Immersive Masculinity: Un Poyo Rojo at Theater Wit

I was greeted with almost impenetrable fog from a machine working overtime as I entered Theater 1 at Theater Wit on Belmont. Barely visible on stage were two athletic men wearing tank tops and sweat pants, warming up. The haze lingered through the pre-curtain announcements of Marc Frost, a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Physical Theater Festival Chicago.

The audience silenced their cell-phones, settled in their seats, and we began what may be one of the most unusual evenings of live theater in my recent memory. It is difficult to describe Un Poyo Rojo in a few words. The best description I've seen comes from The Ringling website.

In an empty locker room, two men play with movement, an analogue radio and tiny shorts. The athletic bodies of Luciano Rosso and Alfonso Barón move fluently from wrestling to dance, acrobatics to physical comedy in an irresistible distortion of the expectations of manhood. A funny, raw, playful hour interspersed with competitiveness and camaraderie as well as seduction and sabotage, that showcases the best of Argentinian contemporary dance!

What's In a Name?

Even the name, Un Poyo Rojo is ambiguous. Most dictionaries will tell you that a poyo is a stone bench or ledge; but it is pronounced nearly the same as pollo, the Spanish word for chicken. While puns are less common in Spanish than in English, the resemblance to pollo—"chicken" or colloquially, "cock"—feels deliberate. Is this a playful double entendré? We sidestep this possiblity for a work like Stravinsky's Le Coq d'Or by translating it from French to the English euphemism "The Golden Cockerel", after a poem by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

All of that being said, the pair do in fact often strut about the expansive and sparsely furnished stage as though they were royalty parading their finery for loyal subjects and vassals to admire and worship.

And what a parade of ever-changing mood, inflection, emotion, and male behavior it is! The pair move quickly through competitive struggle, comedy, affection, seduction, camaraderie, athleticism, pride, braggadocio, and even a little lip-sync and drag parody. Before you realize the passage of time, the hour and a half just passed has left you spent with a flood of emotions stirred by dazzling athleticism, quieted by tender moments and delighted by kitsch and commedy that provoke bursts of laughter.

What's the Message

The most immediate result of an evening with Un Poyo Rojo is the content and satisfaction derived from a unique and entertaining experience. Laughter has always been a means of improving one's outlook and lowering stress levels. Indeed, the following morning as I awoke, recollections of Un Poyo Rojo popped into my sleepy head and I found myself smiling broadly before I even had a chance to grumble about the early hour!

But after a little thought, I also realized that Un Poyo Rojo is also an exploration of how men relate to other men; the realization is somewhat humbling, both in its sometimes ridiculous absurdity as well as its often insightful excursions into male vulnerabilities or strengths. It is this range of possibilities that Un Poyo Rojo explores with such surgical precision.

The great strength of the piece lies in its ability to convey these messages in a painless, enjoyable manner. You leave the performance entertained and energized by the art, athleticism and humanity, rather than downcast and chastised, as if by a Sunday preacher delivering a fire-and-brimstone homily.

A Little Backstory

Un Poyo Rojo is Argintinian at its core. Director Hermes Gaido, and his two interpreters, Alfonso Barón and Luciano Rosso bring to the Chicago stage a flare for the unusual and pointed honesty that is often lacking in contemporary American art.

In a post performance conversation I had with Rosso, I learned that Un Poyo Rojo has been performed over 1,400 times in the past 15 years, all over the globe. They travel 8 months out of the year. What occurred to me is the durability of both the piece itself as well as the performers, who obviously have maintained themselves in enviable physical condition.

As I bid Rosso "Buen viaje!," his closing remarks were how much he loved the show, and how much it meant to him. I smiled. I thought to myself that here was a perfect example of how deep dedication can forge a mystical, loving bond between the creator and art—one that radiates outward to every member of the audience. Bravissimo! indeed.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago

I had a chance to exchange a few words with Marc Frost, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Physical Theater Festival Chicago. Frost's theater experience runs deep, with an impressive list of credits including teaching at Chicago's Columbia College and Roosevelt University.

I mentioned I was surprised that I had never heard of Physical Theater Festival Chicago despite their twelve-year history. That oversight will not happen again, and now that it's on my radar, I'll be certain to watch for this annual event. Physical theater is a genre well worth anyone's time if only for the enjoyment and insights you'll gain from a well-crafted and performed piece.

Visit their website—you won't come away disappointed.

All images used under fair use for critical discussion. Original visuals sourced from Physical Theater Festival Chicago promotional materials. Screen captures by the author.