Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Murder, Mayhem, and Machetes in Marble

No! I am not writing about the latest drug cartel violence to hit Mexico ( there is more than enough written about that, plus plenty of other lurid scaremongering tales about the dangers of Mexico City); rather this is a post about the latest theatre production to grace the stage at Bellas Artes... and what a unique stage it is; the marble bathrooms no less - both the Ladies and the Gents.....

The tiny audience is firstly divided into two groups, then frogmarched and lined up by two very bossy wardrobe girls in either the mens' or the womens' adjoining marble bathrooms, and then the action unfolds - two twenty minute simultaneous scenes, so it doesn't matter which bathroom you visit first, but whilst watching one scene you also eavesdrop on the other!! The experience is an intimate voyeuristic paradise with villains pulling guns and munching sandwiches under your very nose, and heroines / heroes looking right through you to apply their make-up or adjust their hats in the mirror. Indeed some of the action has to be viewed in the mirrors themselves, and enjoy the moment when as the machete blow is struck, the lights go out and the audience is sprayed with what surely feels like blood!! Here is the final scene that takes place in the Ladies...

A true voyeur always sneaks her camera in and takes the shot after everyone else has departed! The original play, "Ladies and Gents" by Irish playwright Paul Walker, was commissioned by Theatre Company Semper Fi for the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2002. It went on to win a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh in 2003, and here the spanish translation is directed by Enrique Singer as "Los Banos".

The palatial marble bathrooms are a microcosm of one of Mexico City's most beautiful buildings. Here is the rest of the Palacio Bellas Artes which serves as concert hall, exhibition space, and display area for some of the great Mexican muralists, namely Rivera, Orozco and Siquieros. It also boasts a fine stained glass Tiffany stage curtain in the main auditorium.

The white marble Palace was finally completed after the Revolution in the 1930s incorporating wonderful art deco design features, after the earlier shell of the 1905 building subsided into the city's soft subsoil....


"Los Banos" plays on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon and 1pm until April 12th. Be sure to book in advance, and don't miss this unique theatrical experience in a unique place!! Check out other places by clicking here for MyWorldTuesday posts...

16 comments:

Lakshmi said...

I love theatre..amazing post ..could visualise the drama

ninja said...

Thanks for the visit. Re: I feel like the seasons shifted during my lifetime. Now Winter starts around New Years and lasts for three months. So a few more days.

Arija said...

A beautiful theatre, and I feel it is so important to have live theatre.

magiceye said...

wow! must be a thrilling experience!

SandyCarlson said...

That sounds like a good adventure in theatre. What fun.

hitch writer said...

guess the theatre must be fun... it looks great...

i loved the pic in the ladies room though !! lol ;)

Hey Harriet said...

Now that would be a show I'd love to attend! I love your post title!!!

Fly Girl said...

Los Banos! What a creative dramatic alternative. I love theater and I'm sure I'd adore this experience.

kristine said...

wow, how very innovative. I am not sure I get it fully, but that photo of the lady with the legs sticking out of the cubible is priceless!!

Janie said...

Wow, this is a unique viewing experience. Must've been quite memorable to see.

Cecile/DreamCreateRepeat said...

Definitely does not sound like your typical stage play. I actually had to reread the first part of your post to make sure I was understanding what you were saying! ; )

Carolyn said...

Oh what a wonderful post and a simply delightful way to spend an afternoon.....how fun. Beautiful building. Thank you so much for sharing.
Smiles

A Cuban In London said...

This is my kind of theatre... outside a theatre. And I love the toilets, they look so clean! very different from the ones in Covent Garden (at least the gents' :-D)

Greetings from London.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. t's nice to find your blog! I love to read blogs about places, people and events and yours is the first I found that is about Mexico City. Very intriguing.

I love theater and this certainly looks like a show with a lot of audience involvement.

I'll be back to visit again.

GMG said...

Hi Catherine! Sorry for the absence! It has been hard to get some free time... ;)
Too far to book it; but on Sundays it used to be Ballet Folclorico at the Belas artes... ;))

Now, «The Masterpiece» waits you and your comments at Blogtrotter. You shouldn’t miss it, believe me... ;). Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Owen said...

wow, what a crazy theatre trip !