"FEOS" UNDER THE RADAR AT PUBLIC THEATER

"FEOS"  PART OF UNDER THE RADAR AT PUBLIC THEATER (NOW CLOSE


A story by Mario Benedetti adapted by playwright Guillermo Calderon is a mesmerizing tale
of people who have a strong belief that they do not fit in any society and they don't actually because
they are not the most handsome and pretty  to look at. The word Feos mean, "The ugly ones"

In the beginning we see a number of people standing in line to see a movie. All of a sudden a dim light,  a kind of mysterious shines on a woman standing in the middle of the line and she notices a man standing a few feet behind her.  Their faces are not perfect.  They are disfigured. Their physicality have some kind of relationship with each other.  It's  like when two people meet by an accident of destiny. These hopefuls to find a love life are portrayed by mannequin puppets manipulated by large
human beings  in black, creating a very haunting effect under the brilliant lights designed byJose Luis Cifuentes.

After the movie the nameless man asks the woman if she would join him for a drink at a nearby cafe.
She agrees.  In the cafe they talk mostly about how others might see them and people with disfigurement like theirs can ever have a romantic and sexual relationship?
They speak haltingly but in a frank way and are often interrupted by a very funny waiter who talks about finding a girl friend. Their dialogue mostly consists of their physical appearance.

The scene moves to a bus stop, (I guess she accepts his invitation to go home with him.)
The bus stop scene is very funny.  To take the bus or to get a cab?  Becomes an interesting question.
She offers to pay for the cab...

Next morning is the most amazing scene of them holding each other naked and never uttering a single word.  This show is another high light of under the radar festival.  I  was throughly mesmerized by the ability of puppeteers and the lights and the story. The show is now closed because I saw it on the last day of the festival but will be remembered for a long time to come. Very sensitive, very emotional and very romantic story.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA  SHARIF
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