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Review: The Cook
'Cook' stirs spicy historical tale
Upheaval of Cuban revolution is backdrop for drama about race and class
Taken from the October 30, 2007 issue of the Chicago Tribune
BY Hedy Weiss
Theater Critic
Fidel Castro and fidelity: These are the subjects at the core of "The Cook," Eduardo Machado's impressively multifaceted play, now at the Goodman's Owen Theatre in a zestful and ultimately heartbreaking production directed by Henry Godinez.
A drama that spans four decades of 20th century Cuban-American history, it explores all the painful ties that continue to bind and chafe those touched by the revolution that unfolded on the eve of 1959 on a small island just 90 miles south of the United States.
Machado's play unfolds entirely within the confines of the grand kitchen of a Havana estate owned by a family flush during the corrupt regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Once the Cuban revolution occurs, a remarkable (if one-sided) bond is forged between two women there. Later, it is a place where the pros and cons of the revolution are debated, and the resentments of those who stayed, and those who joined the diaspora, are richly explored. In the background are echoes of the many American presidents who have come and gone as Castro remained unmoved.
Race, class, sexual politics and politically driven privilege all are part of the recipe here. But it is the story of the singular woman of the play's title -- who makes that Havana kitchen her lend-lease empire of sorts -- that is key. The opportunity to catch Karen Aldridge's sublime portrayal of Gladys should not be missed. She is a true theater goddess.
Gladys, long befriended by Adria (Maricela Ochoa), the self-absorbed mistress of the house, promises to care for the house when her employer is forced to flee Cuba.
However, an expected absence of a few months becomes a lifetime in exile. Gladys remains unwavering in her fervent devotion to keeping her promise. She is lucky that her husband, Carlos (a marvelously subtle Edward F. Torres), holds a ministry post and can keep the home from a communal fate. And by 1997 (after Cuba's Soviet subsidies dry up), she has even turned it into a home-restaurant for tourists.
Along the way, Gladys achingly betrays her cousin Julio (Phillip James Brennan), a homosexual. She raises Rosa (Monica Lopez), the daughter of her husband's mistress. And she finally meets Adria's too obviously shallow American daughter Lourdes (Ochoa). But Gladys is a marvelous invention, and Aldridge captures her with stunning skill and insight.
Wafting out of Todd Rosenthal's marvelous set is the pungent aroma of onions and garlic. Don't arrive hungry.
Theater Review
'The Cook'
Highly Recommended
When: Through November 18
Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn
Tickets: $20-38
Call: (312) 443-3800
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