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| L - R Ric Salinas and Kenneth Lopez - Photos by: Grettel Cortes Photography |
By Joe Straw
(Art is about breaking rules and the only way I could write about The Cruise was to put myself on the ship.
It wasn’t hard to do, just grab my ticket, take a seat, and watch people
interacting.)
I boarded the Majestic, a cruise ship, and one that moves it’s way slowly
around the blue seas of the Caribbean. There was a light breeze and I wasn’t
feeling all that great.
After the death of a pet, a fish found upturned in her aquarium, “they”
said it would be good to just “ get away from the madness” and just “get some
rest.” The reality of the spoken word was
refreshing but the cruise was an exorbitant price to pay for the exacerbated mourning
of a fish. No matter, I’m here.
Grief stricken I’m here alone. Settling
down with a pad in my lap, I thought this would be a nice time to catch up on
my thoughts, write about what I saw, the people on the cruise, and get a tan in
the process.
Being shut in these long winter months does not look good to those who
want to look brown. If I could get as brown as an Arawak, not get some kind of
skin cancer, and blend in, I would decidedly be upbeat and maybe change in some
significant way.
I thought I could remain anonymous on
the cruise ship. And just possibly engage in a coze or two. – Narrator
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| L - R Carolyn Almos, Gary Lamb, Ric Salinas, and Kenneth Lopez |
Boyd Mathiesson (Brian Wallace) greets everyone on the ship. A peculiar man, of an uncertain comportment, slightly
disheveled, who seemed to run the ship. For the life in me, I couldn’t tell
where this guy was from – eerie music here “the man from who knows where” end
music – he had a German, French, Dutch, and English accent – no. England is
stretching it a bit – maybe a Spaniard in some cabalistic circles. There is something inflexible about him; the
acrid biting remarks as though he has been through a lot of pain. The tattered
belt he wears is a noticeable giveaway of an unsustainable lifestyle. He is slightly angry and one thinks, he is a closeted
gay and possibly an alcoholic. Also, the word around the Majestic is that Boyd
is up for a big promotion.
One person that seemed to have the time of his life is Ramón
Diaz (Ric Salinas)—a man who wears outlandish pastels like there is no tomorrow
and takes great pride in having fun even at the expense of himself. Ramón is in hiding; actually he is traveling incognito
and under an assumed name. The sunglasses hide very little. One is told that Ramón
goes by another last name Garcia, but for now he is Professor Diaz, noted
historian of the Arawak natives of the Caribbean. Check your program for the
lecture schedule.
James Garcia (Kenneth Lopez), a writer of sort, is traveling
with his father, Ramón. From just
looking at them, one would, at first, suspect a couple, an estranged couple,
but no they were father and son. They are about the same height. James didn’t come
prepared, like the others, a jacket, tees and inexpensive jeans thrown in a
duffel bag and tissue, lots of tissues is about all he had. Writers!
Judith Coburn (Carolyn Almos) is peculiar in the way she
looks at everyone, as though she knows you, without introduction. She is one of “those” people that prowls humanity
searching for the opportunity to make a connection. Throw down the straw, and let
go of that “Goombay Smash”. It’s time to
make the simplest but lovely connection. With her there is always a purpose.
Howard Thomlinson (Gary Lamb) is married to Judith? They are together most of the time but I’m a
little puzzled why they have different last names. She doesn’t seem to be a feminist. They are both white, rich, well not rich
rich, but just rich. And he’s off about smoking a joint, any place where he can
find solitude, and to talk to someone about something he inexplicably needs
which one is not sure of. He and his
wife are from Arizona and reek of white privilege.
The way Boyd and Ramón get together is sinister, in a way,
quiet. They have a past they need to talk about. Out in the open on the deck,
and in the dark, where they feel safer. That triggers shame in one and fun
times for the other. A ravenous hunger of
both - truth and bestial affinities has got one under the control the other.
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| Ric Salinas, Brian Wallace |
In any case, Boyd has found out that Ramón is traveling on
the Majestic under an assumed name and possible with a fake passport. And
despite Boyd’s internal and external struggle with Ramón, Boyd now has the legal upper
hand.
