Review: CIRCUS QUIXOTE at Lookingglass Theatre

When Miguel de Cervantes published the first part of his novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha in 1605, it was met with such critical acclaim that some literary pirates began publishing unauthorized second parts to capitalize on this success. Even in our own century, Don Quixote (as it is more commonly known) is considered by writers to be one of the best, most central books in Western history, and it remains one of the most translated works of all time. Now, Lookingglass Theatre’s CIRCUS QUIXOTE provides Chicago audiences with a stunning dramatic adaptation of Don Quixote that is every bit as impactful and imaginative as its source material. The much-anticipated production runs through March 30.

To call Don Quixote a novel, though, doesn’t quite do justice to the experience of reading the text. The plot, insofar as there is one, revolves around the Spanish hidalgo Alonso Quixano, who spends too many of his waking hours reading medieval chivalric romances. He becomes so obsessed with these books that Quixano renames himself Don Quixote, puts on a decaying suit of armor, and sets off across the countryside with his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza in search of damsels to save and giants to slay. What follows is a succession of episodic misadventures that parody the conventions of knightly conquests while also raising profound questions about the importance of art in our daily lives and what it means to be a truly virtuous person.

Under the direction of Kerry and David Catlin (who also adapted the play from the original novel), CIRCUS QUIXOTE maintains the original’s structure while using circus arts such as acrobatics, clowning, and aerial silks to capture the magic and whimsy of Don Quixote’s imagined world.

The Catlins are assisted in executing their vision by an adventurous cast, many of whom play multiple roles with deliberate specificity and excellent comic timing. Leading the charge as Don Quijano/Don Quijote is Michel Rodriguez Cintra. With electric charisma and a willingness to never take himself too seriously, Cintra perfectly embodies those qualities that have made Don Quixote such a captivating figure over the centuries. When he isn’t winning audiences over with his charming smile and unwavering positivity, Cintra is leaving them in awe with his strength and physicality. He prances and leaps across the walls of Courtney O’Neill’s set like something out of a Monty Python sketch. Time after time, he proves himself more than adept at executing Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi’s varied circus choreography, expertly moving with poise and fluidity as he flips over and swings around set pieces or flies over the audience in a variety of contraptions and configurations. Readers will be happy to know that the “tilting at windmills” bit is as breathtaking as it is hilarious.

But it’s Eddie Martinez, doubling up as Sancho Panza and the narrator Cervantes, who provides the surprising emotional heart of the play. On a dramaturgical level, Martinez is the reluctant straight man to Cintra’s manic clown. But as the scenes go on and the adventures become increasingly dire, it’s hard not to be moved by Sancho Panza’s unwavering loyalty to his deluded companion. Martinez’s Sancho reassures Don Quixote with a softness and sincerity that we should all wish to see from our loved ones. In fact, in their many moments together in peril and at peace, Cintra and Martinez remind us why Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are the most famous friends in literature.

It’s difficult to call out any one performer in the ensemble because they all work together so seamlessly, like cogs in a perfectly designed watch. To remove any one would throw off the beautifully orchestrated balance of the rest of the piece. But it’s at least worth taking note of particular moments that brought a smile to my face long after the performance had ended. Julian Hester’s smartly placed ad-libs, especially during Don Quixote’s initial bouts of madness, make him a delightful proxy for the audience in early scenes, though his dramatic turn as the Duke near the play’s conclusion shows him to be a moving romantic lead as well opposite Ayana Strutz’s Duchess. Andrea San Miguel is similarly affecting as Antonia, Don Quixote’s devoted niece who places her uncle’s happiness and well-being above her own. Much like Martinez, San Miguel shows that there’s great heart at the center of Cervantes’s timeless tale.

Speaking of which, Laura Murillo Hart provides gorgeous vocals and acrobatics as Dulcinea, the imagined object of Don Quixote’s affection. But Hart also makes for an exquisite comic actress as well, particularly in her role as a traveling puppeteer. No doubt with the help of her hidden castmates, Hart tells an increasingly elaborate comic romance, with puppets and set pieces appearing in quick succession from the many folds of her cloak that quite literally threaten to overtake the theater. Micah Figueroa also delights as Don Quixote’s many villainous antagonists, often literally matching Cintra’s movements and gravity-defying physicality.

The production’s technical aspects are as thoughtful as the performances. Much of O’Neill’s set is composed of stacks of books that remind viewers of how much literature has constructed Don Quixote’s worldview, but audiences will consistently be delighted as holes open up in the floors and walls to make way for new scenes and villains. And J. Grover Hollway’s sound design highlights the beauty of Hart and Strutz’s voices without overpowering the actors’ performances.

My only real quibble is that the Catlins’ adaptation is so faithful to Cervantes’s original text that I wonder if some of its nuances may be lost on younger audiences or those less familiar with the original text. There’s a great bit at the opening of the second act that references the many literary pirates who tried to capitalize on Cervantes’s early success, but the humor of the moment may get lost without this context. And more mature theatergoers may take issue with some of the story’s toilet humor that delighted audiences of the seventeenth century.

But all in all, CIRCUS QUIXOTE marks a triumphant return for Lookingglass Theatre after a too-long hiatus from Chicago’s cultural landscape. They’ve given audiences young and old a production that not only entertains but also encourages us to consider how art can make us better, kinder, and more courageous in our everyday lives, a message that feels particularly relevant in the shadow of very real giants who would have us turn to cruelty and close-mindedness.

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