The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival

Given the knowledge that this play would be performed by puppets, I had trouble believing I would be able to take the production seriously, but as the opening scene began, I immediately realizedThe Erotic Anguish of Don Juan would be nothing like what I had expected.

After being imprisoned for 500 years, Don Juan is summoned to recount the extraordinary tale of how he became known as the World’s Greatest Lover. When he is first introduced to the audience, the man of the hour is in shackles – well, parts of him, anyway. Despite his physical restraints, he soon makes it clear that he is such a loveable man that it would be impossible to ignore his incredible charm.

Don Juan, however, was not always such a smooth operator. With the help of the Devil and his minions, Don Juan re-enacts the pivotal moments in the life of the world’s most unscrupulous cad, beginning with his mother abandoning him on the steps of an old church in Spain when he is a baby. Found and raised by dogs, the young Don Juan is a far cry from the man he will become – striking out with every potential lover! Things change when he meets Maria Delores, but even a shared night of epic passion cannot make Don Juan a one-woman man.

The mood quickly shifts from light-hearted womanizing to something more along the lines of serious dialogue between a teacher and his students. Don Juan reveals that he has a much deeper understanding of love than what everyone believes, noting that the key to really good sex is “intense loneliness”; it is the knowledge that one can never be as close to another person as when they are making love that makes them want to be in the moment even more.

I was caught off guard with this unexpected revelation, especially in the midst of all of the fun. I found myself forced to acknowledge that one of the greatest and most elusive things we seek in our lives is a connection with someone else that will make us feel less alone, at least for a little while.

After years of succumbing to the temptations of over a thousand women around the world – and a musical homily by Jesus – Don Juan is forced to face his final judgment. Unable to repent for what others view as the sins of his life, he pleads his libertine case for free, universal love, asking, “Doesn’t anyone want a holy orgy?” It was clear that at least a few audience members wanted to join him on stage (really, who wouldn’t want a holy orgy?), but of course no one did. Instead, the performance ended as one might have expected -- though deep down, I think everyone in the audience was probably hoping for a different outcome. Nevertheless, I was left with a strange satisfaction that the life of Don Juan could not have played itself out any other way.

The play’s puppetry is superb, and it’s truly incredible what an important role the puppets play in telling this tale. The creativity and imagination that the Old Trouts bring to their puppets is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves for their next production.

The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan is all about the unexpected. Though there are scenes that drag a bit too long and certain novelties that wear off a little too quickly, it was the abundance of unexpected moments that kept the audience interested and entertained right up to the end of the final scene. From the wonderful array of expertly hand-crafted puppets, to the musical talents of the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir – who popped up at some of the most unexpected moments – this performance was a wonderful mix of comedy and fun, as well as a surprisingly poignant exploration of some of the most powerful emotions that grip us all.

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