Like Quixote, the group makes a daring effort to capture the drama and ingenuity of this popular 1965 Broadway classic. And like Quixote, the group's efforts fall a bit short of their goal. But the effort is far from tilting at windmills. The powerful story contrasts a world of fantasy and grim reality with lighting and deceptively simple props that are intriguing to watch. But choreography, during the tumultuous and climactic fight scenes, could use more rehearsal.
Characters fall before being hit, and actions seem stiff and calculated rather than fluid.
Thrown into a den of murderers and thieves, Cervantes must quickly defend himself. His cellmates attempt to kill him and his faithful servant and loot his possessions. Cervantes fights for his life and that of his later masterpiece by entertaining the motley crew with a retelling of the story. He uses the props and bits of costume in his suitcase to transform the prison and prisoners into scenes from his imagination. The raked set is well designed to embody a Spanish dungeon buried deep within the earth.