Play Review
Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to take in a showing of the play, “In the Time of Butterflies. Written by talented playwright, Caridad Svich, the performers and all involved did a splendid job bring the ideas of the play to life. Though butterflies are not known for their ability to stay in one place for long, the memory of the play will live for a very long time in my mind’s eye.
“In the Time of Butterflies,” is actually a stage translation of a novel written in 1994 by Julia Alvarez. The novel, sharing the same name, is a historical text about a dictatorship doomed to failure. Dictatorships, of course, cannot last forever. In essence, they are doomed to failure. Evolution of the people, revolution, time, all of these things eventually come together in an unstoppable force that demands the dictator stop their ways. The story itself is about the involvement of four sisters in such a dictatorship. More specifically, it is about their involvement in a movement that stops such leadership. They see the end of a Dominican ruler, Rafael Trijullo, a Dominican Republic bully who came into power in the 1930’s. Trujillo ruled the land with violence and force until finally being assassinated in the 1960’s, and the play gives action to the story.
The story shows a twenty year long glimpse into the lives of the four sisters. The Mirabal sisters, born into wealth and privilege, were still born under the tyrannical rule of Trujillo. Though their lives were better than some, they were still miserable. Patria is the eldest, and in the beginning of the play, she is in her early 20s. The youngest sister is Maria Teresa, who is only ten-years-old. Dede and Minerva are the middle children. Each actress chosen to play them, respectively, did an excellent job showing their will, naivety, and decadence.
Throughout the play, we are able to get to know the Mirabal women. We see some of them grow from children to young women and from young women to adult women. We hear their thoughts via their journals. The narrator, who is played by an older Dede, exists in the distance future, and also gives us insight into each character that we otherwise would not have. It allows us to feel more connected to each girl and woman throughout the play, which makes the audience feel like a closer part of the women’s lives.
While the performers did an excellent job of portraying their characters, and the set-up of the play allows the audience to feel close to the characters, the format of the play itself is slightly muddled. The various experiences and emotions of the play can make it confusing. Moreover, the various descriptions of memory, versus what is going on in “present day,” throughout the play can also add to the confusion. Shifts in time add to the incoherence because, at times, they are done so without warning. There is not enough adjustment to the set, clothing, or performer to signify a change in time and it is not until a major event is mentioned that the audience is able to catch up. Despite this, the audience is able to use the language, sets, and costume design to get a small sense of the Dominican people. The music also offers a solid foundation not only to the play as a period piece, but to the play as a geographical piece. Tunes like, “Muevete,” and, “The Flowers of Santo Domingo,” add an authentic feel to the stage and the performers.
The production values of the performance were better than expected. The costume designer clearly had a high budget to work with, as each piece allows for further transportation back to a time and place the audience is not. Lightning, critical for the often insolent and tyrannical mood of the play, bathed the performers in a perfect and dimming perfection. The acting itself was excellent. From the performer playing Maria Teresa as an exuberant and delightful presence on stage to the kind but strong individual playing Minerva, the four women were represented according to their characters in the book. Dede’s character, the lone wolf of the family who is consistent with her activist pursuits was particularly delightful to watch on stage throughout the performance.
There are few instances throughout the performance that lull, but for the instances that due, “older Dede” is a welcome manifestation on the stage. As she keeps the audience up-to-date on occurrences with the characters, habits we may miss or not understand, and their pasts and futures, her voice is a steady influence upon the play. While the voice sometimes rushed through her lines, throwing off the time of the rest of the performance, it was still a compelling performance. Due to the terrific performances and above average set designs, costumes, etc., I can only assume the directing was above average, as well.
As with any play, there are some issues that still need to be ironed out, but overall, “In the Time of Butterflies,” is a triumph of mediocre theatre. An adaptation for the stage is a difficult transition to make, but the cast, crew, and playwright have shown that it can be done if a team is willing to work hard enough. With enough effort, the minor kinks can be ironed out in order to ensure future audiences can enjoy a flawless show featuring Svich’s adventurous, brave Mirabal women as they fight for the Dominican revolution.
