With a first-rate translation into Spanish that barely hints at this being an acclaimed Neil Simon comedy, a cast whose performances are almost flawless and a direction as smooth as silk, El último de los amantes opened at Coral Gables' Teatro Abanico. Don't get me wrong. The Last of the Red Hot Lovers is not Simon's best nor it is great theater, but as presented by Abanico, it provides for a fun-filled, entertaining production. The credit for the successful staging belongs to the director and two fine actors. Carbonell winner Griselda Noguera directs the fast-moving physical comedy with perfect timing, drawing just the right tone between slapstick and straight comedy from the two actors. And running the three-part comedy without intermission is definitely a plus.

Marisol Calero y Memo Sauceda

Memo Sauceda plays Bernardo, a married restaurant owner hitting a 20-year itch in his marriage. Upon reaching 40, he starts to feel his mortality and a sense of comfort that he wants to challenge. A fling is in order, and on three different days decides to invite a woman to his mother's apartment. Sauceda gives Bernardo the right doses of naiveté and plays the perfect straight man to Marisol Calero.

Calero is outstanding in her three roles as Elena, Lulú and Julia. She goes from the sexy and sexually open Elena, to the childish and lesbian Lulú to the dramatic Julia marking each character with its own peculiar traits. Her transformations are impressive, and not a drop of one character goes into the other one.

The comedy has its lulls, especially during the second vignette. But watching these two pros at work is a treat, and the laughter brought by the script will last after you've left the theater.

Fuente: The Miami Herald
Foto: Ernesto Garcia
Mayo 2003