Daniel Alexander Nodder
A rich jungle soundscape surrounds the theatre. Two performers, siblings at play, weave through the space as the audience files in. The stage is set for what will be a production of mythical proportions and a dedicated ensemble performance. Tecuani is a new latin-futuristic work directed by Emilio Mancilla – a recent graduate of Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. It calls to mind the genre of old folk tales, stories of spirits, unnamed gods and forgotten rituals.
A completely wordless production, this tale unfolds as what can only be described as a piece of nonverbal storytelling, utilizing identifiable recognisable story tropes to guide us through the narrative alongside the characters. This work does not hold back: it sports dance, physical theatre, ambitious design, and a nine-strong ensemble cast. Set in the year 2110 in a small village in Mexico, the story centers on siblings Mētztli (Steffany Silva Delatour) and Huitzilopochtl (Te Hāmama Hohua), as the former is whisked away on a surreal tryst through the realm of spirit in order to right a great wrong in their community.
Drawing from Nahuatl poetry, this is a work that inspires a feeling of reconnection with the natural world and with community. There is an ambitious amount of action packed into this tight fifty-minute production, which meant that at some points, smaller details got lost or felt slightly rushed. Regardless, the mahi that has gone into creating a large, sweeping tale must be celebrated. It is unapologetically indigenous, visually striking, and rich in detailed storytelling.
Silva Delatour and Hohua are charming, physically expressive and easy to watch. They have excellent chemistry and feel like real siblings (with all of the bickering love that comes with it). Silva Delatour is a particularly great mover, and plays this lead role admirably, giving breath, depth and life to her character. Pawson plays Grandma Quetzalli calmly, a consistent, grounding presence that gives off gravitas and mana. This character’s importance is beautifully established by a stunning opening tableau, where both Elekis Poblete’s lighting and Tīhema Bennett’s sound design shine.
Margot Coleman and Sophie Sheaf-Morrison’s Conquistadors are angular and strict, in contrast with the rest of the ensemble’s light, floating physicalities. These two characters definitely had the potential to be quite interesting, but were not pushed beyond a second dimension. Especially in Coleman’s case, the character’s importance to the story was not necessarily reflected in stage time or character development.
Elia Correa, Taipuhi King and Anthea Vache work smoothly as an ensemble, becoming a chorus of jovial villagers, frolicking river-spirits, or cheeky talking trees seamlessly. I particularly love the moments when the performers use their voices, speaking an unknown language, adding their vocals to the swelling sound design, or creating songs of their own.
The movement, choreographed by Anya Down, Mancialla and Sheaf-Morrison is maximalist, leaning more towards physical theatre than dance. The ensemble under their leadership create some truly memorable tableaus and movement sequences throughout. There is almost always something happening onstage, so much so that sometimes it can feel crowded, ununited or scattered. Moments of stillness were few and far between in this piece, and it could have done with more. Proof of this was one of the most visually interesting moments, where one character moves through an ensemble frozen in tableau, resembling a dream or vision. Overall this ensemble is finely tuned, expressive, and tells the story well.
In terms of grandess and scale, the designers of this work deliver. Poblete’s lights are slick, using clever gobos that paint the picture of each realm the story travels to, both magical and mundane. She does a particularly good job lighting the dance sections, sculpting bodies, silhouetting and highlighting, the light masterfully collaborating with movement. Additionally, Bennett’s sound design and composition in this piece is impeccable. An impressive score carries the entire piece forward, giving the story a rhythm and a beating heart. Ambient soundscapes immerse you into a supernal jungle, a rushing river rife with spirits, or a village’s busy town square.
The ensemble’s verbal additions to sound design through breath, chanting, drumming and words in an unknown language heighten this even further. One particular moment of joy is when wooden boxes are pushed across the stage as the music swells, the sliding noise feels like a quest, a challenge, a trial for the clever hero who stumbles into the world of spirits. Murphy Cody and Halina’s set is simple yet effective. It is always satisfying seeing set elements change into different things, and their use in the jungle sequence (my personal favourite part of the show) is particularly inventive. I wanted to see mirror shards or something reflective in place of the tin-foil revealed later in the show.
The costuming by Renske Gordon and Evie Howard is bright and wonderful, allowing for quick transformations from character to ensemble, representing myriad creatures and divinities throughout the work. The masks are powerful when they are used, bringing divine characters into physical form, embodied by Correa and King. This is however, not necessarily a mask show, as I had somewhat expected - in fact the masks that had been in much of the marketing material of this show were not featured at all, which was a little confusing and unsatisfying as an audience member. I wonder if these masks had been utilized in an earlier development of the show and were shed as the work developed for this season in the Fringe.
