José Sabillón, and Nate Kay Photo by Bruce Silcox

I offer this background as a context for Homo Dramaticus, which is being given a compelling production through a collaboration between Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater, playing at the Southern Theater. The three plays, Marcha (March), Palabras (Words), and Criaturas (Children), are non-specific in time and place, as is typical of absurdist theater, but it is helpful to know the frame through which Adellach viewed his world. They are performed in English, though their physicality in many regards could override reliance on language. An ensemble of six actors appear variously in the three, bringing each to searing life.

Marcha, or March, directed by Alberto Justiniano, presents three women (Paulina Aparicio, Wasima Farah, and Sarah Furniss) in humble garb, marching onward. We don't know what their destination is, and it is not clear that they know either, but they know that they are compelled to continue and that their destiny depends on not giving up no matter what obstacles they face. Those obstacles include shots fired at them at random intervals. One will fall and the others keep marching, each in their own ring of light (excellent lighting design is by Jordan Z. Hall). After some time elapses the fallen woman rises and resumes marching, with the three usually arranging themselves in a different formation, so it would seem that this is a new comrade, come to fill in for a fallen one.

On some occasions men (Nate Kay and José Sabillón) come from behind to harass the women, snatching at them and taunting them. Still, the women preserve and march, talking among themselves, at times in a show of mutual support, at other times denigrating each other, and still other times marking the futility of their efforts. They seek someone to make sense of it. "What we need is a politician," and the others respond in turn, "a leader," "a strongman," "a visionary." As the marching goes on, their feet require more effort to move, noting their weariness. In writing Marcha, Adellach surely thought of the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, who began holding marches in central Buenos Aires in 1977, at first to demand the release of and then to honor the memory of their children who disappeared during the junta's reign. The marches continue every Thursday to this day.

Palabras, or Words, directed by Meena Natarajan and Dipankar Mukherjee, opens with the five actors seen in Marcha barreling one by one onto the stage, as if shot from a cannon. They gain control over themselves and begin to form temporary groups, constantly rearranging. Their interactions are sensuous, lascivious, unrestrained. A sixth person enters (Ernest Briggs), adorned in a white robe and reading from a book, beginning "You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world!" He goes on, reading the Christian gospel as the other five mock him, taunt him, tug at him, and try to snatch his book away. His words convey nothing of value to them, and they scorn him for his efforts. He perseveres, even as they torment and finally humiliate him. At the end, he is reborn but in a new image that seems more in harmony with his world.

Criaturas, or Children, directed by Sir Curtis Kirby III, presents two boys (Nate Kay and José Sabillón) in play clothes as they engage in pretend stories that embody male cultural archetypes, among them: cowboys and Indians, war (fighting both on land and in fighter jets), castaways and astronauts. Their imaginations lead them from one gambit to another, tossing hand grenades, floating on a raft, experiencing zero gravity. They drag onto the stage a kitchen table (circa early 1960) to crawl under, climb atop, or put on end to create their hideouts, cockpits, and other settings. One of the boys seems to be dominant over the other, though each contributes to creation of the narrative that is the basis of their games. They are delightfully imaginative and playful but also chillingly, absorbing traditional macho rules of the way the world works. When one boy protests the way the game is going, the other (the dominant one) earnestly explains to his playmate that "You have to suffer."

During as well as between the plays, Vladimir Garrido provides a lush musical soundtrack and effective sound effects such as the zing of a bullet striking its target. Garrido uses stringed instruments, Andean panpipes, and various drums and percussion instruments to accomplish this, and is an indispensable part of the production. Sandy Agustin is credited as the show's choreographer. While I would hesitate to say that Homo Dramaticus includes dance sequences, intentional movement is very much a part of the show, which depends heavily on the physical depiction of its ideas. M. Curtis Grittner's spare set, Abigail Vaughan's costume designs, and Diego Vasquez Rios' sound design also contribute to the almost hypnotic effect of the production.

The actors are all deeply committed to the spirit of Homo Dramaticus. Paulina Aparicio, Wasima Farah, and Sarah Furniss are remarkable in revealing a host of different ways, both in physical manner and voice, of portraying the never-ending march. Ernest Briggs marvelously presents the detachment of the priest, committed to his words but clueless in being able to make them meaningful to the people he hopes to save. As the boys at play, Nate Kay and José Sabillón convey the very essence of these childhood rites, so much that their games triggered vivid memories of my own boyhood playing similar games with other boys.

Though long established, Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater have lower profiles than some of our other local theatre companies, and it could be easy to overlook their work. Don't! Homo Dramaticus is compelling, beautifully rendered and deeply thought provoking. The work is challenging, which is what makes it all the more essential.

Homo Dramaticus, a co-production of Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater, runs through November 17, 2024, at the Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please visit www.teatrodelpueblo.org or www.pangeaworldtheater.org.

Playwright: Alberto Adellach; Directed by: Sir Curtis Kirby III (Criaturas/Children), Alberto Justiniano (Marcha/March), Meena Natarajan and Dipankar Mukherjee (Palabras/Words); Scenic Design: M. Curtis Grittner; Costume Design: Abigail Vaughn; Lighting Design: Jordan Z. Hall; Sound Design: Diego Vasquez Rios; Stage Manager: Cassi Henning; Assistant Stage Manager: Kyra Richardson.

Cast: Paulina Aparicio, Ernest Briggs, Wasima Farah, Sarah Furniss, Nate Kay, José Sabillón. Musician: Vladimir Garrido.