By Daniel Arimborgo
Angels-among-us genres have always been popular with audiences. There was, of course, the legendary “It's a Wonderful Life,” John Travolta and Nicholas Cage played angels in two recent movies, and TV has used the idea in “Highway to Heaven” and currently, “Touched by an Angel.”
The Chilean play, “El Hombre Del Siglo /Man of the Century,” now playing in revival at the Thalia Spanish Theater in Sunnyside, is a comedy by the late Miguel Frank about a rookie angel sent to Earth. But unlike other such stories, this angel is not a guardian. God has instructed Angel XM25, on Earth a few days before Judgment Day, to follow a typical family, and report back to Him on their character.
The play takes place around the time it was written, the late 1950s. Under the assumed name Cecilio Paniagua, the angel, played well by Alex Del Romero, presents himself to a family of four as the servant they so desperately need at the moment.
Daniel, the man of the house, a cigar-smoking, ardent capitalist, has a big dinner scheduled that evening, at which he hopes to seal a large business deal.
Cecilio, of course, saves the night, by super-humanly taking care of the entire banquet single-handedly.
This, of course, arouses the family's suspicions as to who or what Ceclio really is. There is Estela, played by Maria Teresa Silva, the housewife who still holds a romantic candle for the acting profession she left behind; George, the obnoxious son performed by Carlos Garcia, and the daughter, the lithely beautiful Marisol, the coming-of-age daughter who revels in enticing all men in her path, including the tortured Cecilio, who constantly fights off her advances out of fear of his Boss' clear instructions against such encounters..
Toward the end – of the play and of the world – Cecilio is ordered to take a moral inventory of each of the family members through individual interviews. Daniel, when he finally steers himself to sit down in the interview chair, reverts into a pathetically blubbering-scared child, but his dishonesty and hypocrisy are soon revealed by the angel, as his past sins are quickly revealed.
The light-hearted comedy is tinged with the tension and gravity of a family and world facing Judgment Day, but there is an upbeat ending, like all comedies should have.
If there is a message in the play, it might be that if, in fact, we are made in God's image, then maybe even God can change his mind.
Angel Gil Orrios, executive director of the Thalia and producer of Man of the Century, discovered an English translation of the play written in 1956. Orrios admits a certain affinity for the genre, because it contains his namesake, he said.
“I read the script some years ago, and really loved the play. The funny story about it,” he said, “is I had in my hands on the English translation, but I couldn't find the Spanish work.”
Orrios loved the script so much, he bought it in 1980 – but not before having to track down the playwright's final resting place, and his original version, which was no easy task. Orrios finally found out Frank had bequeathed all his plays to the director of the nursing home in which he died.
“So finally, we were able to get the script,” Orrios said. “Now his plays will be published in Chile as well.”
Orrios, a native of Spain, has been directing for 27 years. He has lived in the U.S. for the past 20.
He has produced plays in both English and Spanish at the theater. He is excited about a new play, “La Gran Via” – “Broadway” – which he describes as “a musical fusion dealing with real estate, and the clash between old and new ways of life in a big city.”
“It's a big cast, 20 people,” he says. The play runs from April 13 to May 20.
English performances of “Man of the Century” are Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. until March 11. Tickets are $20, $18 for students. Call 729-3880.
Reach reporter Daniel Arimborgo by e-mail at timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300 Ext. 141.
