The Permanence of Hot-Button Issues

If I told you that there was a play that captured a cultural zeitgeist so perfectly, that it keenly married issues of sexuality, immigration and cultural identity, you’d be intrigued, right? And what if I told you it was written 20 years ago? Skeptical? You shouldn’t be. Guillermo Reyes’ masterful...

By Jennifer Davis-Lamm

August 8, 2013

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If I told you that there was a play that captured a cultural zeitgeist so perfectly, that it keenly married issues of sexuality, immigration and cultural identity, you’d be intrigued, right? And what if I told you it was written 20 years ago? Skeptical? You shouldn’t be. Guillermo Reyes’ masterful collection of monologues Men on the Verge of a His-Panic Breakdown made a huge splash in the early 1990s. Reyes’ most lauded work explores the cultural and identity crises of gay Latino immigrants, and the issues raised still resonate in a time when gay identity and immigration stand at the forefront of our culture wars. The collection of monologues is comedic, and though the themes are quite serious, the dialogue is lively and rich. See the award-winning show as produced by Theatre New West at Teatro Dallas (1331 Record Crossing) when it opens on at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Performances continue at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through August 31. Tickets are $20, or $18 for students and seniors. Call 214-443-8181 or visit teatrodallas.org. Jennifer Davis-lamm
Thu., Aug. 8; Fridays, Saturdays. Starts: Aug. 8. Continues through Aug. 31, 2013

Jennifer Davis-Lamm

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