"Returning to Neruda's World" celebrates what would have been Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's 100th birthday, and the party is presented as an artistic showcase as fresh and momentous as the man himself.
"Returning to Neruda's World" showcases a selection of Pablo Neruda's work, revealing through song and spoken word in three languages how one of Latin America's most prolific poets became one of the world's most beloved. The Neruda feature takes the stage at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Columbia Heights, where the vibrantly beautiful Mexican murals and tapestries blanket the interior, and make the otherwise austere building feel invitingly festive. The transformation of the venue proves perfect for a production best described as a communal celebration.
The stage is bare until a flourish of blue and white satin as four actors and three musicians materialize, whispering, shouting and soaking Neruda's words in music, vibrantly restoring poetry that could be starting to gather dust. The poems picked for the performance capture the depth and breadth of a poet who was at once a social commentator, political activist and love-struck lyricist throughout his global home in Chile, France, Italy, Spain and Mexico. Through this sharp reinvention of Neruda's poetry, the audience follows the writer on an international expedition toward his place as a cultural, political and literary icon.
"Ode To Laziness," an ironic account of a lost day, seemed to be personally appreciated by most of the audience. The love poem "Your Laughter," featured a poignant exchange between two actors. Perhaps most lively though, was the tongue-in-cheek social commentary of "The Diplomats," which mocked the manufactured personas of world leaders. The crowd's response suggested that Neruda's political insights haven't lost their relevance.
Spanish and Chilean classical songs, folk music from Chile, Mexico and Argentina and popular music from France is played on guitar, piano and drums. The talented and lively musicians blend the sounds seamlessly with Neruda's poetry, which suddenly seems more melodic than ever to the listener. Another rich union is that of the original Spanish words mingling with, and often flowing into, their English translations. The rhythmic beauty of Neruda's originals, and the fascinating results can seduce even audience members who don't speak Spanish when the two languages share the same stage, or even the same line of a poem.
Interestingly, parts of the performance turn Neruda's poems into dialogue, with two actors speaking lines of one poem to each other, or echoing back words or lines. Poetry, an art often criticized for being too passive and too personal, becomes active and interactive. The power of this performance lies in its sense that poetry can and should be communal and welcoming. It was palpable during intermission when a man in the third row turned to the woman behind him and asked for her poetry suggestions, saying "This really makes me want to read Neruda."
It was most obvious when the audience, an odd mix of senior citizens and college students, all began to sing and clap along to the Chilean folk song that closed the show.
Watching "Returning to Neruda's World" becomes more than just watching. It seduces new lovers of Neruda and reminds everyone else of what won them over in the first place. But it also does something that may be more valuable: It provides a place where poetry can be active and interactive, social and sociable. That's the kind of party Pablo Neruda would have wanted.
The host of the celebration, the In Series, specializes in its own brand of "cabaret" performances that experiment with music to capture a specific time or place in history, or to enrich the works of a famous writer or composer. Past performances have featured times and places like 1920s Berlin and the Harlem Renaissance.
"Returning to Neruda's World" runs through next Monday at the Mexican Cultural Institute, about four blocks from the Columbia Heights Metro stop. Performances are Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.inseries.org or call
(202) 518-0152.
