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Friday, November 16, 2007 - Volume 35 Issue 46

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posted Friday, November 16, 2007 - Volume 35 Issue 46

Meaty subject, and exciting acting, make for delicious tale of revolution in early Cuba

Meaty subject, and exciting acting, make for delicious tale of revolution in early Cuba
by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid - SGN A&E Writer THE COOK DIRECTED BY JULIETTE CARRILLO STARRING AL ESPINOSA, YETTA GOTTESMAN, ZABRYNA GUEVARA, A.K. MURTADHA, JESSICA PIMENTEL NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 1 Whether you were born during the days of bomb drills in school rooms, where you put your hands on your head under an old school desk, and as they said, 'kissed your ass goodbye'. The 'good old days' of the bomb, and when the U.S. and Cuba had strained relations (not that they don't now). Or you're a 'newbie' used to CNN and Fox, the allure of Cuba, and its mixed culture is a subject many still find applealing. If that is your cup of tea, and you want to, maybe find out some things you don't know about the history of the longstanding feud between Cuba and U.S., then The Seattle Repertory Theatre's 'The Cook', by Eduardo Machado will thrill you. Set during the days before and after the revolution that overthrew Bautista and brought to power Fidel Castro, this play works like those marvelous Spanish language potboiler dramas that I've had the joy of watching a few times in my lifetime (even though I neither own cable or speak more than a tad of Spanish). It's a sizzling, fun and at times provocative play with a lot of Cuban culture woven in. Also, if you cook yourself, and spend any amount of time in the kitchen, the scenes, set all in the kitchen of a wealthy family (and then, the kitchen, and house with it passes on to the 'help', after the revolution happens) will amaze you. There's actual cooking going on with those discussions about the impending revolution, and later interspersed with crackling dialogue, including a scene where the woman's daughter uses the 'n' word. That moment reminded me so much of the 'slapping scene' in 'A Raisin In The Sun' and one could hear the audience, as a body hold their breath during that powerful moment, which comes in the second act. A grand epic of a play, with a cast that delivers the good, 'The Cook' is one you must not miss, if only for the sparkling repartee between actors Al Espinosa and Zabryna Guevara, who play a husband and wife going through personal changes pre and post-revolution. Definitely sure to be on my and other 'top ten' lists, do see this one. For times and ticket information, call: 206-443-2222, or go online to www.seattlerep.org. Heck, you might find you have a taste for Cuban food, or a yen to do some cooking afterward.