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| live music, instrumental and choral; set of recycled tires |
Three Chilangos were on hand for the world premiere of their opera Bola Negra that ran for two nights in the Minas. The work,with its artfully balanced score, staging, acting and background film presents the point of view of the socially comitted Mexico City triumvirate, Marcela Rodriguez (composer), Jesusa Rodriguez (technical director) and Mario Bellatin (writer of the original story and lyricist.
In the charla afterward, at least one member of the audience disagreed forcefuly with the premise, that both the young murdered women and their paid killers (sicarios) are victims of an unjust society which should be changed.
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| Jesusa Rodriguez; at the technical rehearsal; note the singers in the tires |
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| Covering the future audience with blood? |
Directed by Rodriguez and Balletin, young Juarez people did much of the filming. The filmed choristers were also youngsters from Ciudad Juarez.
Let us hope the work, underwriten by INBA, and apealing to the young viewers in the balcony, will be staged many times over and keep stimulating discussion..
My take: Having read Robert Bolaño's 2666, much of set in Ciudad Juarez, I was
struck by the greater impact this theatrical work had on me and once again by abundant talent in Mexico despite its inequalities.
