Actors Stage Protest

Photo by Marcella Ortega

La Cucaracha Stew Co. members (left to right) Delia Maher, Brian Acre, Billah Muhammad and Robert Stoppel gather on a rooftop for the troupe's April 12 meeting.

Theater troupe creates moving statements

by Marcella Ortega

La Cucaracha Stew Co. is out to prove that politics is not just about speeches and fliers.

Troupe founder Sebastian Pais, an ASUNM senator, said he wanted to start the troupe because of his experience with politics in Albuquerque and at UNM.

“Passing fliers doesn’t work,” he said. “Giving speeches doesn’t work. Trying to talk to students doesn’t work. They are tired of listening to people. So, we had to do something more shocking, more direct. Something with an image they can look at in one second. They can get the idea and keep walking.”

The troupe performed at a March 17 protest against the Iraq war. The protest started at Civic Plaza and ended at Robinson Park.

In costume, the troupe marched with the crowd. When they arrived at the park, they posed like the Iwo Jima Monument, with each member holding props such as briefcases and flags. On one American flag, they replaced the stars with a dollar sign.

“We wanted to use the flag of our fathers,” Pais said. “Instead of using the soldiers, we used executives because they are the ones taking over the land and fuel. For them, they don’t care too much about the American flag. It’s a flag that has a money sign.”

Delia Maher played an executive in the performance.

“Billah was just talking to me about it, and he said they needed someone to help,” she said. “It was pretty good. We could have seen a lot more enthusiasm. It seemed kind of quiet.”

The group formed in November and had its first performance at UNM before Thanksgiving. He said its first pose commemorated the massacre of the Pequot Indians in 1637. Members posed as pilgrims at a dinner table with American Indians as the feast.

“It wasn’t the happy side of the story,” Pais said. “Celebrate everything. It’s good to have Thanksgiving — great. But remember that a lot of people died.”

At first, it was difficult to perform at protests, Muhammad said.

“Nothing was really happening (last fall),” he said. “Then, we were trying to do a protest during Christmas, but Sebastian is really liberal. He wanted to do an anti-capitalism kind of thing. We built a huge sleigh to mount on top of a shopping cart. There weren’t enough people to help, so it didn’t happen.”

Muhammad said the troupe used the sleigh for a Jan. 29 protest.

“The sleigh ended up getting turned into a chariot that said, ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum’ which is a Latin quote that means, ‘If you seek peace, prepare for war,’” Muhammad said.

Muhammad said the chariot was pulled by members dressed as Guantanamo Bay prisoners and Mexicans.

“It’s supposed to be a vehicle that only Uncle Sam rides in,” Muhammad said. “They are beating the Arabs and Mexicans to pull the chariot to war.”

Pais said he would describe the craft as improvisational guerilla theater.

“We appear out of nowhere,” he said. “Everyone is free to do whatever they want with their character.”

Muhammad said he enjoys the spontaneity of the art form.

“Thinking up a plan that will put an image into people’s minds really quick with no materials and having to adapt and make it happen is amazing,” Muhammad said. “When you get there in costume, you pop into this thing and they (fellow protesters) are not expecting you.

No one talked about you — nothing. They don’t know who you are, and you just pop in with this crazy spectacle.”

Pais said he was influenced by a street theater troupe in his hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“They were neighbors without any training,” he said. “They would build their own stage and puppets.”

Member Robert Stoppl said he joined the troupe after he saw them perform Jan. 29.

“There are lots of groups like that throughout the history of protesting,” he said. “During ’60s, ’70s and up through the ’80s, there was a group called the Coach that did protesting for Hispanic civil rights. That was predominant throughout the Southwest.”

Pais said the group wants to expand to include music and other forms of art.

“We are open to the ideas of (UNM) students, especially from the theater department, the dance department and the music department,” he said. “We have ideas, but many times, we don’t know how to perform. We are not actors or musicians. It’s hard to go from an idea to actually doing it. The theory works, but it is hard.”

Muhammad said the troupe slowly gains new members.

“We just started and people like what we are doing,” he said. “We’re probably going to get bigger. We need more money, though. This stuff is not cheap.”

The troupe plans on attending protests out of town, as well.

“Cucarachas don’t die,” Pais said. “They are bothersome. People hate them, but they keep appearing. You can step on them a thousand times, but you’re going to have a million coming.”

For more information on La Cucaracha Stew Co., visit MySpace.com/LaCucarachaStewCo.

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