Tecuani is a showcase of emerging talent in our arts scene and they are ones to watch right now. The whole team should be extremely proud of this resonant, intriguing, beautiful work they have produced. Mancilla states in his director’s note that he hopes audiences will leave with “a bit of Mexico in your heart”. I left with all that and more, as well as a comfort that the young theatre-makers in Aotearoa are on the right track. I would highly commend the show, and recommend all to experience Tequani for themselves. More info here.
Drawing from Nahuatl poetry, this is a work that inspires a feeling of reconnection with the natural world and with community. There is an ambitious amount of action packed into this tight fifty-minute production, which meant that at some points, smaller details got lost or felt slightly rushed. Regardless, the mahi that has gone into creating a large, sweeping tale must be celebrated. It is unapologetically indigenous, visually striking, and rich in detailed storytelling.
Silva Delatour and Hohua are charming, physically expressive and easy to watch. They have excellent chemistry and feel like real siblings (with all of the bickering love that comes with it). Silva Delatour is a particularly great mover, and plays this lead role admirably, giving breath, depth and life to her character. Pawson plays Grandma Quetzalli calmly, a consistent, grounding presence that gives off gravitas and mana. This character’s importance is beautifully established by a stunning opening tableau, where both Elekis Poblete’s lighting and Tīhema Bennett’s sound design shine.
Margot Coleman and Sophie Sheaf-Morrison’s Conquistadors are angular and strict, in contrast with the rest of the ensemble’s light, floating physicalities. These two characters definitely had the potential to be quite interesting, but were not pushed beyond a second dimension. Especially in Coleman’s case, the character’s importance to the story was not necessarily reflected in stage time or character development.
Elia Correa, Taipuhi King and Anthea Vache work smoothly as an ensemble, becoming a chorus of jovial villagers, frolicking river-spirits, or cheeky talking trees seamlessly. I particularly love the moments when the performers use their voices, speaking an unknown language, adding their vocals to the swelling sound design, or creating songs of their own.
The movement, choreographed by Anya Down, Mancialla and Sheaf-Morrison is maximalist, leaning more towards physical theatre than dance. The ensemble under their leadership create some truly memorable tableaus and movement sequences throughout. There is almost always something happening onstage, so much so that sometimes it can feel crowded, ununited or scattered. Moments of stillness were few and far between in this piece, and it could have done with more. Proof of this was one of the most visually interesting moments, where one character moves through an ensemble frozen in tableau, resembling a dream or vision. Overall this ensemble is finely tuned, expressive, and tells the story well.
In terms of grandess and scale, the designers of this work deliver. Poblete’s lights are slick, using clever gobos that paint the picture of each realm the story travels to, both magical and mundane. She does a particularly good job lighting the dance sections, sculpting bodies, silhouetting and highlighting, the light masterfully collaborating with movement. Additionally, Bennett’s sound design and composition in this piece is impeccable. An impressive score carries the entire piece forward, giving the story a rhythm and a beating heart. Ambient soundscapes immerse you into a supernal jungle, a rushing river rife with spirits, or a village’s busy town square.
The ensemble’s verbal additions to sound design through breath, chanting, drumming and words in an unknown language heighten this even further. One particular moment of joy is when wooden boxes are pushed across the stage as the music swells, the sliding noise feels like a quest, a challenge, a trial for the clever hero who stumbles into the world of spirits. Murphy Cody and Halina’s set is simple yet effective. It is always satisfying seeing set elements change into different things, and their use in the jungle sequence (my personal favourite part of the show) is particularly inventive. I wanted to see mirror shards or something reflective in place of the tin-foil revealed later in the show.
The costuming by Renske Gordon and Evie Howard is bright and wonderful, allowing for quick transformations from character to ensemble, representing myriad creatures and divinities throughout the work. The masks are powerful when they are used, bringing divine characters into physical form, embodied by Correa and King. This is however, not necessarily a mask show, as I had somewhat expected - in fact the masks that had been in much of the marketing material of this show were not featured at all, which was a little confusing and unsatisfying as an audience member. I wonder if these masks had been utilized in an earlier development of the show and were shed as the work developed for this season in the Fringe.
Tecuani is a showcase of emerging talent in our arts scene and they are ones to watch right now. The whole team should be extremely proud of this resonant, intriguing, beautiful work they have produced. Mancilla states in his director’s note that he hopes audiences will leave with “a bit of Mexico in your heart”. I left with all that and more, as well as a comfort that the young theatre-makers in Aotearoa are on the right track. I would highly commend the show, and recommend all to experience Tequani for themselves. More info here.