Review: Pointless Theatre's DON CRISTÓBAL is a Beautiful Production Despite a Lackluster Script

Puppets have been shocking audiences long before Melissa McCarthy's Happytime Murders or the Tony-winning Avenue Q. Citizens of Victorian England knew their shock-inducing puppets by a different moniker: Punch and Judy. Continually performed to this day, the Punch and Judy puppet shows rely on excessive violence from the primary character (Punch) who begins beating people with a billy club when frustrated with the other characters surrounding him whether they be his wife, Judy, or innocent townspeople. The final result is definitively cringeworthy by today's standards, where violence and physical abuse are, thankfully, less acceptable forms of comedy, but the format is one that can be effectively used to examine darker themes through the lens of a seemingly child-friendly performance. Pointless Theatre's production of Don Cristóbal is an inventive send-up to Punch and Judy shows that is unfortunately bogged down by a clunky script which spends too much time trying to set up profundities it doesn't successfully execute.

Based on Federico Garcia Lorca's 1930s El Retablillo de Don Cristóbal (itself an adaptation of Punch and Judy) Pointless Theatre's production follows a play-within-a-play format. While performing a puppet show of Don Cristóbal, the Director (Thais Menendez) and the Poet (Paz Lopez) continually disagree about the script's tone. Believing Don Cristóbal (Matthew Sparacino) to have no redeemable qualities, the Director continually pushes for more over-the-top violence. While the Poet tries to challenge this, claiming there is some good buried deep inside of the abusive doctor, the Director will not listen. Instead, the Director continues to up the ridiculousness, asking for more sexuality from his betrothed, Rosita (Vanessa Chapoy), and chastising the actors when scenes are not violent or sexy enough. After the Director is hit on the head with the puppet's billy club, she awakens to find herself inside of the play, accused of being Don Cristóbal herself. Facing prosecution for Don Cristóbal's violent crimes, the Director is forced to justify her goodness to those around her.

The initial puppet show goes on far too long, almost serving as an entire production in itself. When the Director retraces every plot point from the puppet show in her journey to redemption, an unwelcome feeling of deja vu is created. Retreading the scenes with a different lens is an interesting concept. The script, however, adapted by Patti Kalil, Rachel Menyuk and Erick Swartz, doesn't add anything new to these redone scenes. If there's nothing new to the Director's journey that wasn't already seen during the puppet show then the question becomes "why go on this journey in the first place?" Conversely, the script deftly code-switches between Spanish and English seamlessly to create some beautiful moments. Despite this, these moments can't make up for an oddly paced evening.

It's disappointing that the script fumbles given the excellence of the show's company. Ms. Menendez anchors the show as an eminently watchable antihero. Her Director isn't likable, per se, but there is something relatable in her desire to be the best she can be. At the end of the day, she is a woman dedicated to her craft above all else.

The rest of the company impresses just as much as Ms. Menendez. In addition to being serviceable puppeteers, Mr. Sparacino and Ms. Chapoy share a solid comedic rhythm during their scenes together as Don Cristóbal and Rosita. Each performs the puppet show with a knowing wink to the audience. Doing so helps dull the pain of each billy club strike, assuring the audience that the performers know just how outlandish the material is.

The true MVP of the evening, however, is Ms. Lopez's Poet. During the puppet show, Ms. Lopez not only serves as a suitable sparring partner for Ms. Menendez but also provides phenomenal sound effects for the performance. Once the Director is trapped inside of the show, Ms. Lopez reemerges as an apparent god to those around her who make way for her whenever she struts across the stage in her fabulous floral suit (Frank Labovitz did the costuming). Ms. Lopez exudes such power that it's no surprise all the other characters make way for her-they wouldn't want to get chewed up with the rest of the scenery.

And what beautiful scenery it is. Designed by Mel Bieler and built by Renegade Productions, the set begins as a simple puppet theater facade. As the plot veers into more fantastical areas, the set transforms and reveals additional capabilities to expand, contract and move freely around the stage. Coupled with solid lighting from Niomi Collard, the design is able to effectively infuse enough magic to create the new worlds explored in this production. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the design, however, are Francisco-Javier Benavides's highly detailed and stylized puppets. Each one is infused with its own sense of personality and crafted with a mix of whimsy and crookedness that underscores the darkness of the material being presented in a "child-friendly" manner.

There's enough good in this production to warrant a visit. But this good production could have been great if the script had been streamlined and cut about twenty minutes. Pointless Theatre's Don Cristóbal underscores the importance of always elevating the source material past any limitations. Another theater company may not have succeeded where Pointless has.

Pointless Theatre's Don Cristóbal plays at the Dance Loft on 14 through September 8 and runs approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. For tickets and information, click here.

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Sam Abney is a Washington, D.C. based arts professional. A native of Arizona, he has happily made D.C. his new home. Sam is a graduate from George Mason University with a degree in Communication and currently works for Arena Stage as a member of their Development team. He is a life-long lover of theater and is excited about sharing his passion with as many people as possible.

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