut. His performance was deeply moving. It was effortless to empathize with Daniel and difficult to watch him being tortured. Daniel will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Ali Lebow played Raquel, Daniel’s friend, and confidante. She effectively executed the role of a caring friend with warmth and grace. Jacquie Bonnet injected some positive energy into the play with her confident and upbeat portrayal of Carla the housekeeper. Rene Villarreal Jr. was downright scary as a soldier/government worker. That means he skillfully did his job as an actor. He was effectively frightening and menacing. Playwright David Allard played the part of a tormented prisoner trying desperately to get Daniel to give up some intel to save himself. This was a far cry from his whimsical turn as a captain in Dream on, Baransky which recently also ran at the ATA. This talented artist is equally skilled at portraying dramatic and comedic roles. Another Baransky alum was out of sight but not out of mind. Isaias Badilla provided the voice of the newscaster.
Panuelos is not a feel-good show and it’s not meant to be. It’s one heck of a drama that’s meant to provoke thought. It might even help a parent accept their child. Come see the show and wear your best panuelo!
Showtones 