La Muneca

I found this play interesting, unlike most of my classmates. I could see the struggle that the main character faced throughout the play. He was struggling with what every boy coming of age struggles with; defining himself. He doesn't really know what he wants to do in his life so he works at a funeral home. He thinks he wants to be a painter but he doesn't actively pursue it. He doesn't know how to talk to women so imagines what it would be like if he had a wife. The only thing that was constant in his life was his dog Peppe. Since the dog died there was no stability. The dog served as something that the main character could depend on being there for him. His father occasionally checks on him, but often only stays for short periods of time and runs off with a woman every night. The main character pushes everyone away and doesn't want to leave the bubble that he has created for himself. It kind of reminds me of Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caufield doesn't want to grow up and calls everything else "phony" when he reality he is the one who is phony. He created a world in which only he lived in and understood. This fear of adulthood is prevalent in La Muneca. This coming of age for the boy creates a tension between the characters. It was really exemplified by his friend who wanted to set him up on a blind date, but the main character refused. I just felt like I could see past the poor set and the fact that it was a Sunday night and understand what the writer was getting at. The play was a bit long for me, but I could understand why it was critically acclaimed in New York. I think its unfair to criticize something without having an open mind. I enjoyed the play and thought that the actors did a good job with the limitations that they were giving (the cga stage is sub par at best).