‘Oedipus el Rey’ – Written by Luis Alfaro; Directed by Loretta Greco; Scenic and Projection Designs by Hana S. Kim; Costume Design by Alex Jaeger; Lighting Design by Reza Behjat; Sound and Original Music by Jake Rodriguez. Presented by The Huntington Theatre at The Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St. through June 14.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Playwright Luis Alfaro has put a lot on his plate. His Oedipus el Rey (2010) swirls together themes of contemporary social iniquity, anger, frustration, and political and social outrage with the classic story of Sophocles’ mythic character, Oedipus. Throw in big ticket philosophical questions about divine fate, prophecy, religion, self-determination and a thirst for messianic power, and it’s a dish created for a hearty appetite and a strong stomach.
Set in the world of South Central L.A. Chicano gang culture, the play opens in a prison complex with five men clad in orange. The set (Hana S. Kim) is sparse and modern. A Mexican folk art-inspired mural with flowers and a Virgin Mary dominates a brick wall at the back of the stage. The only other design elements are vertical bars.
The men begin a call and response. “Oye (Hey)!” “Que (What)?” Like a Greek chorus, they break into a swaggering, humorous rap riff that bridges millennia (i.e. Sophocles’ original opens with a choral entry song called the parodos). “Who got a story?” one shouts. Something they haven’t heard, something that won’t confuse them, something they can understand. “Tell me a story, mommy,” one particularly menacing inmate pleads.
They group points to a young man in the yard, shirtless and doing an impressive number of push-ups. “Who is this man?” they ask in English and Spanish. This enigmatic man who grew up in prison “fatherless but with a father by his side.” This man who wanted to “beat the system and shape his own destiny.” Unsurprisingly, it is our ill-fated protagonist, Oedipus (Juan Arturo). He limps, he is destined to be king (el Rey of the barrio as opposed to king of Thebes) and he is destined to kill his father and bed his mother. The story may be depressing, the prisoners lament, but “stories are all we got.”
For the next two hours, Alfaro does his best to morph the 2,500-year-old Greek myth into 21st century relevance. When he hits the mark, he is highly effective, illuminating parallels between ancient Greek curses and modern economic injustice and social oppression. When he misses, however, he misses big.
The story the convicts tell is that of Oedipus’ release from prison and return to the “family business” in the barrio. There is violence and menace, macho bravado claims of God-like invincibility, and women who bear the brunt. Creon (Jaime José Hernàndez) is a prison buddy of Oedipus, and he heads to his house after his release. Creon lives with his sister, Jocasta (Melisa Pereyra, the best part of the show), whose husband, Laius (Gabe Martínez) was recently killed in a road rage incident (by guess who?). Laius was “el Rey” of the barrio, and now Jocasta is essentially “la Reina.” Creon makes Oedipus promise that he will only stay a week and that he will leave Jocasta alone.
Of course, Oedipus does neither. The scenes between him and Jocasta, as they get to know each other, are the most powerful in the play. Like a tender pas de deux, they lyrically showcase their hardness, vulnerability and ability to shift mood. Pereya, as Jocasta, is particularly effective, slowly softening her grief and self-protectiveness and elevating Oedipus in the process. Before long, he and Jocasta announce their plans to wed. Oedipus has not only defied Creon’s wishes; he has succeeded in pushing him aside and becoming “el Rey” of the barrio.
Alfaro gives his audience choreographed violence, a barrio bash where the audience is invited to dance on the stage, and visual projections that are hit and miss. There are other flashy moments, too, with the actors playing doo-wop singers, street hawkers, and party throwers, but the flashier scenes seem to be a mask for the fact that the script, though at times a compelling blend of fresh humor and ancient saga, is too long and too unfocused.
Ultimately, The Huntington’s production, directed by Artistic Director Loretta Greco, lacks the urgency and coherence that might have helped make sense of Alfaro’s often jumbled, overreaching script. An excellent cast and strong production tries its best, but even the show-biz antics and humor can’t provide the dénouement we, and the ill-fated Oedipus, long for.
For more information, visit https://www.huntingtontheatre.org
