Octavio Solis, a playwright long affiliated with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, has written an over-the-top comedy, Quixote Nuevo, inspired by the classic Spanish novel, Don Quixote de la Mancha. Now playing at the Thomas Theatre, his raucous, randy, overstuffed work is set in the present, with quick visits back to 1605, when the original book appeared.
Herbert Siguenza embodies our modern Quixote, a retired professor struggling with dementia, and pursued by Papa Calaca, a magnetic death figure played by the irresistible Raul Cardona. When he smiles, and then smiles even wider, he looks capable of eating you in seconds. As Quixote escapes from his home in the red rock country of La Plancha, Texas, he picks up an entourage led by Ernie Gonzalez as his funny sidekick Manny, the modern version of Sancho Panza from the book. Naturally they get into big trouble, and you might be surprised by their verbal reactions. Much of the script is written in Spanglish, the popular mishmash of English and Spanish spoken along the border with Mexico. In program notes the author explains how he carefully places English and Spanish words near each other so everyone can understand.
Although Quixote Nuevo often seems too long and too jumbled, with fragments of the plot broken into kaleidoscopic pieces, director Lisa Portes makes sure the surprises are impactful. After all, who could resist a troupe of dancing skeletons in fancy dress?
The scenic design by Efren Delgadillo, along with costume and puppet designs by Helen Huang, are truly spectacular.
