Exito

About a year ago, I wrote a song about a taxi driver here in Monteverde who had lost his farm to an economic eddie and had to take up driving to make ends meet.  That song grew slowly into a musical called Monteverde Melodies, which successfully brought down the house at Bromelia's amphitheater last night.  The first of two performances, it came off as near to perfectly as I could have ever dreamed.  My cast is amazing, and they stepped it up last night to reduce the most machista of Ticos to tears and the most serious of town elders to unbridled laughter. 

This was exactly what I was hoping for.  The play addresses the people of our fair town directly and challenges them to laugh at themselves and step out of their daily cycles to view from afar what makes this place such an incredible community.  It jumps unapologetically between English and Spanish, as do most overheard conversations, and just as easily leaps between the natural world and the invented world of humans, as do most Monteverde residents on a daily basis.  Watching the audience react was for me every bit as rewarding as watching the actors flawlessly make their way through the play, and I am filled with a serene satisfaction, knowing that this was the right thing to do at just the right moment in our town's history. 

The only downside is that the camera that Angela gave me some years ago finally met its match and expired, so I sadly announce that there will be no pictures for awhile on the trogglehumper.  I'll just have to make them out of words.   

Comments

[Ang]

Congratulations on the success of the show Jesse! I wish I could have been among those in attendance. Hopefully next year, just before Semana Santa, both Jor & I will once again be able to join audience members of Broemelia’s Amphitheater to see an original Greist production.

Sorry to hear about the Canon…it had a good life. I never enjoyed the pictures it took as much as those taken at the guidance of your hand. I just had to replace the battery in my current one. Maybe I should just look to replace it ;-)

Love to all!

[arjuna]

so glad to hear it went well! dare i dream about video/pics of the second performance?

[moose]

Sure wish I could have been there to see the show. I'm kvelling long distance. Isn't anyone else taking photos, perhaps a video? Love you much!

[Jonathan]

congratulations jesse! I am sure the play was awesome, as I have heard already! I had a dream that I came down to Monteverde to find snow on the ground and a crowd of people who joined me watching your production (jaja)
-->wish I would have been there to see it