“Frida, un Retablo” opening February 7 at Teatro Milagro, Portland, OR, US
05 February 2025
Through three different Fridas, this bilingual play written by Dañel Malán-González depicts the colorful and turbulent life of Frida Kahlo. The Fridas will make an effort to show who they really are and distance themselves from the imagery of the gift shop.
"Frida, un Retablo" has undergone minor revisions since its 2007 and 2013 runs. However, the plot has stayed consistent, concentrating on the events that influenced Kahlo's life, such as her near-fatal bus accident that left her with chronic pain, her turbulent relationship with Mexican painter and muralist Diego Rivera, her miscarriages and abortions, and her first encounter with communism.
The most recent adaptation of the play is notable because it marks Mia Torres' directorial debut. Torres claims that her training in English literature and theater performance gives her an analytical perspective on any performance she works on, whether it be directing, acting, or designing the sets and costumes.
“She’s the most complicated historical figure I’ve ever learned about,” Torres says. “With her, she tried so hard to tell us who she was, and yet we’re struggling to grapple with it.”
The performance features three versions of Kahlo—Young Frida (Ximena Morales), Old Frida (Christine Kruz) and the Spirit of Frida (Melissa Bibliowicz)—all of whom interact with the world around them, fall in and out of love with Rivera (Enrique Andrade), and sometimes directly confront the audience, asking us what we know about her, asking if we’ve truly seen her or if we’ve simply stared at her into oblivion.
