The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia at Amphibian Stage
I believe the goal of any show, any good show, is to lift you out of your seat and thrust you into the world of the show. Under the masterful direction of Evan Michael Woods, Kathleen Culebro’s The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia catapults you into the vibrant, hilarious, and mendacious life of Juan Garcia.
The show centers around a son returning home after the death of his beloved brother. The son, Juan Garcia, is nothing like the dearly departed. In fact, if Juan were living in 2024, he’d be one of your favorite reality TV stars. He’ll lie and cheat with wit and pizzazz to get what he wants. He’s a good time but not good for the family’s legacy. After zeroing in on a particular young lady, he finds himself doing all he can to win her affection.
World-building is no easy task. It requires combined genius. The team behind Juan Garcia is truly firing on all cylinders. Paige Hathaway’s scenic design is absolutely delicious. Her use of color and pattern serves her well as she goes about the business of creating Oaxaca. Bella Barnett’s painted tile flooring is a thing of beauty. The tiles really shined whether they were being used for the town plaza or the interior of the characters’ homes. One of my favorite technical aspects of the show was the projections. Leann Burns created such an incredible texture for the back wall of the set that represented the exterior and interior of the homes.
Evan Michael Woods is in top form here. From the show’s opening number, you know that you are in for a lively piece of theater. Sidenote: this cast is filled with amazing voices. I could’ve listened to another couple of songs. Woods constructs the play in a way that makes you feel like you are always in Oaxaca. The townspeople serve as the transition team from exterior to interior scenes. The way they banter with each other keeps the audience plugged into the place of the play. I’ve never seen such wonderful transitions. The larger-than-life comedy never gets away from Woods. He finds moments to ground us in the world. His direction really is a thing of beauty.
The actors are fantastic. This is a rather large cast, twelve actors in all. Danny Quintero is wonderful in the titular role of Juan Garcia. His character is full of shit, but you can’t help liking him. He has that youthful restlessness that most of us had in our twenties. His comedic timing is impeccable. Amber Flores and Amanda Reyes as Jacnita and Lucrecia, respectively, are a dynamic duo. They are the kind of friends that each of us deserves. They light up the stage in their scenes together. There’s a balcony scene that will leave you breathless from laughter. Jovane Caamaño’s Fernando is the kind of man anyone would want. He’s hopelessly devoted and just a teensy bit overprotective of his dear Jacinta. I found Caamaño’s performance compelling. With the exception of one foible from Samantha Padilla at the beginning of the show, every performance is incredible. My favorite of the evening was Gloria Vivica Benavides’ Consuelo. Benavides spends the whole show switching hats as she must be a one-woman house staff. Benavides is exceptional! She never fumbles a laugh. This is Benavides’ mainstage debut at Amphibian. I can’t wait to see her in something else.
The costuming of the show is superb. Laura Anderson Barbata holds nothing back. She finds a way of mixing traditional Mexican dress with modern haute couture. There are at least two pairs of pants from Juan Garcia’s wardrobe that would be the envy of New York Fashion Week. I was absolutely obsessed with several of the silhouettes Barbata created. Each costume was an art piece unto itself.
Kathleen Culebro is everything a playwright should be. This adaptation of Juan Garcia, La Verdad Sospechosa (1634) by Juan Ruiz de Alarcón is fresh! This is the kind of dialogue every actor dreams about. Culebro’s play is so aware of itself. It’s aware that it is being performed in 2024. There are certain jokes that play with the idea of the original period of the play. Also, the play is aware that it is a play. This is hard to do. People try all the time. People fail all the time. Culebro does not. Her witty callouts within the work add to it.
The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia is some of the best theater you will see in Dallas/Fort Worth this fall.
RUNNING: Through November 3, 2024
VENUE: Amphibian Stage, 120 S Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104
TICKETS: https://amphibianstage.com/