Luz

On the same day we visited the ICP museum, we watched an experimental show called Luz at the La Mama theater in downtown Manhattan. There is no easy way to explain this show. I honestly cannot say I had a firm grasp of it myself. The thing I took away from it most was the idea of how different women from different underdeveloped regions of the world have been taken advantage of. I have heard of such stories, read about them in newspapers, seen them on TV. However, there is something different about seeing a story such as this up close. Although the story itself was fictional, there is something about being there in the room while discussions of it are occurring on stage that gives me chills.

The environment of the theater enhanced the effect, to be honest. It seemed to be like an out-of-the-way place and the theater itself was very small and simple. Thus, because of its size and lack of decorations, there were no distractions. There was nothing that could take away from the full effects of the play. I was especially impressed by the stage setup that the show had, with heaps of papers in the background, cabinets lined along the sides, and a simple table in the center. Walking into the play, I had thought that the set would be changed between scenes. However, it stayed the same throughout, which takes much skill to manage without the story not making sense. The same set was used as the lawyer’s office, and as the courtroom, and at every other place visited by the lawyer. The set did have a sense of symmetry, in terms of how everything was laid out. Although it seemed chaotic, it seemed to fit the scenarios presented. For example, in one scene, Alexandra, the lawyer, walked over to one of the gigantic piles of paperwork and pulled out an important document. Although everything seems chaotic, there is some sense of organization for the characters.

I was, however, very confused by the role of the businessman. There was obviously some clear signal there about corruption and politics, but I had a hard time picking up on it. Additionally, the fact that the same actors were used to play multiple roles was quite impressive. This shows a few things: one, that the actors chosen are very versatile and creative. This also serves as a symbol to show that the lives of the people portrayed are interchangeable…the things that happen to these women can happen to any other person in similar circumstances. This could teach the members of the audience not to take their lives for granted. I was also confused a bit whenever the black bird-like  creature came into the picture. I was not sure exactly what that could mean.

Despite certain aspects of the play that I found to be a bit hard to follow, I thought it was all in all a very impressive performance by talented actors. I loved how the set stayed the same, so that there were virtually no distractions for the audience. The story is a touching one that many people can empathize with, and the strict was very well executed.