Teatro Vista

02/27/09

A Great New Play: ?Our Lady of the Underpass?

by DavidOcampoG at Citysearch

This gem of a play is now showing at the Greenhouse Theater on North Lincoln. Presented by Teatro Vista, it is written by Tanya Saracho and directed by Sandra Marquez.

The scene is the Fullerton Avenue underpass at the Kennedy. No place for an appearance of the Blessed Virgin could be more ?Chicago?. She is also appearing, at Teatro Vista, to the minds and souls of many Chicagoans who come to this underpass, seeking refuge from their pain and loneliness.

The acting is ferociously real, to the point that it seems that in the quiet of a confession, you hear intimations of homosexuality by a yuppie who claims he hates "those people". You witness the anger of a young Polish health worker, dressed in ?scrubs?, who trails along with her devout mother to pray before the Virgin?s image, all the while seething with rage against the ?Americans? who denigrate and mistreat their Polish workers, ignoring that they are all ?white?. Nonetheless, after railing against these ?Americans who have no faith, no sensibility, no nothing?? she announces that she will pray for them, ?for God to give them something!?

This play has elements of a Greek chorus, with intonations on the course of events and a warning that Mayor Daley will ?take it down at any moment?. Its portrayal of the sublime, inextricably intertwined with the humble and the profane, brings to mind the great classics of baroque era Spanish literature. With traffic and city sounds in the background, we are led to witness the interplay of faith and tradition with both the petty and the noble in human nature. We are invited to meditate in front of the austere set while, in a babel of English, Spanish and Polish, we hear the pervasive loneliness, the compassion and, ultimately, the depth in these human beings, all brought forth in the presence of an enigmatic image on a concrete wall.

The acting is professional. You will laugh as you try to hide a tear. The message will strike a chord in the depth of your being.

• Pros: Thought-provoking, sophisticated, timely, funny
• Cons: Some foreign language use. Street parking is a challenge.

06/25/08

great night of theatre

by theatrehippie at Citysearch

I love everything Teatro Vista does!

I love everything Teatro Vista does!I love everything Teatro Vista does!I love everything Teatro Vista does!I love everything Teatro Vista does!I love everything Teatro Vista does!