Photo Credit: Paul Ruffolo
First Stage continues to break new ground with its world premiere of Luchadora! focusing on lucha libre, the Mexican tradition of wrestling. Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios (an assistant professor of theater at UW-Milwaukee) and Artistic Director Jeff Frank have created an engaging, lively piece that teaches while it entertains and is great fun to watch.
Yes, there’s an actual wresting ring with real life wrestling equipment! And best of all, the wrestling scenes help to break up some of the drawn out dialogue for explanation. But Frank and Rios keep the 90 minutes moving by interweaving stories of two families whose lives are intertwined in this fascinating world of the Luchador, or “superhero.”
And in this case, Rios has pushed the perimeters of the wrestling ring with Lupita, a 16-year old girl who becomes a wrestling sensation, hiding her secret behind a mask in a world dominated by men. This is girl power way amped up and ready to wrestle and roll with the toughest of them. In this case, the scary looking but still humorous El Hijo (that’s the talented Dan Katula behind the silvery façade).
At the opening night performance, the audience saw the “Sandia” cast of children. And they all excelled in their roles. Kudos to the young Lupita, Bree Kazinski, who managed to get across the toughness and vulnerability in a role that literally defied gender stereotypes. The cast of adult actors fare just as well: David Flores is the perfect choice as the young Lupita’s father, displaying a wide range of emotion rarely seen in a children-oriented production; Michelle Lopez-Rios is simply outstanding as the tough acting but caring trainer and maker of the distinctive lucha libre masks.
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We learn a lot about the world of lucha libre and the important messages it brings to us in this well thought out work. It’s not just about winning, but what we learn in the process—both in and out of the wrestling ring of life.
Through April 26 at the Marcus Center’s Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. For tickets call 414-273-7206 or visit firststage.org.
