The Way She Spoke

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THE WAY SHE SPOKE

Photo: Joan Marcus

Cititour.com Review
Anyone who thinks summertime equals happy stories clearly isn’t paying attention to Off-Broadway. The past few days have seen the official premieres of Lincoln Center’s “The Rolling Stone” (about the persecution of suspected homosexuals in Uganda), Rattlestick’s “No One Is Forgotten” (about two women being held in a disgusting cell) and the Public Theater’s “Mojada” (a modern-day take on the Greek tragedy “Medea.”) Now, add to that list “The Way She Spoke,” Isaac Gomez’ often-startling tale of numerous women being abducted, raped and/or killed in Juarez, Mexico, now being presented at the Audible Theater at the Minetta Lane Theater.

We learn about these horrible developments much in the way Gomez did; he traveled to Juarez to interview various women affected by these tragedies; a mother still waiting for her long-missing daughter to come back; a female bus driver who saw the women she transported to the local factories taken off the street in an instant; the sister of a family friend who, despite being a lesbian, married a man for safety and protection. Each tale is chilling its in on way, and cumulatively, almost too hard to bear.

In a smart, if perhaps rather too-meta-theatrical move, Gomez – a native of Juarez’ sister city, El Paso -- decided it was better (or perhaps just more politically correct) to tell let a woman tell us these stories rather than himself. Luckily, he couldn’t have chosen a better collaborator than the extraordinary Mexican actress Kate del Castillo (perhaps best known to non-Spanish-speaking audiences for a supporting role on “Weeds”). She effortlessly portrays not just Gomez and herself (as I said, it’s all a little meta) but a dozen other characters – including the Virgin Mary – with significant yet subtle differentiations in her voice, posture and looks.

Moreover, del Castillo has the necessary skill to command Riccardo Hernandez’s nearly bare, vast stage (a table and three chairs basically make up the set) for 75-minutes. Director Jo Bonney, who smartly guides Del Castillo on her journey, gives us just a smattering of visual appeal, mostly through Aaron Rhyne’s rather subtle projections, wisely letting us focus on the sad, terrifying and shocking words emitting from Gomez’ pen and del Castillo’s lips.

By the play’s end, we realize that while many of the women of Juarez are strong and independent, they have also learned, albeit the hard way, to do whatever it takes to stay safe themselves—a necessity in order not to share the same fate that has already befallen too many Mexican women. It’s truly unspeakable!
By Brian Scott Lipton


Visit the Site
https://www.thewayshespokeplay.com

Cast
Kate del Castillo

Open/Close Dates
Opening 7/8/2019
Closing 8/18/2019

Box Office
800-982-2787

Theatre Info
Minetta Lane Theatre
18 Minetta Lane
New York, NY 10012
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