‘El Rey del Pollo’ @ Echo Theatre
—Teresa Marrero
I had no idea what to expect from El Rey del Pollo (“The King of Chicken”). I worried that this bilingual family comedy might be full of stereotypes—but hoped that the beautiful drive to White Rock Lake (and Echo Theatre @ the Bath House Cultural Center) would at least make the day worthwhile.
And WOW, was I pleasantly surprised—about everything!
Yes, the weather and the views were lovely, but Echo’s world-premiere production of Anna Skidis Vargas’ El Rey del Pollo definitely won the day. No stereotypes in sight, and El Rey turned out to be a fun, joyful and witty play inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear. It has all the elements for a great audience experience, and is vividly told in dialogue that’s a back-and-forth of Spanish and English (with some seamless Spanglish lines thrown in, and snippets of actual Shakespeare in both languages). The inventive show is a partnership between Echo Theatre and the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva in south Texas ( borderlandsshakespeare.org )
There’s no confusing who’s who in El Rey del Pollo: eight actors are onstage, and the names of their characters are embroidered on their aprons. Things are a bit more complicated for actor Jovane Caamaño, who plays the Narrator (he’s our guide to the story) and other key roles; he’s always busy, changing his apron, his hat, even his accent. Priceless.
El Rey del Pollo is the name of a family-operated restaurant chain famous for mouth-watering deep-fried chicken. Founder and father Raymundo Lear (Joe Chapa) is getting old, and has decided to hand off his three restaurants, one to each of his daughters. But there’s a catch of sorts: Ray wants each daughter to stand up and tell the world just how much she loves her Papi.
While oldest daughter Gisela (Caitlin Chapa) and middle daughter Raquel (Carrie Viera) eagerly butter up the old man to gain his favor and money, they reaffirm the notion that No todo lo que brilla es oro (Not everything that shines is gold). By contrast, youngest daughter Cordelia (Mia Azuaje) loves her father deeply, but can’t bring herself to turn her feelings into an “act” like her sisters. An angry Joe Lear sends her away, an outcast working at the nearby Escargot-2-Go. (Caamaño plays the French owner, with an accent to die for, especially when he gets it wrong.)
The play sticks close to Shakespeare, spooning up tasty lines directly from Lear and a few other plays. Vargas stirs in some of the Bard’s linguistic flavors, but also cooks up a style of her own—comic, open-hearted, and easily understood. The bilingual storytelling has enough of both languages to get the plot across to the whole audience.
Kudos to director Amanda Nicole Reyes, who has the players working at a high level of energy and comedy—but never forgetting there’s a real family at the heart of the story. And both Reyes and movement choreographer David Saldivar create a swift, smooth rhythm to the action onstage—so much so we’re not surprised when the actors occasionally start dancing!
The show’s bad guys/gals give us over-the-top camp in their portrayals: oldest sister Gisela (Chapa) is a boss, with scary Disney-witch eyes and an intimidating walk; middle sister Raquel (Viera) has huge eyes and pigtails, and the bounce of an animé character or a puppy; and jealous cousin Edmundo (Ron Fernandez’ mad-eyed contortions are hilarious) fingers his knives and plots to ruin the queso.
On the bright side (and with a somewhat more naturalistic acting style) are the good but not too articulate Cordelia, played with wide-eyed innocence by Azuaje; Raymundo Lear, the not-tempered, misguided, but loving father (Joe Chapa’s Shakespearean rants, mostly in Spanish, are marvelous); Gilberto (Raymond Banda), Lear’s brother and head chef (played with the sweet naiveté of a father who wants to believe in his two sons, particularly the lying, scheming Edmundo). Edgardo, the good son, is played by Rudy Lopez with genuine corazón (heart) and some wild facial expressions.
Two things worth a mention: the program is arranged like a Mexican restaurant menu, giving us a hint of the fun to come. And there’s a chicken costume…but I will say no more. Just wait for it.
El Rey del Pollo is a skilled tight-rope act, with just enough slapstick to make us laugh and just enough pathos to make us care—always teetering between the two. And the production is a pleasure for eyes and ears: Nicholas Thornburg’s bright set design, Jessi Chavez’ costumes, some unusual props from Isa Flores, lights by designer Eli Reed, and lively music choices from sound designer John M. Flores. And yes, there’s some yelling (it’s Shakespeare, con salsa), but in the end, this Chicken King and his family have a lot to celebrate, and a great legacy to pass along.
WHEN: September 12-27, 2025
WHERE: Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive, Dallas
WEB: echotheatre.org
