Review Highlights - GHOSTS OF BOGOTÁ - Stray Cat Theatre

Greta Skelly and Shelly R Trujillo
photo by John Groseclose

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 15

"... a dark, irreverent comedy, riffing on the incongruous motif of sexual trauma and unholy exorcism. It thumbs its nose on conventions of space and time - as it should, given the task of probing the unconscious and whipping up a contentious dialogue with deceased relatives....Alejandra Luna directs an earnest ensemble that fitfully hits the mark, with some members more attuned to the narrative style than others. Shelly Trujillo as Lola accounts for most of the heavy lifting as she clearly grasps the stakes beneath her raucous disposition. Angel Sicairos as younger sister Sandy exhibits a justifiable rage in confronting her dead perpetrator, Saúl. But the stringent logic of the most responsible sibling should perhaps be more evident in the first act, as opposed to the dour and brooding temperament of a woman lacking confidence....Diana Burbano has gifted the community with a fearless piece of artwork, not to mention a symbolic bridge linking the traditions that have served us well to the burgeoning possibility that is vibrant and inclusive. And in a theatre canon historically dominated by men, it's energizing to come across new works written and populated by women of power and agency."  -  Robert Encila-Celdran, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)

"Stray Cat Theatre can always be counted on to avoid conventional theater, the kind other Valley companies like Arizona Theatre Company and The Phoenix Theatre Company do with lots of flair and panache. Stray Cat’s season-opening production, “Ghosts of Bogota,” is no exception but for theatergoers accustomed to orthodox plays, this show is a challenge.  The play, by Diana Burbano, is full of intricate Hispanic traditions not widely understood by everyone and the play provides little insight to that cultural milieu...The production is riddled with problems not usually associated with theater.  The biggest issue is that many performers cannot be heard.  Director Alejandra Luna’s rudimentary staging is littered with basic roaming around the grandfather’s apartment which is filled with a lifetime of treasurers that aren’t really explored or explained... “Ghosts of Bogota” is a challenge for theatergoers not familiar with this vibrant culture and the production provides little help to explain the many unknowns."  -Chris Curcio, Curtain Up Phoenix (click here to read the complete review)