Alicia Magide, our “resident UWC Actor,” will give a short presentation on the history of the theater and then perform a Monologue by Griselda Gambaro.
Spanish through Experience Meeting Notes
On July 31st Shaké Balian once again organized a very enjoyable activity in Spanish. About a dozen members got together to listen to Alicia Magide, our “resident UWC Actor” give a short presentation on the history of the theater that ended with a fun discussion of superstitions (and their origins) that most Thespians swear by. For example, “Bad Dress rehearsal, Good Opening”, “Turn on the ghost light before leaving the theatre”, Say “break a leg” instead of “good luck.”, “Never say Macbeth in a theater”, and never give a performer flowers before a show. .
After the presentation Alicia left and returned in costume to perform the monologue “El Nombre” by Griselda Gambaro. In this half-hour monologue the author shows us the consequences of a kind of “Identity Theft”. María is a “mucama” and caregiver, and each time she gets a new job she is given a new name Ernestina, Lucrecia, Eleanora . . . . each time annulling her own identity more. Each successive employer arbitrarily changes her name according to his or her own needs or tastes, and when she isn’t needed any more fires her without consideration or explanations. However, by the end this narration she discovers (not without great pain) a seed of human dignity that no one can strip us of – a name.
And, if I can trust my notes, the last words might be translated as “sick and alone, her name today is a heart- breaking scream that no one will ever take away”.
Alicia received a hearty round of applause for a beautiful, heart rending performance.