At The Bottom Of The Well
Set in the time of industrialization, Jorge Ignacio Cortinas’ “Blind Mouth Singing” portrays a family, that has fought against the changes of the outside world. The aroma of the stage pushes the audience to a simpler time, a time of cigars and sitting at home on the weekends. The dank stage conveys a sense of modesty with wooden floorboards and gramophone player on the table. At the center of the stage lies a perpendicular pond in a rectangular form. This structure plays a key role in the play as a sort of wishing well if you may, a treasure box, a calm place for meditation and personal reflection.
This well is a keeper of dreams, the dreams of the youngest son, Reiderico and the dreams of his mother, the mother of the late afternoon. The characters in this play are unique. Reiderico, the young son, has always been compliant with everyone else in the household, but at the same time, fighting his own ambitions to go to the city. The mother of the late afternoon is lost in the world and finds solace in things remaining the same, even when everything around her is changing. She clings to her sons and her sister tightly and they in turn begin to restrict their dreams and desires in order to live with her. One ominous line that the mother constantly asks Reiderico is “Are you going to leave me too?” In this single line, Jorge portrays a humans’ need to feel wanted and important.
The actors in this play are in tuned with the script and the story, a creation of both the director and the actor’s artistic interpretation. They are able devote their mind to the role and portray it sincerely to the audience at a moments notice. In an interview with Jon Norman Schneider, who plays Reiderico, we got to experience the recreation of a scene right in front of us, with no props or stage managers. This performance was truly praise worthy.
“Blind Mouth Singing” is a woven masterpiece reflecting on every character in the play. Trapped in a world within a world, the characters find themselves in constant struggle. Their surroundings are simple and their actions are simple but they yearn for excitement. In an effort to create this feel, Director, Ruben Polendo places many subtle but powerful effects on stage. Little things like the smell of a old cigar and the sound of a manually generated fan adds to the tension of the play, one reminding us of things that are old and another that represent the bustling changes of the outside world.
At the end of the play, the audience comes to an epiphany about humans’ inner turmoil. The great finale with the death of Reiderico acknowledges that there is a threat to human existence; that the hindrance of any individual’s mind and feelings leads to the death of their soul.