I love reality TV. I love live theater. When I saw that Repertorio Español was producing Los Empeños De Una Casa: Un Nuevo Reality TV Show Para El Escenario (House of Desires: A New Reality TV Show For The Stage), I knew it would be a can’t‑miss crossover event for me. I certainly wasn’t alone; as I entered Repertorio Espanol’s packed venue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, excitement, chatter, and anticipation filled the air. It was nice to see that concept of the play resonated as strongly with others as it did with me.
The production, an adaptation of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’ 1683 play of the same title, is ingeniously conceived of and directed by Kathleen Capdesuñer. The play centers on the romantic trials and tribulations of five singles, whose relationships and interactions with each other only become messier and more complex as the play goes on.
Capdesuñer, a recent New York Foundation For the Arts (NYFA) New Work Grant recipient and Producing Artistic Leader of the LOBSQD Theater Collective, craftily weaves Inés’ centuries-old romance comedy together with the chaotic reality TV sensibilities of today to create a hilarious multimedia experience reminiscent of “Love Island” or “Are You The One?”
The result: a perfect match.
The play opens with a projected video introduction of each of the play’s characters, in the the style of any dating show introducing the audience to its singles. This video, like the rest of the play, is presented in Spanish with English subtitles. Each clip gives a brief, zany impression of the characters that will eventually enter the stage in person. A narrator that what we are about to see is the “series finale” of “Los Empeños De Una Casa.”
Afterwards, lights then coame up on Doña Ana (played by Zaire Martínez Roldán) and Celia (Belange Rodriguez) conversing in the living room of a glamorous Miami house, as they waited for Ana’s brother, Don Pedro (Nayib Felix), to arrive.
The setting of the play is already one departure from the play’s original location in Toledo, Spain, and it doesn’t take long for it to become clear that Capdesuñer has done a full send on the reality TV concept.
In the middle of this early conversation, the lights shift, and Celia abruptly walks off stage behind a curtain. Right after, an ornate but suspiciously empty picture frame that hangs in front of that curtain comes to life. Projected into the frame is a delightfully familiar sight: a reality TV confessional, wherein Celia, who was a maid in the original play, but in this version is more like an assistant to Ana and a producer on the TV show, drops her facade, directly contradicts what she has just been saying to Ana, and describes her own schemes and desires into the confessional camera. Then, she walks back out on stage, the lights shift again, and their conversation continues.
As I watched it, my jaw dropped, and then I couldn’t help but laugh. These mid-conversation live confessionals continue throughout the play from the whole cast, pleasantly punctuating dramatic reveals and confrontations and hilariously highlighting how duplicitous everyone can be in the pursuit of their desires. They never get old; Capdesuñer absolutely captures lighting in a bottle with those moments. Furthermore, Capdesuñer’s associate director, Sofia Ubilla, was instrumental in blending the dramaturgy of Inés’ work with that of reality TV, and bringing those things to life in these moments and in others. Both deserve a live studio audience round of applause.
Don Pedro does eventually arrive at the house, but not before a procession of other unexpected, unwanted, and unwitting guests are granted entry, often without knowledge of the presence of the others. Their desires are manifold; whether it be love, power, money, or repute, each character has something to gain, and something to lose. Those stakes heighten the comedy and drama in the scenes that follow, as the house plunges into an entertaining vortex of miscommunication, misinformation, and mistaken identity. What transpires is a dizzying series of events, but Capdesuñer’s sharp and clear direction, working harmoniously with her brilliant concept, brings order to the chaos.
The performances are stellar across the board, with each performer bringing their own brand of reality TV ridiculousness to their character. Rodriguez shines as Celia, deftly navigating the line between supporting Ana’s romantic plots and advancing her own agenda, especially in her confessionals. Martínez Roldán gives a wonderfully clever performance as Ana, clearly showcasing the gears turning in her head as she hatchesd and re-hatches her plans to win the love of Don Carlos de Obero (Marcos D. Ortiz Hernández), whose heart is already spoken for.
