Theater Performance - Rosita's Day of the Dead

             This was an entertaining performance; it sent a real message under the guise of a humorous diversion from reality into the perceived (or believed?) world of the 'previously living,' otherwise known as calacas, or the 'bony ones'.
             The main character – Rosita – is originally from Mexico; she has since moved far from her birthplace and her family, not as far geographically, but certainly worlds away emotionally.
             As the story opens, we hear a calaca say "levantase!" We then see calacas coming from every direction into Rosita's kitchen; lively music plays as they seem to discover that they can touch solid objects without passing through them. Some carry suitcases; one sits down and drinks a cup of coffee, another seems fascinated with a sugar dispenser. As sunlight comes, they quickly scurry away, out of sight. Now, as at other times, one is a little slower than the others and narrowly escapes discovery.
             We get a taste of Rosita's sassy side when she greets the customer from Clovis, who becomes part of the audience, thus signifying, in my view, that the character is not as significant as the reason why she is there (Was this really an actor, or merely a patron of the theatre, tapped to be our customer because of the seat she chose?): Rosita tells her story to the customer, the story of her day of the dead. Of course, the story would not be complete without snippets of background, which she provides to the customer, and thus, to the audience.
             Marisabel, Rosita's granddaughter, bounds in with the revelation that she has spoken to her dead grandmother; Rosita doesn't really seem to believe her until Marisabel speaks her grandmother's name. It is then that the series of strange happenings are revealed to us: the nail shop, the travel agency, the produce delivery person, and the trip to the afterlife – Mictlan. The nail shop incident, in which Rosita is 'told' to go one way, yet goes another, has a deeper meaning than tha...

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Theater Performance - Rosita's Day of the Dead. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:11, April 19, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/100639.html