So, that means whatever relationship Ramón has with his son,
estranged as though it may be, needs to be patched up quickly.
But Ramón is no slouch when getting the goods on someone especially
when it involves his life. Watching Boyd
on the verge of vitiating his son and then calling his son “promiscuous”, well that
night on the deck would turn the heartiest of stomachs.
The Cruise by Jonathan
Ceniceroz is a wonderful captivating comedy that is engaging in ways that
explores the human condition. The writing is exquisite. At most,
it is the examination of deeper relationships - almost excavating to get beyond the surface of simple
human foibles. Each person on board
brings on their baggage both figuratively and literally, their history, with and without
fault. The cruise is, in some way, a
cleansing ritual for the characters and that is what makes this cruise so fascinating to watch. There is a deeper meaning here that has to do with the content of the character, in a constricted space, under a wide open canopy, where the characters are literally smothering each other from one moment to the next, interactively, and is decidedly brilliant in that
regard.
Health Cullens,
the director, shows remarkable range, in guiding the actors to their
destination. There is never a let up in
action and this remarkable group of actors never let a moment slip without a
reaction that rings a sincere truth. That said, there are a couple of items
that need discussion.
Gary Lamb gives
rise to the character Howard Thomlinson, a three dimension astute character
that did not have a noticeable objective.
(Sometimes you have to hit me over the head with it.) Thomlinson is husband number two, wants to be
involved with his wife’s occupation, but would rather be off doing something
else. One really couldn’t tell what that “something else” was. How does
Thomlinson fit in the course of the play?
Well, the reality is he is a conservative operative that needs a Latino
voice on board his ship. But, really, is that enough? That said, Lamb is an
exceptional actor for which the stronger points of an objective must be made to
give him a stronger credibility.
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| Kenneth Lopez, Carolyn Almos |
Carolyn Almos breathes
life to Judith Coburn, a wife now but mostly a political maven from Pleasant
Valley, AZ whose only joy in life is to find her a conservative candidate and
then to elect him. She cruises the ship
in the hopes of making a connection or two and then exploiting those
connections. Almos is remarkable in her craft, making it look all too easy and
that is the trademark of a very fine actor.
Kenneth Lopez plays
James Garcia, the son. James comes to
make amends with his estranged father. A
cruise is just the ticket. But James is
much like his father, fun loving and capable of getting into a lot of
trouble. This is a supreme showcase for
Lopez that highlights a performance which showed both a subtle nuance in
performance and an impeccable range all in one fell swoop. These are moments
when you just lift the pen from the page and take notice of a remarkable
moment. Lopez is doing a lot of downtown
theatre and the work in this show was very impressive and unexpected.
Ric Salinas plays
Ramón Garcia. Ramón, a complex character,
is mostly on this ride for fun. Ramón has gotten himself into trouble with the
cruise line and is unable to completely hide from the one thing that he truly
likes to have, fun. Maybe it is his last
fling and why not get his son to come visit on this last trip. Salinas brings his comic genius to the stage
in this go out even going overboard in the process to great comic effect. And
this is a theatre where you are just a hairs breath away from one of the finest
actors in Los Angeles.
Brian Wallace is
extraordinary as Boyd. He plays a character where one has to step back and
utter to the character, “Where are you from?”
It is a role specifically written with that characterization in mind and
Wallace performs it impeccably.
There is something I did not quite get. Sometimes one has to be hit over the head
with a moment and that moment is the “apology”.
What exactly happens when the apology is made?
Brittany Blouch,
Scenic Design, is effective. One would
suggest the budget was not a grand one but this is a set where a little
symbolism goes a long way.
Manee Leija,
Costume Design, works on many levels.
Other members of the crew are as follows:
Justin Huen –
Lighting Design
Ivan Robles –
Sound Designer
Antonieta Castillo
– Properties Design
Jagger Waters –
Stage Manager
Gabe Figueroa –
Production Manager
Run! Run! Run! And take someone who is an observer and is dying
to go on a cruise.
The Latino Theater Company presents The Cruise written by Jonathan
Ceniceroz and Directed by Heath Cullens through April 9, 2017.
LATC
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
THELATC.ORG
866-811-4111
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