Kiss of the Spider Woman

By Franklin W. Liu                            

     Two prisoners from divergent worlds are thrown into a brutal Latin American prison racked with betrayal and torture.
     Their survival as destitute cellmates yields a trial of trust and
love in the award-winning musical drama, “The Kiss of the Spider Woman”
currently presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company in the Standford
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.

     Manuel Puig‚Äôs (1932-1990) novel, ‚ÄúEl Beso de la Mujer Arana‚Äù was first adapted in 1985 into a widely praised movie, then eight years later it was staged on Broadway as a musical drama called, ‚ÄúThe Kiss of the Spider Woman.‚Äù   
     The show opened to over 900 celebrated performances at the Broadhurst theatre from May 1993 to July 1995. 
     The 1985 movie garnered four Academy award nominations; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted screenplay, and won the Best Actor award for William Hurt (1950- ) in the role of Molina. 
     Presented on Broadway, it won seven Tony Awards in 1993; Harold Prince directed the musical drama. Music composed by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb; together they collaborated on a total of 23 lively songs.
     Dancer and veteran superstar of stage and screen Chita Rivera (1933- )
took home the prestigious Tony award for Best Leading Actress in a
Musical. She played the central role of Aurora, the Spider Woman.
     In the current SpeakEasy presentation, Christine A. Magione performs with as much verve in song and dance as Aurora‚Äôs role requires; appearing in 11 key scenes out of a total of 19 in this action-packed two Act play.
     Aurora, the Spider Woman, is a wondrous and alluring film actress adored by Molina, a gay window-dresser by trade. Molina is serving his third year into an eight-year prison stretch; convicted for molesting an underage, teenage boy. 
     John King gives a sensitive and affecting performance in his pivotal role as the flamboyant 37 year-old Molina who routinely seeks escapism from harsh prison reality by conjuring up boyhood memories of films he saw of Aurora.   
     These films were cinched in his young mind when his mother took a theater clerk‚Äôs job out of dire necessity after Molina‚Äôs father died.
     The audience sees beefy prison guards toss Valentin into the same crammed cell with Molina. Valentin is a tenacious, 27 year-old, bearded Marxist revolutionary who is unafraid to die for his cause.
     Severely beaten by the guards‚Äô futile interrogation of him, Valentin lies blood soaked, curled up in agony on his cot.
     In the prologue, Molina says to him, ‚ÄúYou can trust me,‚Äù and sings, ‚ÄúWe‚Äôre going to be together for sometime. You‚Äôd think you would want to get to know me.‚Äù 
          Brendan McNab is compelling in his portrayal as the radical, macho
Valentin; He has nothing in common with the apolitical, effeminate Molina.
     The audience seated up close on three sides of a thrust stage, is able to see Molina‚Äôs nuance expressions pleading with Valentin to accept him.   
     Placed stage center was a five-sided, tall steel cage holding Molina and Valentin captive. The sturdy cage design even allows actors to climb up on it. The cage opens up completely as well when scenes require, letting as many as 13 actors on stage in a crowded prison infirmary song and dance number with Molina wheeled about, strapped to a gurney.
     Stage action seemed a tad congested, a larger thrust stage would serve this scene better.      
Prisoners even perched on vertical bars set on steel balconies; adding to
the ambiance and realism of a larger prison setting.
     Eric Levenson gets high marks for responsive set design while delivering 
critical texture for the play. Creative high contrast and selective spotlighting by John R. Malinowski accentuated the play’s grave emotional tone.
     Seth Bodie‚Äôs beautiful, delicate costumes for Aurora, the Spider Woman, sparkled like Jewels. Silk and chiffon fluttered in direct contrast to the filthy, drab cotton prison garbs wore by the gang of prisoners and guards.
     Perhaps, Aurora‚Äôs dazzling fashion serves as a reminder of the overt celebration of beauty and freedom in life that still exists beyond the walls of this Latin America prison brimming with putrid savagery.
     As time passes, the warden (Sean McGuirk) sees affection and emotional dependence developing between Valentin and Molina. The warden threatens to kill Molina‚Äôs mother, pressuring Molina to deceive and to pry loose
valuable dissident information from Valentin.
     Molina realizes that the true and deep caring he has for Valentin means
his own pressing needs must be checked by a larger social conscience. He stalls and deceives the warden instead. Meanwhile, Valentin has grown to accept Molina’s gayness; respecting his integrity and his individuality.
    This is an extraordinary, brave tale of two men traveling different journeys. Fate crosses their paths, each discovering that love and loyalty can conquer weakness and betrayal; That in life, it is worth taking death-defying chances in order to break the coercion of brutality from others.
     ‚ÄúKiss of the Spider Woman‚Äù is fabulous theatre.
     It runs through Dec. 3.  For information call 617 933-8600