Scenic Design by Leigh Henderson

Teatro Visión (San José, CA), October 2019

Adapted for the stage by Evelina Fernández and Teatro Visión

Directed by Rodrigo García

Macario, originally a novel by B. Traven, was adapted into a 1960 film, the first Mexican film to be nominated for an Academy Award. Teatro Visión premiered its original stage adaptation in 2013 with a script by Evelina Fernández and original music by Russell Rodríguez.

Set in the Viceregal era in Mexico, the story features three spirits who prompt a poor man (Macario) to reflect on his choices when he comes into the fortune of a full turkey to eat. The story is set in old Mexico, but its themes of inequity, sacrifice, and dreams of a better life are just as relevant in the U.S. today.

This set is a redesign, incorporating and building upon elements of Leigh’s set designs for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 productions of Macario. Inspired by the stark cinematography by Gabriel Figueroa for the film Macario, the scenery works with contrasting texture and negative space to highlight the contrasting social environments of the play and to provide a palette for the vibrant lighting design by Paul Skelton. The modular scenic elements facilitate the fluid spatial transitions demanded by the cinematic quality of the narrative.