Although Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek wrote “Tango,” which is known as his most famous play, over 40 years ago, the political and social themes of the play are said to remain relevant today.
Unfortunately, in the California Repertory Company’s production of “Tango,” which is currently running at the National Guard Armory in Long Beach, what (seemingly little) could have been followed and understood through the play’s text was constantly getting swallowed up by the space and often thrown away by the actors, who delivered lines without the emotion their words called for.
The direction of German guest artist Eberhard Kohler negatively affected the audience’s ability to actually understand the dialogue of the actors because he was working with a thrust stage (a stage that puts the audience on three sides instead of the traditional one) in a very large, concrete room. Actors facing away from one side of the audience were unable to be understood, as their voices were not loud enough to compete with the space and would echo into mumbles.
The talent of the actors I have really enjoyed in other productions, such as that of Josh Nathan (Eddie), was overshadowed by the occasional absurdity of the storyline and severe lack of flow or consistency.
A suspension of the play’s own reality, or any suspension of disbelief, was missing. Some might say that the characters are searching for and living in a reality of their own, and working forward to change it through the play, but that would require a semblance of consistency that “Tango” lacks. I was constantly lost because I was unable to find any semblance of realism or even some of the absurdity some claim the play is great for. I was teetering on the edge of dialogue that made little sense, even in its own world.
The costume design was as erratic as the dialogue, as were the clever sound effects (water dripped to melodies of familiar songs) and the lighting. Each of these elements upstaged the actors and storyline, and continued to fight with the other artistic aspects of the production.
The actors broke the fourth wall often, talking to the audience while jumping onto the railings or sitting in the next seat, or addressing those in the tech booth. Again, whether this is the director’s choice or that of the playwright, it simply makes so sense and doesn’t work.
After seeing this play, I tried to do some of my own research about the play and its author when I, with my disdain of the text and the production itself, began questioning my own intellect and analytical skills (shame on me).
What I found was even more of the same old regurgitation I’ve always seemed to hear about literature: Freudian themes, political parallels, and so on. Well, if that’s what is said to be found in nearly, if not all, pieces of literature and theatre, what makes this play so special? I’ve yet to find out.
Based on an understanding of Freudian analysis, some sources say that it’s obvious that the son is upset about the father always walking around with the fly to his pajamas open because he is jealous of his father’s penis, wants his mother sexually (and, therefore, is jealous of his father for that, too), and is generally threatened by his father’s sexual freedom.
Without finding any quotes from Mrozek denying or confirming those thoughts, I am left to wonder if it’s just society reading the same old things into one more piece of theater. Those themes certainly weren’t clear in Cal Rep’s production.
Personal opinion pushes me to place a little blame on plays such as “Tango” for deterring more people from becoming regular theater patrons. The theatre world seems to be constantly looking for an audience, and I believe that part of the problem is too many artistic works cannot be readily understood by those who attend.
I am not saying that if some people does not understand a production, it shouldn’t be produced. I am just trying to point out that if you are going to mount a play such as “Tango,” you may want to supplement it in some way so it becomes easier for your audience to digest by perhaps providing a bit about the meaning of the play itself (or at least some sociopolitical context) rather than a small bio of the playwright in your program.
At intermission I heard people in the audience whispering what I thought was my lone opinion: “Ugh, this play is so boring.” I overheard others trying to figure out what was going on and what the play was even about.
You may want to find out for yourself if you agree with some of the opinions of the night regarding “Tango,” including my own, or you can just take my word for it and avoid going to see a play that is generally lackluster, uneventful and pointless.
“Tango” will be running through Dec. 15 at the National Guard Armory in Long Beach. Ticket information is available by calling (562) 985-4500 or visiting www.calrep.org.
