THE JOKER

An extremely well-executed film is one of many ways to describe the DC comic universe’s Joker, directed by Todd Phillips. The film follows the story of Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian clown who lives out his isolation and rejection from society under the mask that transforms him into the murderous and infamous Joker. 

Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the role of the Joker, delivers a performance that darkly yet powerfully showcases the effects of mental illness and the growing effects of insanity on someone who’s been treated as an outsider by society. The film continues to surprise its audiences with its intricate and sinister appearance and has given the DC comics universe an all-new platform to wrestle with and grow from. Though the film is dark and gruesome, its storyline clearly showing this, it is from these characteristics that Joker has obtained its growing reputation of being the twisted yet have-to-be-seen thriller. I really enjoy scary and thrilling films, and I thought that the way the director executed the movie and shot the scenes were great, especially in the sense that as a viewer, your attention and anticipation never ceased at any point. “Joker” is still playing in many theaters and is available on Demand, so if you’d like to watch the sinister story of Arthur Fleck, now’s the time to do it!

Writer: Valentina Menta

Spanish Honor  

Society Play Review

On January 15th, members of the Spanish Honor Society went on a trip to El Repertorio Español to see a play called, En el Tiempo de las Mariposas. The play was entirely in Spanish, but the theatre provided English subtitles for audience members who could not fully understand the language. 

The cast members consisted of Gredivel Vásquez (Minerva), Zulema Clares (Young Déde), Belange Rodríguez (Patria), María Victoria Martínez (María Teresa), Indra Palomo (American Woman), Teresa Pérez Frangie (Adult Dedé), and Fermín Suárez (DJ, Virgilio Morales, General Trujillo, and Rufino De La Cruz). 

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The play narrated the true story of four sisters living in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. In the present day, one of the sisters, Dedé, told their story during this revolutionary period to a female author from the United States. 

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Director José Zayas portrayed the story beautifully. The minimalist set prevented from too much being added to the story, while the use of screen projection didn’t take away from it. The actors’ portrayal of the characters showed a variety of emotions, ranging from lightheartedness to tragedy. This show will bring out your emotions, causing you to cry both tears of joy and sorrow. One notable cast member was Fermín Suarez, who took on four different roles, showcasing his versatility when portraying distinct characters. His sinister embodiment of Trujillo contrasted with his comical role as the DJ, leaving audience members to wonder if both roles were even portrayed by the same actor.

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I would recommend this show to anyone who would like to learn more about Hispanic backgrounds and history, specifically the Dominican Republic. I would also recommend any show at El Repertorio Español to any theatre lover, both Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking. 

Hopefully, I will be able to see another Repertorio production!  Thank you to Señora Varela and the Spanish Honor Society for organizing this trip.

Writer: Thea Tinawin