Many of my actor friends think I spend way too much time trying to figure out what makes theater relevant in an age when the entire world is literally available in the palm of your hand. They think I’m some kind of arts nerd for worrying about the relevance of an entire art form that’s been around for over two thousand years.
Jay McAdams Artistic Director of 24th Street Theatre
But as a guy who runs a non-profit theater, it’s my job to try to deeply understand why people would feel the need to drive across the city and deal with traffic and parking for a gamble that my show is going to be worth it–when their loving little Droid is screaming from their pocket to check out the nearest sushi restaurant or hottest dance club or latest free downloadable porn. You know you do.
So it’s a rare thing when you find a play that actually makes the argument for you about whether theater still matters. That’s why I love Aristides Vargas’ play La Razón Blindada (currently EXTENDED at 24th STreet Theatre thru Feb.). It demonstrates how theater can literally be a lifesaver.
Vargas, one of the most acclaimed theater artists in South America, now lives in Ecuador but he is originally from Argentina. During the 1970s Argentine dictatorship, artists, playwrights and other intellectuals were rounded up and taken political prisoner, as they always seem to be. So Vargas escaped to Ecuador, where he lives in exile. But his brother was captured and thrown into one of the most notorious prisons in Argentina.
La Razón Blindada is inspired by interviews Vargas conducted with his brother and other political prisoners many years later. What he found was that theater was not only relevant to these men but it literally was used as a means for survival. These political prisoners were kept in solitary confinement except for one hour each Sunday when they were allowed to sit at a table with three other prisoners and talk. For just one hour. And they had to remain seated at all times. That was the rule. Standing could be fatal.
Playwright/Director Aristides Vargas (L) gives notes to actors Arturo Diaz de Sandy (Center) and Jesus Castaños-Chima at a rehearsal at 24th STreet Theatre. Photography by Loli Castaños
In order to retain their sanity, many of the men decided to use this precious time to tell each other stories in order to free their imaginations. They could be physically imprisoned, but their imaginations weren’t locked up. In that hour, they were FREE!
These men were not of the theater, yet they risked their lives to perform for each other every Sunday, two as actors and the other two as the audience. They used well-known tales like those of Cervantes, and they learned to improvise as well. Then, back to their isolation to look forward to next week’s show.
It is no exaggeration to say that theater saved their lives. I write that Theater Saves Lives on grant applications often, but even for those of us in the choir, it’s easy to lose sight of the real power of theater. La Razón Blindada was born of the struggles of these prisoners and bears witness to the fact that theater does make a difference: here and there, then and now.
Even under those oppressive circumstances, these prison performers had one thing most of us in LA could only dream of — they always had a sold-out house.
(L) Jesus Castaños-Chima and Tony Duran in 24th STreet Theatre’s U.S. Premiere of La Razón Blindada. Photography by Loli Castaños
La Razón Blindada continues its run Sat., 8 pm, through Feb. 26. Tickets: $15-$24. 24th STreet Theatre, 1117 W. 24 St. (at Hoover), Los Angeles; 213.745.6516 or theatre@24thstreet.org. Get tickets https://24thstreet.secure.force.com/ticket.
