Mariela Brito playing Yara La China in the play Cubalandia. Photo courtesy of teatrociervo.com.
Neither a theatrical piece nor a conventional monologue, playwrights classify Cubalandia as a performance; but I think it´s more of a provocation and a challenge, written and performed by the excellent actress, Mariela Brito Hernández.
On stage, Hernández plays a quirky character, who each day becomes more common: "Yara La Chine," a tacky, rude, dull person, who unfortunately crawls through society, in which vocabulary and iconic outfits are unquestionably a part of her. A Cuban "fighter," who trades and sells second-hand goods, she doesn´t exactly comply with the rules and has the capacity to sell just about anything (even selling the country) in order to benefit and improve her existence, leaving ethics behind.
The piece becomes a sharp knife, cutting into social, economic and political aspects, revealing more shadows than lights, more grief than glory, and not only in a critical sense, but also with a mood that moves the diagnosis, intensely reflecting the overreaching theme of non-state jobs. Known by all as "self-employment," this is something that many have undertaken in all types of business endeavors.
"Yara La China" interacts with the audience, speaking to them, establishing a talkative communication, improvising texts, answering and proposing and selling us excursions to various parts of the country. She does this based on a more than decisive framework: the duel monetary circulation and its consequences. (In Cuba, there are two forms of money, the CUC and the CUP).
The rest of the play´s resources are simple, but sufficiently put us in the situation: a huge and impressive canvas displaying the artist Lázaro Saavedra´s work, "Doble Moneda," with images of authorities and mystical symbols.
I applaud the daring group, "El Ciervo Encantado", directed by Nelda Castillo, as well as the author and actress Mariela Brito, as this play manages to open a range of questions in regards to relations and links to individuality with the environment, focusing on 2011 in Cuba.
Details:
Next performance: 30 September at 8 p.m.
Capilla del Ciervo Encantado
5th Street and D, Vedado.
ciervo@cubarte.cult.cu
