Becoming More
“You want to go to city to do good, but the world only makes you bad.” These strikingly true words, taken from Jorge Ignacio Cortinas’ new play, Blind Mouth Singing, embed themselves in the heart of the audience as soon as they are spoken. This heartbreaking sentence is one of an intriguing many contrived in the conversations between mother and son, self and self, and self and the world. The story of Blind Mouth Singing is the story of a family that technology has reached, but in small and confusing amounts. It is the story of a family that a mother tries so desperately to hold onto with her viselike grip, only to have it scatter because of her care. It is also the story of the struggle to become the bolder, braver, smarter, and more handsome person that one can be. In a way, the story of Blind Mouth Singing is the story of its audience, of their adolescence, their fears, their hopes, and most importantly, themselves.
Director Ruben Polendo relates personally to this play, which he agreed to become a part of after a deliciously prepared request by the National Asian American Theatre Company’s artistic director, Mia Katigbak. As a young man living in Mexico, Polendo also suffered from the reluctance of his family to release him into the world to pursue his education in America. And, like the Reiderico (Jon Norman Schneider) of Blind Mouth Singing, Polendo was also able to conquer his fears and anticipations, to a certain extent.
As the artistic director of Mitu, a not for profit organization whose mission is to present a unique and unified approach to theatre in an effort to improve the community within which its art resides, Polendo is familiar with the opposition and obstacles that can surround an individual endeavor. Though there is a Board of Directors, which is responsible for Mitu’s financial, organizational, and developmental features, it is ultimately the work of everyone involved that steers Mitu towards progress. The tireless work of the organization’s promoters helps to complete such thankless but necessary jobs such as handling legal work, writing grants, and preparing schedules and events, among other duties.
Like other non -profit organizations, Mitu sets aside a part of its time for community outreach and awareness programs. Unlike other non-profit organizations, however, Mitu also offers many comprehensive workshops and programs that educate others on their mission and on the rewarding consequences of a life spent in union with the arts. Because of Mitu’s mission to provide a unique theatrical experience to its audiences, Blind Mouth Singing is an artistic success, from its aurally pleasing sound effects created by a dedicated Foley Artist of Adam Cochran, and the boundary testing set of Zach Zirlin, not to mention an astonishing cast starring Jon Norman Schneider, Alex Camins, Mia Katigbak, Sue Jean Kim, and Orville Mendoza. The world might make you bad, but as the cast of Blind Mouth Singing and Ruben Polendo proved, the world can also make you more aware, learned, and better than who you are. That is, the world can make you more yourself.