Presented by and at Repertorio Espa-ol, 138 E. 27 St., NYC, Feb. 27-Dec. 20 (in repertory).
There are transcendent moments in theatre, all too rare, that one treasures and remembers long past the experience! Such moments are to be found in "La Fiesta del Chivo" ("The Feast of the Goat"), now playing at Repertorio Espa-ol. No matter that it is in Spanish and that a lingually challenged critic must struggle with the English translation on headphones! One forgets the technical difficulties, the over-chilled house, the poor sight lines. This is what theatre is about - or is meant to be.
"Chivo," based on the novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, recounts the rise and fall of Trujillo, the dictator who ruled over the Dominican Republic until his 1961 assassination. "Chivo" (goat) was Trujillo's nickname, highly appropriate considering his insatiable appetite for young virgins. The Peruvian novelist's work has been adapted brilliantly for the stage by a father-daughter team, Ver-nica Triana and Jorge Al' Triana (who also directs).
The play recounts the effects of the dictatorship on the Dominican subjects. Tortures, slayings, disappearances are all part of the package. The play is, in effect, two plays - the first half given over to the details of the regime. Urania, a successful lawyer who works for the World Bank, has returned to visit her father after a 30-year hiatus, having fled the country as a young girl. But bitter memories have remained. Her stroke-ridden old father may, or may not, comprehend her accusations. But the Trujillo years are replayed in flashback.
The devastating payoff comes in the second act - a totally different kind of play that focuses on one incident. One watches with disbelief and slow-dawning comprehension as the drama unfolds. Ricardo Barber (as both Trujillo and Urania's father) and Alejandra Orozco (as Urania) give the performances of a lifetime, ably supported by a large cast - particularly David Crommett as the sleazy Manuel Alfonso, procurer for Trujillo.
A show not to be missed!