Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel scored a huge hit in 1989 with the release of her debut novel, which became a New York Times best seller, Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate), a romance that combined the natural with the supernatural.
The book was turned into a hit movie back in 1992. GALA Hispanic Theatre will stage the U.S. premiere of its stage version, Como agua para chocolate, Sept. 6-Oct. 7, performed in Spanish with English surtitles.
Adapted by Garbi Losada and directed by Olga Sánchez, the play closely follows the book, telling the story of Tita, a young woman trapped by a tradition that forbids her to marry her true love Pedro, all with the backdrop of the Mexican revolution. Tita brings out magic in the kitchen, with her manner of preparing her recipes which inspire people to laugh, cry and feel passion as never before.
Esquivel is often quoted as talking about the power of the kitchen, and how important the room is as a source of knowledge and understanding that brings pleasure to those for whom the food is lovingly prepared and served.
GALA company member Luz Nicolás, who plays Mama Elena, tells us that early on in the process, the entire cast and production team gathered at her home and collaborated in cooking the meal. Chiles en Nogada, made famous as the last dish which Tita cooked in the movie, was on the menu, and everyone joined together in the preparation.
“It took us 4-5 hours to make this one meal, and we needed to follow everything step by step,” Nicolás says. “It was incredible to experience this; a bunch of people staying together in the same room to make a meal and then sit down and share it. It was a special day for all of us and I think it made us understand how important that is and show it on stage.”
Nicolás knew she wanted to be part of Como agua para chocolate as soon as she learned that GALA Hispanic Theatre was doing it.
“The book is one of my favorite books ever and when I was younger, I watched the movie and it was very special to me,” Nicolás says. “When I heard there would be this adaptation, I just felt it would be a beautiful story to show on stage. This story is so special.”
Nicolás’ character is the matriarch of the De La Garza family, and she represents the prime source of Tita’s suffering, as she is the one keeping her from Pedro.
“She’s like a dictator inside the house,” she says. “It was important to me to approach this person, who seems to be so evil or mean or hard on her daughters, and make sure we saw what was going on inside her—a lack of love. It was interesting to me to make her more than just the mean one, but to make it more profound and have people see there’s more to her.”
Originally from Spain, Nicolás likens the story to the Spanish play, The House of Bernarda Alba, a story by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca about a mother who keeps her daughters inside the house because they must mourn their father’s death.
“It reminds me so much of that character, which is an amazing role in Spanish theater,” Nicolás says. “When they offered me Mama Elena, I was excited to play her.”
The novel is known for its vivid descriptions and details, and that’s not always easy to translate to a stage. Nicolás says, unlike in a movie, where scenes can change from one year to another quickly, Sánchez makes sure to direct it in a way where the audience knows the events happen over the course of 20 years, and she does so amazingly.
Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate)
US debut – GALA Hispanic Theatre
September 6 – October 7, 2018
Details and tickets
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“She is able to show realism that is magical. It’s all about the food and emotions and what happens when people eat food with fear or pain or when in love.To do that on the stage is a challenge,” Nicolás says. “But I think it’s wonderful. People are going to be able to live with us in the world of the kitchen and it will be a very touching experience for them. They will be there physically with us.”
The play also stars Teresa Yenque and GALA company members Inés Domínguez del Corral, Carlos Castillo, Peter Pereyra, Delbis Cardona, Karen Romero and Karen Morales.
GALA also provides some Mexican traditional music and dancing which Nicolás feels, gives the sense of the culture of the time.
“I was just in Mexico with a friend for a while, and they had this neighborhood gathering, cooking for hours; that stuff really happens with everyone coming together,” Nicolás says. “When people leave the theater, I would love for them to feel as if they were in the kitchen and our house with us. I want them to feel the emotional journey and that we engage the audience and they see true love is forever.”
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