By Anna Tatelman
Special to the Mirror
People of all ages enjoy comic books, perhaps because they frequently offer something that real life does not: simplicity. The plot moves forward from one box to the next. The characters are good or evil. The choices they make are right or wrong.
In real life, it’s much harder to determine who is a villain, what decision is ethical, or even what could be the arc of our own life story.
These are the themes at the heart of “El Conqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom” by Matt Barbot, Centerstage Theatre’s current production. The play follows Alex, a struggling comic book writer and artist by day who embodies one of his superhero creations by night. His double life accidentally sets off a media frenzy, first within his Latinx community in New York and then much further.
The play’s core themes of morality, artistry, and identity are brought to life through Centerstage’s insightful production. Upon entering the theatre, we’re met with a set design that seems to be a simple, box-like structure, reminiscent of comic book panels, that represents the outside of a townhouse. But as the play unfolds, we discover that this set is malleable, allowing stagehands to continually extract new set pieces or pull out extra walls.
The props (created by Sam Izenman) also embody this tension between the simplistic and the complex. Of particular note are the villain’s weapon designed from plastic bottles bearing a greedy corporation’s logo and the masks (made by Kenneth Harness) inspired by Puerto Rican vejigantes (demons). The striking lighting design (created by John Chenault) completes the aesthetic, fluctuating between neon blues and greens during the superhero sequences and more realistic lighting when Alex is at home or lounging around the neighborhood.
With only six performers, each actor has to more than pull their own weight throughout. Of particular note is the performance given by Nick Marston, who empathetically captures the way our protagonist feels caught between many (seemingly) conflicting identities. Rolando Cardona Roman also gives a standout performance as both a hilarious comic book supervillain and a young man who is more emotionally complex than he might first appear.
If you’re hoping to learn more about the play’s context, take a peek at the informative display in the lobby. These colorful posters offer insights into topics like the amphibian that inspires Alex’s superhero costume and the history behind his late father’s vejigante mask.
To make your experience immersive, mosey over to the bar and order a cocktail that pairs thematically with the show. You can choose the Island Sangria, a tropical drink that melds wine with Puerto Rican rum, or the Gin and Comics, made with a Black Lemon Gin locally sourced from Blackfish Spirit Distillery. There are also several other snack or beverage options, including candy, soda, and coffee.
“El Conqui Espectacular” runs until April 16. Performances occur Friday evenings, Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons. To learn about pricing tiers or purchase tickets, visit Centerstagetheatre.com.
Anna Tatelman is a playwright, fiction writer, lyricist, and copywriter who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. As a copywriter, she has been featured or quoted in publications such as Forbes, CareerBuilder, Techopedia, and POPSUGAR. When not posing as the female reincarnation of Tennessee Williams, Anna can usually be found befriending feral cats and/or eating ice cream.
