Yamel Cucuy – Latino Theater Company
Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Latino Theater Company brings Austin, Texas-based Glass Half Full Theatre and its unique production of Yamel Cucuy, last seen at LTC’s 2024 Encuentro theater festival, back to L.A. A recipient of multiple awards, Glass Half Full Theatre creates original performances using the precise physical language of humans and puppets to confront global issues of environmental and social justice.
Unlike anything else I’ve seen, this production touches upon a fascinating subject: what do the last few moments before we die look like? Do we remember dying? What is the afterlife like? Are we welcomed to Astral life, where our journeys continue, and is that our final destination?
The intro is a fun animation on the screen and questions in the dark: ’What is your name? ¿Cómo te llamas?’
It continues with a young girl being hunted in dreams. It’s like a spooky dream in a spooky movie. There are levels of different planes she is going through, in order to reach the final destination; the place of snow and sadness, the place where bodies fly like flags in the wind and, finally, the place where entities are feeding on your heart. In a visually arresting production blending puppetry, music and live performance, we witness the interplay of music and action, and amazing characters are created.
Latino Theater Company artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela says, ‘The play follows a young woman nearing adulthood as she faces both the physical dangers of the border and the monsters of Mexican folklore. Using puppetry, live performance, original indigenous percussion, folk tales and horror, the company creates a world where the real and supernatural dangers surrounding her begin to overlap.’
The play is performed in English and Spanish with supertitles in both languages. I wish the yellow used for English language were brighter, so that the audience could see it better. If someone has a little trouble with vision, the words projected will be hard to read. My vision is 20/20, and I experienced a little difficulty figuring it out.
Otherwise, the production is very intriguing. The puppets are wonderful; their movements are alive and very entertaining. I especially liked the tall witch and her incredible flexibility and the way she moved. Just wonderful!
At one point everything on the stage is moving; hands coming out from everywhere… Head popping out from the sink, entities coming out of the fridge, from the chest — the whole set is in motion.
Diana Patricia Guizado does a wonderful job of expressing fear, confusion and pain. Her ability to express emotions in this touchy and gripping story engages everyone watching it.
All other actors — Zac Carr, Marina DeYoe–Pedraza, Michael Galván, Gustavo Martinez, Antonio Medrano and Minerva Villa — lure us into the imaginative story they are telling. All of the puppets seem alive and keep us captivated.
Yamel Cucuy is written by Glass Half Full co-artistic directors Indigo Rael, Caroline Reck and Gricelda Silva, with additional text contributions from Jesús Valles and Connor Hopkins, and directed by Reck. Dramaturgy is by James Montaño. Mágica and Mictlan consulting is by Alexis Arredondo. Scenic design and fabrications are by Hopkins, Reck and Rael. Lighting design is by Rachel Atkinson, with sound design and video integration by K. Eliot Haynes and projection design by Rael. Costume design is by Annie Ulrich, with additional costuming by Reck and Rael. The Yamel puppet was created by Reck. Shadow puppetry is by Hopkins, Rael and Reck. Stage managers are Zac Crofford and Joshua Martin.
‘Bringing Yamel Cucuy back to The LATC at this moment feels both urgent and deeply meaningful,” also Valenzuela says. ‘This production speaks to the fears carried by immigrant families, the stories passed down by our elders and the resilience required to move through a world that can be frightening and unjust. The Latino Theater Company has always been a home for courageous, culturally specific work, and we are proud to welcome Glass Half Full Theatre back to Los Angeles.’
Yamel Cucuy opened on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 8 p.m. Performances continue Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 1. Tickets are $10 for all Thursday performances; $48 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances; and $24 for students, seniors, veterans and LAUSD teachers with valid ID.
Content warning: Subtle reference to sexual assault; image of a gun and violence in shadow puppetry; language; death.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $8 with box office validation at the Los Angeles Garage Associates parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater). For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to www.latinotheaterco.org