La Peor de Todas, The Worst of All, was put on by the National Museum of Mexican Art as part of the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. The entire play was performed in Spanish with English supertitles. I know some Spanish and was able to more or less keep up with the play without the supertitles, which was also a satisfying experience. However, if I did look to the supertitles, I could tell that they were often too far ahead or behind the dialogue which was a little annoying. Nevertheless, La Peor de Todas was a well-done and thought-provoking piece.
The play centers around the intellectual pursuits of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and the ramifications of her work. Set during the reign of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Mexico in the 17th century, the play explores social class, feminism, and sexuality. Relating to the caste system we discussed in class, Sor Juana joins the …show more content…
Rebeca Alemán’s Sor Juana was magnificent. She was particularly powerful at the end of the play when she scrawls “la peor de todas” in her own blood in repentance. Additionally, the stage design of the production ensured the focus was on Sor Juana. The only things on set were Sor Juana’s books and several large pillars with images of her face on them. The images made for a very striking effect because, as the audience watches Sor Juana, she also watches them. The pillars also contributed to the audience’s perception of Sor Juana, showing them her world. Although I did ultimately sympathize with her, Sor Juana was a bit narcissistic. When signs the document of repent at the play’s end with “la peor de todas,” she writes it on one of the pillar photos under her eye as if she was crying. Up until this point, Sor Juana lives in her own world, and her altering her picture shows her new-found self-awareness and how her world is forever
The play centers around the intellectual pursuits of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and the ramifications of her work. Set during the reign of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Mexico in the 17th century, the play explores social class, feminism, and sexuality. Relating to the caste system we discussed in class, Sor Juana joins the …show more content…
Rebeca Alemán’s Sor Juana was magnificent. She was particularly powerful at the end of the play when she scrawls “la peor de todas” in her own blood in repentance. Additionally, the stage design of the production ensured the focus was on Sor Juana. The only things on set were Sor Juana’s books and several large pillars with images of her face on them. The images made for a very striking effect because, as the audience watches Sor Juana, she also watches them. The pillars also contributed to the audience’s perception of Sor Juana, showing them her world. Although I did ultimately sympathize with her, Sor Juana was a bit narcissistic. When signs the document of repent at the play’s end with “la peor de todas,” she writes it on one of the pillar photos under her eye as if she was crying. Up until this point, Sor Juana lives in her own world, and her altering her picture shows her new-found self-awareness and how her world is forever