After three years of training and study, Universty of Wisconsin-Madison Master of Fine Arts student Riley Faison readies himself to perform “Mambo Mouth” by John Leguizamo as his MFA. thesis. Having already performed a rendition of the play at the Universidad de Puerto Rico-Cayey, the masters student is excited to remount his performance this weekend at Vilas Hall. Faison charges himself to share Leguizamo’s story of the “latino-lived experience in the United States of America,” in what he expects to be a spectacular one-man show, but for Faison, that means more than just being solo on the stage.
Throughout our interview, Faison said that, similar to his experience in Cayey, “there’s no one but me,” as the responsibility of all production roles fall on his shoulders. For the past few weeks, he’s been conducting his own research on available performance spaces, organizing his own lighting and sound and reserving his own spaces for rehearsal. Faison is receiving funding from the Research Travel Award from the Vilas Foundation, as well as Robert Skloot Discretionary Award through the Department of Theatre and Drama. Through his bright tone, expression and animated gestures, it’s clear that being solo in a production gives Faison the greatest sense of pride for his hard work.
But a performer is never without a bit of anxiety. Faison said that everyday he’s been, “looking to better familiarize with [the] production” process, and, “having to memorize and reacquaint with the work was most nerve racking.” This comes from the fact that he hasn’t performed “Mambo Mouth” in front of an audience since August 2014. Nevertheless, Faison is excited to share Leguizamo’s story through the different Latino characters with whom he’s charged to perform.
In “Mambo Mouth,” Faison will take on and interpret the identity of five different Latino characters, whereas John Leguizamo’s original work includes seven. These characters are Agamemnon, a talk-show host; Loco Louie, the anxious teenager; Angel Garcia, an incarcerated father; Pepe Vazquez, an undocumented worker and Crossover King, the host of a self-help seminar. It’s immediately clear from their identities that Faison will have to make drastic changes to differentiate each embodiment. He described the process for these changes as understanding each character’s “vocal variety, physical presence, and lived experience,” then asking himself, “how do I effectively shift from one character to another?”
In a shift from his August production in Cayey, Faison must perform with a smaller stage, which places a little more strain on his use of lighting and sound. But these minor nuances aren’t phasing Faison’s confidence in his ability to perform and manage the production of the show.
Realizing how limited his resources are, he’s taking advantage of the mundane technology we all have access to, turning a seemingly inconvenience into a new dynamic. “I just want a simple scheme,” he says. “I’m controlling sound via an iPhone connection to a Bluetooth speaker.”
From what he said in our discussion of the show, it’s also clear that Faison is aware of how a theatre performance can have unexpected changes in an instant. Faison said that he’s going in understanding that, “The final element is always the audience.” He tells me of how he’s learned to strategically critique himself in the moment, asking “If it’s not rendering with the people, how is my delivery?”
Faison gave much thanks to those who have supported him through his journey with this play, including Interim Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate Patrick Sims, who, as Faison said, “has served as my mentor throughout the whole process.” He also thanked UW-Madison graduate, and current Universidad de Puerto Rico-Cayey professor Jessica Gaspar Concepción, who provided the same mentorship for Faison’s first production of “Mambo Mouth.” Even for a one-man production, Faison recognizes that no work of art is without some direct or indirect form of collaboration.
Faison’s production of “Mambo Mouth” premieres Feb. 20, and will run through the weekend. Shows will take place in Vilas 4010. A talkback will follow. Showings Feb. 20 and 21 began at 8 p.m. and at 2 p.m. Feb. 22. Thanks to Faison’s financial support, admission for the public is free.
