by Beulah F. Vega

San Francisco’s Magic Theatre is just a quick hop over the Golden Gate and should be on the radar of every North Bay theatre lover. Their current production of Luis Alfaro’s Aztlán, which they commissioned, has had its run extended through July 20. Kinan Valdez directs the story which flits between the Central Valley and mythology with a mixture of Maya, Toltec, and Mixeca myths. 

Parolee Aztlán (Daniel Duque-Estrada) is looking for his brother Mictlantecutli (Sean San José). Along the way, he is guided by his sarcastic, oddly prescient parole officer Aguilar (Ogie Zulueta), tempted by his landlord and the landlord’s twin, both named Balanque (Juan Amador), a manic pixie woman named Huitzil (Gabriela Guadalupe), the ghost of his great grandmother Martina (Catherine Castellanos) plus his dying father, entitled sister, and indifferent mother. 

Duque-Estrada does a stellar job of keeping the story stable and moving forward in an impressive display of training and talent. 

Guadalupe plays both Huitzil and Aztlán’s sister Tlalli. She handles the two characters with ease, making believable, grounded choices. Similarly, Amador, as both Balanque and Aztlán’s father, Tez, showcases committed choices with impeccable comedic timing. 

Zulueta shines as Aguilar/Huitzilopochtli, patron god of the Mixeca, as he guides Aztlán toward his destiny. His transformations on stage from no-nonsense human to enigmatic god are a highly skilled and entertaining performance.

While San José’s movement performance was excellent, his characterization fell flat.

The set by Tanya Orellana is a beautiful lesson in how every brush stroke in a minimalist set matters.

Sadly, David Arevalo’s costumes would have been mystical in a larger house, but are not in the intimate Magic.  

It’s essential that Latine voices are heard, especially now. North Bay audiences will feel welcome and familiar at this show, and for the most part, my fellow theater lovers will find much to like about this play and the experience.

However, if I were writing this review solely for fellow Latine artists, that’s not what I would say. 

At the risk of being accused of using this review as a soap box, I will say that as a Latine, Mexica, first-generation Chicana I have significant issues with who and what this script chooses to center and how it plays into the stereotypes that have always oversimplified our complicated stories. 

So much talent is being used to tell this story, one wishes that one of them had asked if this was really the story that needed to be told right now.

‘Aztlán’ runs through July 20 at the Magic Theatre, 2 Marina Blvd, Landmark Building D, Third Floor, San Francisco. Thurs, Fri, Sun, 8:00pm; Sat, 2pm. $35–$75. 415.441.8822. magictheatre.org

Photos by Jay Yamada