Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Nilo Cruz’s melodramatic EXQUISITA AGONÍA is lost in translation

• By drediman
• June 12, 2018
• No Comments

Luz Nicolás in Nilo Cruz’s “Exquisita Agonía” by Nilo Cruz which premiered in May at Repertorio Español.

This past weekend, I caught a performance of Exquisita Agonía, the latest by Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Nilo Cruz (he won the coveted prize with Anna in the Tropics), which runs in repertory at Repertorio Español through August 3^rd. Mr. Cruz’s play – performed in Spanish with English titles – can be characterized as a combination of a Pedro Almodóvar flick, a Eugene O’Neill play, and a telenovela. Suffice to say, Exquisita Agonía is melodramatic, to say the least. It tells the story of a family in a state of emotional fragility upon the passing of its patriarch, who was killed in a car accident. In the play, he comes back to haunt (and torture) his family in a fantastical but not altogether farfetched way that would make Mr. Almodóvar proud.

I think I know what the playwright was going for, but I found the play, particularly its shouty second act, rather too much. Indeed, it’s as if something may have been lost in translation. Although it’s a pleasure to hear the play performed in the soulful rhythms of the Spanish language, it ultimately ends up being a somewhat trite and manipulative concoction that tries to hit all the hot buttons – revelations concerning child abuse, cheating husbands, disillusioned wives, overprotective brothers, and so forth, all try to vie for our attention. The production, solidly directed by José Zayas on a surprisingly stylish set by Raul Abrego, features some uneven, over-the-top performances, but I was particularly taken by the elegant, commanding presence of Luz Nicolas as the passionate matriarch.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

EXQUISITA AGONÍA
Off-Broadway, Play
Repertorio Español
2 hours (with one intermission)
In repertory through August 3