Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Photo by J. Fannon Photography.
Many theater companies like to talk about “challenging” their audiences or delivering “art with a message,” perhaps as an apology for forcing us to eat our proverbial vegetables. Some others choose to recycle tried-and-true fluff from the 19th and 20th centuries’ white male canon, secure in knowing that their seats will be occupied by subscribers who have seen (whatever show this is) many times before, and demand nothing less (or more). Baltimore’s Center Stage, under the new leadership of Stevie Walker-Webb, has collaborated with Washington’s Mosaic Theater Company on an exciting co-production that demolishes expectations and laughs in the faces of both traditions.
WOW, what a unifying and exuberant piece of performance this is. ‘Mexodus’ is not to be missed.
“Mexodus” is a two-hander, performed by its writers, Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. To call it a musical piece would be inaccurate. It’s more of an operetta, with very little dialogue and music, music, music. Billed as “a hip-hop remix about the underground railroad that went south to Mexico,” its portmanteau title perfectly describes the story within. Robinson’s character is an enslaved man named Henry, living in Texas after its annexation by the United States. Henry’s eventual flight from captivity leads him across the Rio Grande to Mexico, where slavery had earlier been outlawed. There he meets Carlos, played by Quijada. The two form a natural bond, fueled in part by their individual feelings of bitter rage towards a shared enemy. Ultimately, the pair decides to fight the good fight together, even as circumstances compel them to go their separate ways.
As a piece of storytelling for the stage, the subject is fascinating. It deals with a history that’s gone completely untold for over a century and a half. The characters of Henry (later “Enrique”) and Carlos are fictionalized, but their situations and what took place around them are the products of painstaking research and discovery. Theatrically, Quijada and Robinson are brilliant. It’s truly exciting to watch them work. Each of them establishes immediate and sustained rapport with the audience, amping up the crowd in ways that suggest an underground concert more than an evening at the “theatre.” This tone is introduced right off the bat: “You are radically welcomed into this space,” Robinson exclaims, while reminding the audience that it’s perfectly okay for us to shout, shake our a**ses, or what have you.
The piece is directed by David Mendizábal, who also designed the costumes. Lighting is by Mextly Couzin who littered Riw Rakkulchon’s busy scenery with gobs and gobs of practical instruments, as decorative as they are illuminating. The set, incidentally, is a real treat to study prior to curtain time, reminding one of David Barber’s best work: chock full of small details that ooze with visual texture while knowing that its proper place is behind the action.
As “Mexodus” is mostly about its music, a description of that aspect feels a bit like saving the best for last. First, Quijada and Robinson perform all of the music themselves. Live. Well, sort of live. In point of fact, the two are multi-instrumentalists who are expert at sampling and looping (along with their unsung engineer, Simon Briggs). For those unfamiliar, the idea is that a sound is performed—like, tapping on the body of a guitar for a few beats—and recorded as a sample. This sample is then repeated as a base layer while other, new sounds are added the same way. The concept goes back to “Frippertronics,” invented a little over 50 years ago by a pair of egghead British progressive rockers, Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, who did it with reel-to-reel tape machines. Today, fast computing, inexpensive memory chips, and practically unlimited use of live effects open up the possibilities for performers and technicians to create with shocking dexterity. The “Mexodus” team plays up this alchemical aspect of their performance, and it’s thrilling to witness.
Most of all, though—yes, there’s lots to be learned about an important and unheard-of aspect of history here. And, yes, there’s a whole lot of delightful, sonic wizardry happening. The overarching takeaway from this evening at Center Stage is, WOW, what a unifying and exuberant piece of performance this is. “Mexodus” is not to be missed.
Running time: One hour and 40 minutes without intermission.
Advisory: Contains the use of coarse language, references to offstage violence, sexual abuse, and death, and references to racism and racial violence including the use of racial slurs. Please be advised, this production includes the use of strobing effects, flashing lights, and sudden loud noises.
“Mexodus” runs through April 7, 2024 at Center Stage, 700 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office Tuesday-Friday, noon–5pm, at
410.332.0033 or go online. Face masks are optional. The show will also be performed at the Mosaic Theater Company, May 16 – June 9, 2024, at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. For more information, go online.
