Review: BAD HOMBRES/GOOD WIVES at Teatro Audaz

The Texas premiere of Bad Hombres/Good Wives by Herbert Siguenza is an amazing night of entertainment you are not going to want to miss. Siguenza's story features Cartel rivalries, love, and a lot of comedy. There is a special nod to the Bard himself, Guillermo Shakespeare with an amazing Hamlet monologue en español. Teatro Audaz is dedicated to exploring the varied experiences, cultures, and languages of Latinx people through producing and showcasing the creative talents of Latinx artists. through theatrical experiences in San Antonio and the surrounding areas. Bad Hombres/Good Wives is a great piece of art that fits right in with the mission of Teatro Audaz. Directed by Juan Carlos Calderon the cast shined with well-timed comedy, just enough melodrama, and a little bit of intimacy. The story unfolds with Don Ernesto sharing that he is going to get married. He, as a benefactor to a young woman, sent her to a group of nuns to be trained to be his wife (how romantic). Eric Alvarado was a fantastic Don Ernesto. He connected with the audience in a way that allowed us to love and hate him. In the end, we were all rooting for him. Alvarado brought charm, humor, and his best machismo strut to the stage.

Photo credit to Max Estudillo.

His cross-town rival, Mario Grande Jr. played by Mason Anthony Ortiz, is a well-educated businessman ready to take over the family business after his father's death. Ortiz was phenomal not only with his physical acting but also in his dramatic nightmare sequence which was the home of the amazing Hamlet monologue. I chuckled out loud when he walked in with a skull and said "¿Ser, o no ser?" While being put in some awkward situations Ortiz captured the heart of the audience with his ability to be a Cartel leader but also a hopeless romantic.

The trouble starts brewing when Mario meets a young woman, Eva played by Liliana Sanchez, at the train station. She is warned by her chaperone, Armida played by Ixchel Cuellar, that she is not to speak to anyone. The two star-crossed lovers are pulled apart as Eva heads to her life with Don Ernesto and Mario is off to his father's funeral and to take over the family business.

Sanchez played a wonderful ingenue with the perfect mixture of innocence and cunning. She was a damsel, she was in a stressful situation, but she had a plan and knew how to get what she wanted. This was a great breakout role for Sanchez and it will be exciting to watch as this young actor continues to hone her skills.

Cuellar is one of two stand-out comedians in the play as Armida. She was the highlight of the show. Every time she was on stage I couldn't wait to see what antics she would get up to. As an actor, Cuellar was a wonderful physical comedian entrancing us with her seductive dancing but she was a fantastic incompetent housekeeper for Don Ernesto. Her partner in crime, Padre Alberto played by John Perez, took us to church, confession, and the club. Perez was wonderfully awkward as Padre Alberto which only enhanced the character and made the audience roar with laughter.

This play kicked off with Lucha Grande, played by Anastacia Islas, a superstar banda singer min mid-concert with her two backup dancers, played by Stephen Gamez and Lorenzo Mireles. Islas has a powerhouse voice that moved the audience to sing with her, literally a few people were singing next to me but she also dominated, literally, the stage as an actress. In a raunchy duet scene she wins over the audience in her ability to take control. Mireles and Gamez are the dynamic sidekick duo acting not only as backup dancers for Lucha Grande but also sicarios working for Don Ernesto. They brought so much laughter to the audience as the archetypal dumb duo.

All and all this was a knockout cast who worked well together. Their chemistry on stage made the play so enjoyable. The set, designed by Max Estudillo, was a functional unit set with creative uses of projection and set dressing that made each scene feel as though it were in a different place. Though it was in the Cellar Theatre which is relatively small the lighting design, by Larry Martinez, really kept you focused on story and allowed the audience to clearly discern dreams from reality.

The major win for this production for me, as a theatre teacher, is how many theatre educators were involved in this performance. The cast and crew of this production proved that the phrase "those who can't do, teach" is wrong. These folx are not only teaching; they are doing and they are doing it well.

You've got just another week or so to see this play and you are not going to want to miss it.

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