Don Cristobal

A twisted tale of bilingual barbs and billy clubs.

Don Cristóbal is the worst hombre! His puppet show comes to the nation’s capital for one final, offensively illuminating performance. Experience the Punch and Judy tradition through the whimsically distorted lens of Pointless puppetry and an original, multilingual story! It’s crass. It’s violent. Who would do such a thing?

Don Cristóbal freely adapts Federico Garcia Lorca's iconic puppet show El Retablillo de Don Cristóbal.

Run Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

PRESS & RECOGNITION

• DCist

• DC Metro Theater Arts

The show is inherently and unapologetically bilingual and the directors have chosen to go without supertitles. Such a bold choice is to be commended, especially given that it runs the risk of having the largely English-speaking audiences check out. However, the actors are so committed to the work that not only does the non-Spanish speaking audience still understand the scenes (with help from the occasional translations via a response in English). It is hard not to feel a sense of vindication for everyone whose first language is not English; those who have been spoken to in a language they did not know, and had no choice but to do their best to keep up and understand. DC Theatre Scene

If one opts to take great liberties with a classic, this is the way to do it—and one hopes that Kalil, Menyuk, and Swartz's script has a life beyond this production, in the hands of other similarly adventurous companies. Washington City Paper

Cast:

VANESSA CHAPOY
ADRIAN IGLESIAS
ADRIANNE KNAPP
PAZ LOPEZ
THAIS MENENDEZ
MATTHEW SPARACINO
SCOTT WHALEN

RACHEL MENYUK & ERIC SWARTZ Co-Directors
MEL BIELER Set Design
FRANK LABOVITZ Costume Designer
FRANCISCO BENAVIDES Puppet Design
AMY KELLETT Props Design
NIOMI COLLARD Lighting Design
EVAN COOK Sound Design

HAYDEN MORRISETT Stage Manager
ANTONELLA PEREZ FERRERO Assistant Stage Manager
NAVID AZEEZ Production Manager