Review: LAS MENINAS at Profile Theatre

When theatres started releasing virtual productions available on demand, I thought, "This is great! I can watch so many things, whenever I want!" I should have seen the problem right away -- when you can do something anytime, it's hard to carve out time. In this case, I almost missed one of the best full-length audio plays I've heard yet. Please don't follow my example. You have just a few days left to catch the audio production of Lynn Nottage's LAS MENINAS at Profile Theatre.

LAS MENINAS is a work of historical fiction -- it tells the story of the rumored love affair between Queen Marie-Thérèse of France and her African servant Nabo from the perspective of their daughter, who was banished upon birth. It's clever, biting, and brilliantly performed. During this strange and stressful time, I found it an absolute delight.

Marie-Thérèse was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain, and her marriage to her cousin Louis XIV in 1660 was arranged to end a 24-year war between Spain and France. It was not a happy marriage -- Louis XIV had a succession of mistresses and didn't want to have much to do with his wife. In Nottage's play, the lonely Marie-Thérèse finds unexpected comfort in the arms of Nabo, a Little Person from Dahomey, who was sent to her as a gift.

The play mercilessly skewers the ruling class -- Louis XIV is much more interested in philandering than ruling, and, at least at the beginning, Marie-Thérèse is a silly little thing who just wants to eat sweets and be entertained. But, as the play goes on, it becomes apparent that the Queen suffers from a deep unhappiness bred of loneliness. When Nabo comes into her life, she recognizes a fellow outcast and falls in love with him. When Marie-Thérèse gets pregnant, things get complicated.

While the plot of LAS MENINAS is 17th century royal sex scandal, its themes include racism, privilege, and inequality that continue to plague our society today. Despite the fact that she has been completely marginalized and all but abandoned by her husband, Marie-Thérèse is still the Queen, while Nabo was stolen from his home and made a slave. The idea that they could possibly find true connection is seen as lying somewhere between laughable and outrageous. The birth of their daughter, who is Black, raises the question of who deserves to lose their head.

The cast, directed by Dawn Monique Williams, achieves the perfect balance of comedy and seriousness that this play requires. In particular, Crystal Ann Muñoz paints such a vivid picture of Marie-Thérèse that I could close my eyes and practically see her -- stomping about in a temper tantrum, eating sweets, or desperately pleading for human connection. She's simultaneously off-putting, pitiable, and charming, and although the nature of their relationship is left ambiguous, I truly hope that she and Nabo (played by Rance Nix) found a few moments of uncoerced affection.

There's a lot in this play -- the story is fascinating, the social commentary on point, and the performances strong. I highly recommend you dedicate 2 hours in the next few days to enjoy it.

LAS MENINAS is only available for Profile Theatre members to listen to through January 5. More details about membership here.

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