advertisement

Goodman explores prison beauty pageant in 'Another Word for Beauty'

"Bienvenidos a prison."

From behind the gray walls of a Colombian penitentiary, female inmates extend that subtly sardonic salutation during the opening moments of "Another Word for Beauty," a bold, bittersweet dramedy by Jose Rivera in its world premiere at Goodman Theatre.

For a playwright who believes theater functions to give voice to the voiceless and empower the powerless, Rivera has found his prototypical populace in the inmates of El Buen Pastor, a women's prison in Bogota, whose annual beauty pageant inspired this co-commission by Goodman and The Civilians, a New York ensemble known for its documentary theater.

"We are the women. Look at the women. Listen to the women," they sing. It's a challenge to acknowledge them. And we do.

While a prison is an unlikely place for a beauty contest, Rivera's fictionalized account suggests that in a system with limited counseling, educational and vocational services, the annual pageant - held in conjunction with the feast of the Virgin of Mercy, patron saint of prisoners - is one of the few rehabilitative measures available.

Besides the cooperation it fosters among cellblock residents who work together to support their representative, the pageant impacts the self-esteem of the contestant who - perhaps for the first time - perceives herself as a winner.

Directed with grace and humor by Steve Cosson and accompanied by a noisy, insistent, folk-tinged rock score by Grammy Award-winner Hector Buitrago, Rivera's "Beauty" is a noble effort.

Tart yet poetic, it proposes to examine the women behind the all-too-familiar stereotypes: prostitute, drug smuggler, thief, dissident, assassin. The characters - most of them victims of abusive men, drugs, poverty or a combination thereof - don't have much dimension. But the generous Rivera provides them revealing, even gripping monologues that Cosson's cast members perform beautifully.

A sly, spot-on sendup of beauty pageant spectacle - complete with canned patter and corny questions - dominates the second act, which reveals, in flashback, the circumstances of the contestants' incarceration.

Unfortunately, "Another Word for Beauty" suffers from Rivera's heavy hand. It preaches. It rambles. And the narrative needs tightening. As for the cast, talented as they are, most do not possess the vocal prowess a play-with-music demands.

While imperfect, the heartfelt surreality of "Another Word for Beauty" is intriguing, especially the perverse humor that underscores the play, such as the prison director who describes the convicts vying for the crown as "exceptional young ladies that all of Colombia can be proud of."

Serving as guide is savvy, unsentimental Ciliana (the funny, charismatic Socorro Santiago), a longtime inmate who was born in El Buen Pastor prison and will likely die there. Through her we meet the contestants, including reluctant Luzmery (an endearingly gawky Danaya Esperanza), a timid young woman forced into prostitution by her boyfriend and belittled by his mother (Monique Gabriela Curnen), a fellow inmate whose enviable, upper-class life was upended by despair and drugs.

Pretty Yolanda (Stephanie Andrea Barron), who gave birth to her son in prison and is forced to surrender him three years later according to prison rules, mourns for her boy. Troubled, well-educated Xiomara (a winsome, fragile Helen Cespedes) imagines conversations with her transvestite brother, who lived briefly with her at El Buen Pastor until officials discovered his gender and removed him.

The dissident Nora (an impassioned Zoe Sophia Garcia), a member of the pro-Communist guerrilla group FARC, champions prisoner rights to the annoyance of the prison director (also played by Curnen). Nora's best friend is her political foe, the confidant, canny Isabelle (Carmen Zilles), a former assassin with a right-wing military group and the odds-on favorite to succeed Jeimi, a two-time winner turned pageant adviser and co-host (played with warmth and candor by Yunuen Pardo).

Pardo's farewell speech, in which she describes winning as a "privilege" and confesses she will "never have this much love," is among the play's most poignant moments: an acknowledgment that empowerment came inside a prison at a staggering cost to her and her family.

Also deserving mention is Dan Domingues, who plays a sexy, B-list soap opera star tapped to co-host the pageant and whose stilted scripted banter with Pardo's Jeimi makes for the play's most amusing scenes. Supporting players Marisol Miranda (terrific as a peasant terrorized by government paramilitary forces) and Heather Velazquez (amusing as the expertly realized street urchin Maikelyn), also deserve kudos.

So do set and costume designers Andrew Boyce and Emily Rebholz. Rebholz's inventive, Vegas-worthy costumes (from the feathered headdresses to the beaded midriff-barring tops) are a brilliant combination of color and sparkle. And Boyce's impressive, oppressive prison set transforms into a glitzy stage adorned with lights, banners and streamers. So complete is the transformation, you almost forget it's a prison.

Almost.

Prison pageant in Colombia inspires world-premiere play at Goodman

Behind the pageantry is the reality of prison life where contestant Yolanda (Stephanie Andrea Barron), second from right - forced to surrender her 3-year-old son - is comforted by Ciliana (Socorro Santiago), right, and Maikelyn (Heather Velazquez). Courtesy of Liz Lauren
Carmen Zilles, left, Danaya Esperanza, Helen Cespedes, Stephanie Andrea Barron and Zoe Sophia Garcia play prison inmates competing in an annual beauty contest in Jose Rivera's “Another Word for Beauty,” a co-commission by Goodman Theatre and The Civilians and directed by Steve Cosson. Courtesy of Liz Lauren
Two-time pageant winner and “super princess” Jeimi (Yunuen Pardo), center, leads a rehearsal for the annual prison beauty pageant in “Another Word for Beauty” at Goodman Theatre. Courtesy of Liz Lauren
Ciliana (Socorro Santiago), center, leads a production number during the annual beauty pageant at Colombia's El Buen Pastor women's prison in Goodman Theatre's world premiere of Jose Rivera's play with music, “Another Word for Beauty.” Courtesy of Liz Lauren

“Another Word for Beauty”

★ ★ ★

Location: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800,

goodmantheatre.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 21. Also 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16. No 2 p.m. show Jan. 30 or Feb. 4. No 7:30 p.m. show Feb. 7 or 21.

Tickets: $25-$75

Running time: About two hours, 40 minutes with intermission

Parking: $22 (with Goodman validation) at the Government Center Self Park at Clark and Lake streets

Rating: For adults, contains explicit language and mature subject matter, some violence

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.