Review: I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH at Gamut Theatre

I Don’t Speak Spanish, an original play by local playwright, actor, and director David Ramón Zayas, is a beautiful, thoughtful exploration of the many layers that make up our lives. It takes the audience on a journey through time and space to illuminate moments—moments that illustrate our need for belonging and rootedness, moments that highlight the ways in which individual choices in the past impact the future of many, moments that remind us that there are a multitude of perspectives from which we can see any given situation. I Don’t Speak Spanish premiers at Gamut Theatre October 7-22.

The production, in its entirety, is beautifully designed, with every element working together to transport the audience into a specific time and place and to set the mood for each scene. The production team, which includes Production Stage Manager and Audio/Visual Designer Brianna Dow, Assistant Stage Manager Jesus Sandoval, Costume Designer Victoria Wojciechowski, Scene Designer and Technical Director Clark Nicholson, Staircase Designer Lynne Porter, Modular Set Pieces Designer Andrew Nyberg, Lighting Designer Karen Gasser, Assistant Audio Designer Jerry Stevens II, Props Managers Karen Ruch and Kiryat Jearim, Choreographer Cierra Woods, Intimacy Consultant Francesca Amendolia, Assistant Technical Director Margot Weiss, and Producer Melissa Nicholson, deserves a round of applause for their work on this incredible production.

The cast features Kiryat Jearim Castillo (as Yomaris, Raquel, Governor, and Martina), Aldo Longoria (as Gustavo, Cleo, and Manuel), Diego Sandino (as Robert/Silverio, and Tomás), Nelly Torres (as La Malinche, Samantha, Adela, and Maria Refugio), Thomas Weaver (as Michael, Ayres, and Creager), and David Ramón Zayas (as Tony, Bundy, and Desiderio). These tremendous actors weave together a story that the audience won’t soon forget. Their versatility, depth, and emotion bring each and every character to life, captivating the audience from beginning to end.

Audiences will find themselves riveted by Torres’s lyrical monologue in Act 1, Scene 1, “Flower and Song”. Act 1, Scene 2, “La Mirada” (The Look) brings together comedy and philosophy in a very relatable modern-day scene that will leave audiences thinking about their own roots and history. Act 2 takes the audience to the 1940s in Los Angeles, CA, during the time of what came to be known as the “Zoot Suit Riots”. These scenes highlight the multifaceted nature of prejudice, discrimination, and racism at play throughout history. Act 2, Scene 2, “Las Normas” (The Rules) illuminates the ways in which these ideas take hold and how they can take a moment of innocent celebration and turn it into something ugly and violent with far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. The way in which the actors portray the fear and anger in these scenes elicits a visceral reaction from the audience. Act 3 explores the idea of borders and dives into some of the complexities that are often ignored in this politically charged topic. Act 3, Scene 2, “La Matanza” (The Slaughter) in particular, reminds us of the complicated history of the border with Tomás explaining that his family lived on that land before it was part of Texas—his heart-wrenching statement “your border crossed me” brings into stark light the difficult truths of the consequences of war and colonialism.

I Don’t Speak Spanish is an impactful, important play that audiences need to experience. Visit the link below and get your tickets for a captivating, thought-provoking evening of theatre at its best.

Photos by John Bivins Photography

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