Mariela in the Desert

reviewed by Polonius the Clown

“The desert is God’s canvas.” These words, spoken by the character Jose (played by Robert Sicular) several times, are what first inspire Jose and his small family to move onto a ranch in the Mexican desert in the play Mariela in the Desert, by Karen Zacarias now playing at the Denver Center Theatre Company.

At the top of the show, it is years after the move, and Jose is dying. Even as his family gathers around him, Jose seems to be unhappy with himself for reasons that are not entirely clear. This mystery is slowly unveiled as the play progresses.

The other great mystery in the play is a painting, “The Blue Barn.” The excitement for this painting grows more and more as the play goes on.

Throughout the play we see the characters at odds with each other; but it is the scenes where they begin to relate- not just to each other but to the audience as well- where we truly see that they are humans, burdened by their own struggles and heartaches. Even the set, by Anne Gibson, seems to promote this. It seems as if we are looking through a window into to their lives.

The family that we see through that window seems rather sad. Sure there are the funny parts, but the sad parts are more prevalent in the play as they give a more accurate look at the tragedy that befell this family. The actors that give life to this are for the most part incredible. Yetta Gottesman, who plays the main character Mariela, shows both her sadness in the present and the happiness of the past with equal skill. The character Jose (Robert Sicular) is the same even though he is more complex. He deftly portrays a longing for art- something that he cannot do anymore- which again reflects the human aspect of this play. However the one who makes the biggest impression is Carlos (played by Jean-Pierre Serret) whose realistic performance is both frightening and enrapturing.