It was another night of drinking tequila for José Guadalupe Posada, who was frustrated by how photography is ruining the essence of artistry. As he poured himself another drink, he’s visited by a familiar face that he was shocked to see — La Catrina. As Posada is given a glimpse into his future and complained to by Catrina, he realizes that he’s somewhere between life and death.
On Nov. 17, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts hosted the La Catrina & Posada Stage Reading and Playwright Talk from 6 to 9 p.m. The one-act play is written by Jim Nikas and directed by Carolina Soza, starring Carlos Barón as Jose Guadalupe Posada and Tessa Martinez as La Catrina.
The calavera “Catrina” is an original drawing of a female skull that was created by Posada, a renowned Mexican artist. It became iconic and synonymous with Dia de Muerto, an illustration that showcased a depiction of an indigenous woman as criticism for colorism against Mexico’s indigenous people.
Jim Nikas, writer of the play and director of the Posada Art Foundation, described his thought process behind creating the play and the setting.
“This idea was [he’s] sort of feeling sorry for himself, his wife is dead, his son is dead. He’s getting older, things are not what they used to be and he feels a little sorry for himself,” Nikas said. “But he’s also going through an existential crisis. So I thought, what an opportunity here to maybe have a dialogue. I said, ‘Okay, I’m gonna write this a little differently. He’s gonna have a dialogue with one of his creations and she’s got some ideas that she wants to explore with him,’ and so I created a play.”
Nancy Charraga attended the event on Friday. She spoke about her experience with the play and the significance of La Catrina.
“I thought it was very cute and well done. I knew Carlos was gonna deliver because what he does is very artistic, and culturally correct,” Charraga said. “The Catrina now plays such an iconic role. José Guadalupe Posada is a bit undiscovered outside of Mexican circles, but he’s recognized as the father of modern Mexican folk art. The Catrina is an icon in Mexican culture, she’s the one that comes for you when it’s your time.”
At one point during the play, Posada sees himself lying on the bed. He is shocked because he realizes that he’s now a spirit who’s talking to La Catrina, who’s describing to him in detail, how his work will inspire artists in the future like Lalo Alcaraz — who created “Muerto Mouse” in response to Disney’s attempts to trademark Dia de los Muertos.
Barón, the actor portraying Posada, spoke about how the play imagined his last moments in life playing out.
“A knock on the door, this woman comes in and it’s Catrina. Catrina comes to take him away but also to inform him about his future transcendental value, he had no idea because she can travel through time and she knows the importance of his work.”