Ortiz Hernández is charmingly earnest in portraying Carlos’s love for Leonor (Lorenza Bernasconi), which leads to many laughs as he givesgave her, and many of the play’s conniving characters, perhaps too much benefit of the doubt. Bernasconi performs a lovely arc as Leonor, who begins the play with a distinct lack of self-awareness as she confides in her own romantic competitor, but gradually wisens up to the point where she can cleverly turn one of Ana’s own plots against her. Maria Cristina Pimiento is amusingly shrewd as Leonor’s mother; her allegiances shift blazingly and believably fast according to whichever outcome improves her status the most.
Nayib Felix brings a refreshing balance of cunning and goofiness to his performance of Pedro, which includes riveting confessionals and a surprise karaoke performance as he attempts to earn Leonor’s affections. Fernando Vieira is a joy to watch as Castaño, especially when he is disguised as Leonor, his own plans spiral out of control once Pedro runs into him. Jorge Sánchez Díaz, as Don Juan de Vargas, has a face made for reality TV; whether it was on video, live onstage, or even in the dark, his bold expressions leave no question as to how he feels witnessing Ana chase after Carlos instead of him. Under the direction of Capdesuñer, everyone brings their best.
Likewise, the design team’s contributions are excellently attuned to the drama of the story. In addition to the clever visual framing of the confessionals, Antia Sibony de Adelsberg’s scenic design manages to squeeze an outdoor balcony, living room, bedrooms, and camera control room onto the footprint of the stage, all immaculately furnished and decorated, and without feeling claustrophobic. Eliana Yost’s costumes are glamorously detailed, reflective of each character’s personality and status, and are nicely befitting of the Miami reality TV universe this production livesd in. The latter could also be said of Luis Manuel García’s projections design and Cason Doyle’s cinematography; each bit of video content in the production, from the confessionals to the transition recaps between acts.
The sound and lighting design, by Amelia Way and Vittoria Orlando, respectively, turns drama into melodrama at exactly the right time, every time. Each confessional, confrontation, and major reveal is accompanied by a tune or sting that builds suspense and feels deeply similar to the kind of music I might hear on “Big Brother,” for example. The lights beautifully represent sunlight entering the home from coastline windows, until they have to do the arguably more important job of spotlighting monologues and confessions. These shifts are highly pronounced, making them hilarious. Further hilarity ensues in moments when the house goes dark due to (presumably producer-engineered) blackouts, and confessions of love and accusations of hate are sent flying to incorrect recipients. In those moments, the production’s assistant director, Fabiola Arias, is a hero to the audience, charging the stage to capture the chaos of the blackout scenes live on video in high-quality, infrared glory. Arias puts the camera to work, panning and zooming at a clip that rivals even the messiest Real Housewives confrontations, all while ensuring that the events of the blackouts, which are designed to confuse the characters onstage, are crystal clear to those of us in the audience.
I have nothing but kudos to offer to Capdesuñer, Repertorio Español, and the entire “Los Empeños De Una Casa” team. I’m still sitting in awe of their ability to turn a centuries-old play into a wildly entertaining reality TV play, as I write this. Ultimately, my only complaint with the production is that the July 23rd performance I attended was the closing performance, so I can’t encourage everyone reading this to go see the show themselves. Instead, I will just confidently state that, if “Los Empeños De Una Casa” is any indication, then Repertorio Español — a venerable institution that has been putting on Spanish-language plays since 1968 — and Kathleen Capdesuñer are working at the top of the game, and worth dropping in on as often as possible. I sure will.
Up Next at Repertorio Español: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’ “Primero Sueño”, a poem adapted for the stage and directed by James Bruenger-Arreguin, runs from July 28 — Aug. 6.
Up Next for Kathleen Capdesuñer: Access her website here.
Up Next for Me: The Half-God of Rainfall at New York Theater Workshop.
