Reas

Re-enacting one’s experience: Yoseli is new in prison. She passes the security check with stoical calm, almost curiosity. She shuffles into her cell before heading out to smoke; with each cigarette she gives away it gets clearer: any “I” here, must become part of the “We”. Yoseli is sworn into a diverse group of cis and trans women, loose attachments forged in a constant stream of new sparring and bonding partnerships. They live boldly, with an awareness of their bodies: the ritualised force of the voguing battles in the yard, the enthusiasm of playing in the band, wonderful songs. Yoseli joins in, sings along, dances and becomes friends with Nacho, a trans man. Romance and love is threaded tenderly through the group’s temporary communality. The editing and direction weave everything together, while the performers ensure smooth transitions: the hybrid theatrical staging offers congenial forms for self-assertion. If Theatre of War (Forum 2018) emphasised the political, Lola Arias’s latest performative, empowerment re-enactments in Buenos Aires’ Casero prison turn on lust, celebration, energy, music, trance balance – and endless charm.