[[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of CASA 0101 Theater’s Dive Bar, written by Chris Banda, directed by Miguel Angel Delgado, and Arezu Tavkoli, and running October 9 – November 1.
Dive Bar is a wonderful new play by Miguel Angel Delgado, inspired by The Twilight Zone and set in a neighborhood bar in Boyle Heights that explores what is at the center of us. It’s a sublime idea. To take characters familiar to us all – the local golden boy long fallen from grace, the always underestimated gentle giant, the bar owner wrecked with grief and a waitress whose dreams were broken by her own personal loss. Put them together and put them under the everyday, regular kind of pressure for any downtown-adjacent area, a police chase and a lockdown. Then drop an anomaly into the mix. A quiet stranger who fits the description of a ‘person of interest’ sought by police in a nearby mass shooting. And let them simmer. Sometimes the most profound existential journeys happen right down the block.
What makes Banda’s script a true gem is how he seems to delight in interrogating the human condition under duress while still letting them slowly open by themselves, responding rather than reacting. These characters are instantly recognizable, anchored deeply in the Eastside culture. Yet, their personal struggles and internal existential crises are universal.
Banda relies on sharp, witty dialogue and intricate, overlapping storylines to expose the cracks in his characters’ facades.
It is a highly rhythmic piece of writing, subverting expectations at every turn and proving that good writing truly can be an exquisite form of therapy. Supported by these fine actors’ ability to possess their roles, Dive Bar unfolds beautifully.
Director Miguel Angel Delgado handles the pacing with a jeweler’s precision. He meticulously tightens the screws on the audience, capitalizing on the intimate space of CASA 0101 to make us feel like we are trapped inside the bar right along with the patrons. Delgado double-hats as the sound designer, utilizing the gloriously looming, mechanical thrum of the police choppers to create an oppressive, sensory-driven soundscape that never lets you catch your breath.
The ensemble cast delivers truly incredible powerhouse, lived-in performances. Vance Valencia anchors with the mysterious, eerie and clearly otherworldly Mr. Smith. Martín Morales brings a beautifully nuanced vulnerability to the bar owner Charlie, while Gilbert Reynoso’s Goose and Oscar T. Basulto’s Willie trade a raw, neighborhood dynamic that feels effortlessly authentic. Arezu Tavakoli rounds out the brilliant ensemble as Sam, infusing the room with a fierce, survivalist urgency with barely a chink in her armor while still folding her softness and vulnerability into each and every line.
The production elements are exceptionally cohesive. César Rentana-Holguín’s set design captures the sticky-floor, neon-tinted authenticity of a Boyle Heights dive bar so perfectly you can almost smell the stale beer. Alejandro Parra’s lighting design flawlessly mirrors the claustrophobia of the narrative, using the invasive flashes of police lights to punctuate the drama. While Tony Iniguez’s costume design keeps the characters firmly rooted in reality.
Founding Artistic Director Josefina López and producer Emmanuel Deleage have unearthed a major talent in Chris Banda.
Dive Bar is refreshing, thought-provoking, deeply human and thoroughly engaging theater. It challenges the mind, quickens the pulse, and leaves a lingering impact long after the house lights come up.
Who are we to each other if we cannot be who we are to ourselves? And don’t we at least owe that much to the world which gives and gives, from flowers to oceans to music and mothers. For me, that is what this play left me with. Under duress we can rise to the call for authenticity, but we should strive for that every minute of every day…especially in our present chaotic and often heartbreaking world. The stakes are far too high these days to waste a moment. Do not miss this play. It’s beautiful.
When:
October 9 – November 1
Fridays and Saturdays 8PM and Sundays at 3PM
Where:
CASA 0101
2102 1st St, Boyle Heights
Tickets:
https://casa0101.org/?shows=dive-bar
The Team
The cast of DIVE BAR includes: Vance Valencia (of Boyle Heights) as Mr. Smith, Martín Morales (of Silver Lake, CA) as Charlie, Gilbert Reynoso (of Alhambra, CA) as Goose, Oscar T. Basulto (of Boyle Heights) as Willie and Arezu Tavakoli (of Hollywood, CA) as Sam.
The production team for the World Premiere production of DIVE BAR includes: Josefina López Founding Artistic Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Emmanuel Deleage Producer and Executive Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Edward Padilla Casting Director and CASA 0101 Theater Board Member; Chris Banda Playwright; Miguel Angel Delgado Director, Sound Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Technical Director; César Rentana-Holguín Set Designer; Alejandro Parra Lighting Designer; Tony Iniguez Costume Designer; Audrey Szot Props Designer; Gabrielle Maldonado Music Supervisor; Rigo Tejeda Stage Manager; Julius Bronola Assistant Stage Manager, Wardrobe Assistant; Jimena Jimenez-Barerra Assistant Stage Manager; Mark Kraus, CASA 0101 Theater Development Director; Itzel Ocampo Key Art Director and CASA 0101 Theater Marketing and Operations Manager; Karla Melendez Program Administrator; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Studio Inc. Program; Oscar Basulto Box Office Manager; Al Aguilar Production Assistant/Foyer Designer; Rudy Torres Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations, Press Representative.