Don Juancho Panza

Don Juan and his side kick. That’s all I could think of at first when I saw Mr. Player and his poor lab rat strutting around Mexico sweeping girls of their feet. It was absurd, yet hysterically funny the way that Don Juan’s “friend” was constantly used as a shield against the raging women, and as mediator to avoid the punches and slaps that clearly Don Juan deserved. It reminded me of Candide and Cacambo: his temporary servant during his voyage to America. Cacambo was once again a facilitator between Candide and Lady  Cunégonde. Even if we head towards Spanish Literature we find the one and only Don Quijote and his partner Sancho Panza. This illiterate sidekick can only provide few things to his delusional master, but remains a faithful companion throughout the story. By the end of the play I guess you could say Don Juan had a pretty devoted companion as well, he could be the most comfortable chair any one has ever sat on, he could shape shift into a surf board, and he could withstand the pinches, shoves, and screams of obsessive women.

The play was set out brilliantly from the lights to the actors and the impeccable props. And let’s not forget the key part: it was HYSTERICAL. From the Mexican accents to the mocking remarks, we have to face the fact that it is all too familiar in our culture, “ay whisky para la foto, whisky que se me va a acabar el rollo.” The key factor that made the setting and the ambience look real was the secondary characters that always had a role in the background. Weather it was on the beach or in then wresting stadium, every corner of the stage was purposely made to match the Mexican culture. In the middle of the lifeguard scene (my favorite by far), the actors that were supposed to be enjoying the beach could have been frozen in time as the main scene carried on, but instead they had their own dialogue and skit that made it even more entreating for the audience. Also the way they used the space on the stage was perfect. They were fighting with wooden sticks in the theater chairs and running over Mr. Viscradi for God’s sake!