Mexico City (Proceso).– It is direct, hard, but also moving and reflective: It is Hilos, which is based on those apparently small social aggressions that we have all experienced at some point, to premiere this October 1 at the Forum Lucerne.
It is an original monologue by the British Abi Zakarian, a young playwright of Armenian origin who has taken her works to the iconic The Globe theater – the same one where William Shakespeare’s company staged their plays – and the English National Theater.
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Threads -in English called Fabric- premiered in 2016 in England and had a tour of Great Britain that included Wales and Scotland, obtaining in the city of Edinburgh in the latter country the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First Award, which rewards excellence in writing and the emotional impact of theatrical pieces.
This factor was strengthened during the adaptation and translation process for its assembly in Mexico, as detailed below.
The narrative of Hilos, which after its premiere will be at the Lucerna every Tuesday until December 17, begins with the character of Ema in a room in the middle of a move and a memory with which curiously we can all empathize: the nerves of the first time meeting a boyfriend’s mother or father. Wanting to please and letting go of certain actions associated with contempt, micro-violence coming from all sectors of society and that, by not putting a stop to it, end up escalating.
For its premiere in Mexico, the work has Alejandra Ambrosi as producer, actress (Ema) and co-director along with Gabriel Mata-Cervantes, a Mexican director who in turn carried out the translation and adaptation of the production under the approval of Abi herself. Zakarian.
You read about Threads in the hand program:
The relevance of Hilos lies not only in its award, but in the powerful message it carries with it. Through an intimate and deeply emotional monologue, the work explores the complex realities of gender violence, a topic that remains painfully current in our society…
In an interview, Ambrosi recounted what it was like to arrive at Hilos after an actress-director duo alongside Mata-Cervantes in the play 2:22. A paranormal story, created last year:
“I told him that I would only direct if I did it with him, he said yes, and although it took his time I took him at his word. Thus began the search for texts. I wanted a monologue, not so much for a personal challenge but to develop a story as much as I could on stage. That’s how we found Threads and we fell in love with the text, it had all the relevance because it speaks to you from a poetic and sensitive place, beautiful and at the same time monstrous. And from my trench as an actress I wanted to give a voice to those who do not have one or have been silenced.”
Regarding the triangle of direction-production-acting, she explained that it occurred out of necessity, since the direction was clear to her, but the production and acting were not, and, advised by a fellow producer, she decided to undertake these processes. When asked about the “signature” of the work, taking into account that there are different productions that have addressed and still address violence on stage, he explained:
“It was just a question that Gabriel and I asked ourselves, because the topic has been talked about from written, cinematographic, and of course theatrical narratives, but I think that as long as it continues to be a national and global problem, it will continue to be relevant. The particular thing about this work is that it goes to the essence, it points out how we are woven both individually and socially, violence is not only between men against women, it is in the social fabric, it is a network of knots that touches very deep fibers. sensitive in the fabric of our own identity.”
Ambrosi also put emphasis on the Hilos work team, about ten people who took over the Lucerna Forum to bring the performance to life (as seen in rehearsals), since it seems like a simple set, but when Ema plays certain elements, it gives them through memories.
The set design is by Emilio Zutia, the lighting by Damián Martínez, costumes by Giselle Sandiel, audio design by Juan Pablo Villa, executive production by Omar Flores López, and Mata-Cervantes as co-director of the production.
The setting
The latter, interviewed via zoom – he has lived in England for several years -, recounted the details for the selection of the work and his approach with the playwright Abi Zakarian, giving clues about the particular stamp that he gave to Hilos for its staging in Mexico .
“We looked for a text that resonated with both of us until I found Hilos through a video that mentioned ‘the ten best monologues for actresses’, which also had a description like ‘a hidden gem.’ I bought the script, I read it and it seemed strong to me… I must say that it was not our first choice, precisely because of how hard it can be, it is like a declaration of victims. It was until a second reading that we decided on the text.
“It is a very descriptive work about sensations, what Ema sees, what she feels, what she smells, that is the text. The starting anecdote in relation to filial jealousy is the lowest level of micro-aggression, it goes up until there is a trigger.”
He also explained that with Zakarian he was able to adjust the adaptation and translation process, while revealing for the Mexican version a detail arising from his status as a doctor oriented to the emotional impact of words in the health sector. Thus, Mata-Cervantes printed that seal:
“I relied on that knowledge for the translation, selecting certain words that I know have a much greater emotional charge in people. The first part was having the translation and adaptation, then via Zoom I met with Alejandra countless times to read, because some words were read well in the text but out loud they did not have the same impact.
“We also worked on the character, identifying the emotions in each moment, and since we had all that construction with the definition of the character and what we liked, I went to Mexico City and worked with Alejandra. We transferred everything emotionally to the physical, and in the end we did great teamwork.”
Monologue by Abi Zaracrian. Photo: Niza Rivera
Mata-Cervantes emphasized his work as co-director, seeking to ensure that the story was understood, that Ambrosi’s performance was seen and well told, credible, due to the story itself, to conclude:
“The beauty of the work lies, first, in that it is theater, and theater is a mirror for society to see itself… in Greece, theater had the function of educating, and I think this work has something of that without intending it. Threads is a huge mirror that must be seen to ‘unspin’, this story is told so that people reflect as individuals and collectively.”
Hilos premieres this Tuesday, October 1 at Lucerna #64, corner of Milan, Juárez neighborhood, with the support of Fiesta Americana and Grupo Posadas, and with performances every Tuesday until December 17.
