‘Como Agua Para Chocolate’ @ Teatro Dallas
Photos/graphics by Gabriel Scampini and Teatro Dallas
—Teresa Marrero
On February 14-15, Teatro Dallas kicked off “Nuevo Mundo”—the company’s New Directors Festival—with a Spanish-language production of Laura Esquivel´s famous novel Como Agua Para Chocolate, known to many from the 1992 English-language film version.
Adapted and directed by Gabriel Scampini under the mentorship of Christie Vela, the 80-minute piece follows Esquivel´s 1989 book closely. As in the novel, each chapter begins with a recipe that Tita—a young cook and the story’s protagonist—follows on various occasions. At each turn, a narrative fills in the story. The action takes place just before the Mexican Revolution of 1910 in a rancho somewhere near San Antonio, when crossing borders was not the issue it is currently.
Tita (Juliana Rincón), the youngest of three daughters to Mamá Elena (Elizabeth Moldado), is destined to remain unmarried. According to family traditions, Tita is to fulfill her role as caretaker for her widowed mother. Meanwhile, Pedro (Caleb De La Torre), a handsome and lovestruck young man, falls for Tita. The feeling is mutual, but when the bitter and dominant Mamá Elena gets wind of the romance she sets out to thwart their plans. Mamá decrees that eldest Rosaura (Julia Landley) must marry first. In a fit of twisted logic, the lovestruck Pedro agrees to marry Rosaura just to be near his beloved Tita. That plan is doomed from the start.
Meanwhile, middle daughter Gertrudis (Marta Torres) demonstrates a wild streak. She runs off with a band of revolutionaries, becomes a general, and marries the man she wants. At least we know one woman in the family finds happiness. Tita, pining for now-married Pedro, falls into depression, and is cared for by kind-hearted Dr. Brown (Jonathan Collet). Tita tries to return the doctor’s love, but he’s one of the nice guys who seem to finish last.
What happens? Decades go by, with Pedro and Tita still pining—and just when their fiery passion might flame up, the heat heads in a surprising direction. If you don’t know the plot, you’ll just have to see it.
De La Torre gave his character Pedro precisely the right amount of smoldering passion and frustration. There was something in his eyes that conveyed a lot without saying much. Torres as Gertrudis was spunky and in your face, in a good way. Maldonado as Mamá Elena, dressed in all black with hair tied in a tight bun, had the stern jawline and bitterly fixed glare she needed to be convincing. Landley as Rosaura, poor thing, did a fine job as the unloved bride of a man in love with her sister. ¡Caramba! What a pitiful role well played. And lastly, Rincón as Tita conveyed a principled innocence that came into conflict with her love and desire.
Director Scampini, a Venezuelan native, drew the best out of each actor and kept the pace moving. We hope to see more works in Spanish directed by him.
Next up in the “Nuevo Mundo” series on February 21- 22 is Bright Half Life, written by Tanya Barfield, and directed by Lauren Secrest under the mentorship of Sasha Maya Ada. TD calls it “A moving love story that spans decades in an instant—from marriage, children, skydiving, and the infinite moments that make life together.” (In English.)
Teresa Marrero is a Professor of Latin American and Latiné theater and cultures in the Department of Spanish at the University of North Texas.
WHEN: February 14-15, 2025
WHERE: Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak, Dallas
WEB: teatrodallas.org
