El Paso and the nearby Rio Grande hold many memories for playwright Octavio Solis, who documented his childhood impressions in a 2009 shadow play directed by Larry Reed and staged in San Jose and San Francisco. Ghosts of the River: Out of the Shadows features two programs: a shorter documentary by Reed and Leslie Dreyer about the conception and presentation of Solis's work—in which the actors, often masked, are seen in shadow behind a screen (and shadow puppets reminiscent of those used in Indonesian theater are employed); and a longer performance featuring an edited version of the play. Ghosts of the River serves up a series of engrossing and evocative “ghost” stories about the border crossing between the United States and Mexico. Two Latino youths who swim to Mexico and back end up being confronted by a hulking, fearsome immigration agent who insists that the pair are trying to enter the U.S. illegally—taunting them unmercifully when one of the boys drops a word while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. In other scenarios, the ghost of an abused and murdered woman haunts the river shallows, and a special agent named Fiona forms an unlikely relationship with “Nacho,” an 11-year-old who helps smuggle people across the border. At the end of the performance, the audience itself is filmed in silhouette during a well-deserved standing ovation. An illuminating portrait of a culture unknown to many in the U.S.—presented in a play that entertains and informs with thought-provoking stories—this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)
Ghosts of the River: Out of the Shadows
(2013) 109 min. DVD: $150. ShadowLight Productions. PPR. Volume 29, Issue 4
Ghosts of the River: Out of the Shadows
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