Presented in association with Nightswimming Theatre
Part of Buddies in Bad Times’ Hysteria 2009
Festival runs until October 31 @ Buddies in Bad Times
By Daina Valiulis
As she sits on a bare stage reading from the script, Vancouver theatre artist Carmen Aguirre begins Blue Box by talking about her weepy three weeks of mourning after her divorce. Finally, her grandmother’s spirit appears to her and tells her to knock it off. She shows her a vision of the young man she will soon meet and lust after (“Visionman,” who later comes to be). From this point on, Aguirre attempts to weave the Visionman storyline together with her past as a Chilean freedom fighter, sometimes segueing nicely, at others breeding confusion.
One moment Aguirre is going back and forth from LA to Vancouver to visit Visionman and the next, it’s 20 years earlier and she is a teacher, a phone sex operator talking to Billy from Kentucky, a pilot carrying bombs, or talking about a blue-eyed man. In her attempt to weave together two stories that would be richer if told separately, Aguirre loses focus. It’s unclear why the past, while quite fascinating in its own right, is particularly relevant to the story of Visionman (also interesting and very heartbreaking).
Aguirre is a hot tamale: passionate, at times very poetic, blunt and outspoken — and Blue Box is an okay little piece of storytelling, though at times a, little messy and unfocused. What saves the show is that she’s fascinating — sexy, strong, deeply passionate, and proud of her heritage. Her joie de vivre is infectious and will have you salsa-ing out the door, even if the story slips from your memory.
