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Massacre (Sing to Your Children)
By Jose Rivera
Directed by Chuck Smith
In a co-production between Teatro Vista Theatre and the Goodman Theatre
At the Goodman’s Owen Theatre
170 N. Dearborn Chicago, IL
Call 312-443-3800, tickets $15 - $30
Wednesdays at 7:30 pm
Thursdays at 7:30 pm
Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 2 & 8 pm
Sundays at 7:30 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through April 22, 2007
Massacre has more questions than answers
Teatro Vista Theatre With a View and the Goodman Theatre both have presented some of the finest shows over the last few years. Their latest co-production, Massacre (Sing to Your Children) has massive structural and thematic problems which is perplexing since Jose Rivera is an accomplished playwright. Since this world premiere had a staged reading with both theatre companies, I guess both felt compelled to mount this problem play. The press notes call Massacre “a dark comic thriller.” I didn’t find anything “comic” in the show.
Teatro Vista Artistic Director Edward F. Torres said, “Massacre is about what we do to ourselves when we do not actively pursue out inner voice, and we succumb instead to the social and political complacency that our modern world wraps us in.” I found the play uneven, confusing and contradictory.
Massacre opens with blood red lights, screaming as seven Latino people rush into a farmhouse breathless after slaughtering Joe, the town bully and local tyrant. The blood soaked folks have knives, ice picks, cleavers and a pitchfork as weapons of liberation. This dramatic opening finds them exhilarated as they impact the affects of their actions. There glee quickly wears off as each person moves from justification to doubt as to the righteousness of their actions. That is were the problems begin with this play.
The seven move from foul-mouthed, manic reactions to screaming and physical confrontations with each other to tender moments to crude sexual actions as each character has their little monologue of philosophical discourse totally out of character. These “playwright speak” moments are implausible and incongruent. When they hear a noise from the porch where Joe lies, they fear that he may not be dead. Their fears are ignited as they wonder if Joe could have survived. Why they didn’t rearm and check to see if he’s really dead is a plot flaw. And why they were forced to stay in the farmhouse over night seems only to be justified by the playwright’s need to have all seven in one place so they could play out his show. The work is filled with contrivances like that. Killing Joe is never convincingly justified as he is rendered an ambiguous yet apparently evil person. What specific crime justifies vigilante actions?
Massacre depicts the Latino community where explosive connections are mixed with fear and passivity toward Joe leading them to lives of terrifying oppression. When Joe begins to talk to the group, the guilt and doubt rises as Joe carefully plays one against the other until he is successfully in dividing the group. This cliché ridden plot isn’t plausible and smacks of manipulation by Jose Rivera. I never bought the mixed tones of the work—it moves from rawness to pontification to suspense to ambiguity. Is Joe alive? Is he a mythical figure? The devil? Add the false ending that has many in the opening night audience applauding only to see stage hands moving furniture for the last scene and Massacre unfolds as a work in need of rewrite to tighten the focus and smooth out the contradictions. As it stands now, there are just too many conflicting symbols at work trying to do too much to make the play stage worthy.
Henry Godinez, Edward F. Torres and Sandra Marquez offered fine moments in this convoluted script. Too bad director Chuck Smith had so little to work with. Jose Rivera is a talented storyteller who needs to rethink Massacre.
Not Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2007
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