De Troya says enough!

— Spoilers ahead —
7 / 10

Spanish version available in Revista La Oca Loca.

I had a chance to attend De Troya‘s premiere last Friday, 05/05/2017 and I enjoyed a crude yet symbolic and rewarding acting display.

The story, written by Caridad Svich and directed by David Lozano, outlines the mishaps of Mara (Maya Malan-Gonzalez) and Raya (Stefanie Tovar). Filled with symbolism and allusions, the play portrays feminism and victim-hood as being interrelated, as if women were set up to lose this game we call life.

Except for a fleeting reference to Pegasus, the flying horse born from Medusa’s blood, the play lacks mythological references that could have made it stronger. For instance, I would have recommended using Hecate, a Christian-like trinity of Greek origin made up of three different natures: Apollo’s sister Artemis, Selene (the Moon), and Hecate’s infernal representation. In the same way Artemis and Selene have parallel lives in different realms, so do Mara and Raya.

Throughout the play, you can start noticing more and more similarities between both women, as they start taking control over their lives, as they stop being victims. Such a progression is so central to the plot, that you cannot help but ignoring all other characters and regard them as peripheral and unremarkable at best. You could almost smell the environment of violence and despair both Mara and Raya find themselves in.

The plot reminded Michael Apted’s Enough (2002), coincidentally starring an abused and hopeless Hispanic woman named Slim Hiller (Jennifer Lopez), who is trying to escape his possessive, chauvinistic, and androgenic husband. In the same way Slim Hiller starts growing and eventually overcomes his fears and starts fighting back until she prevails, so does Mara. Mara descends into hell and makes it back, even though she probably thought that ending her life would have been easier. Yet Mara, in opposed to Eurydice, does not need an Orpheus to escape from Hades. She has everything see needs, she finds herself. We can also see how Raya grows away from hate and starts welcoming forgiveness, finally adopting a saint-like attitude.

Svich‘s writing is strong and Lozano‘s adaptation is praiseworthy. In despite of a few disconnected scenes, I wholeheartedly recommend De Troya.

Review a synopsis here.

Buy tickets here.