Lauro López as Olef. Photo: Franky
El campanario is thought provoking, it’s witty and absurd, and the writing of Raúl Dorantes takes onlookers on a mystical journey of struggle and self-reflection. Through the stories of Librado, Olef and Salustia, the purpose of life and the importance of being remembered are pondered as the three characters contemplate whether or not to enter into the bell tower where no one can leave after they enter.
The bell tower acts as the focal point of the play, lingering off to the side as each of the three patients consoles with a doctor and a nurse regarding their reasoning for wanting to enter the tower. The vertical construction symbolizes a new beginning through a return to what is sacred and most precious; the earth. While planes, bombs and explosions can be heard off in the distance, the tower’s bells ring with great beauty, almost prompting those who consider entering that the answers reside within the bell tower. However, from time to time the faint sound of screams and fighting is thought to be heard from within the bell tower, but nobody is certain whether or not the noise is coming from inside or the fighting is taking place outside. Despite being secure within the confines of the medic’s offices, the world outside is engulfed in conflict.
Librado is fed up with the current state of the world. As the founder of an utopian commune and former editor of an anarchist publication, Librado has lost all hope in the current world in which he lives and has decided to enter the bell tower with his friend Olef. Librado understands his current world as something that has abandoned the earth and become obsessed with property and things, losing sight of the natural sacred beauty around them. Upon entering the bell tower, Librado believes that he will be brought closer to the earth and closer to what is sacred, as the world outside continues to exploit what should be cherished. Despite once being fully immersed in the struggle, Librado has been overtaken by disenchantment for the changing world that surrounds him. Olef, however, does his best to lighten the mood.
A mystic, Olef is well versed in various mystical schools of thought. While he does not condone anarchism, he does have a vested interest in Librado and his well being. Despite being consumed by the alcohol he drinks and the mysticism he believes in, Olef is very complex. He has abandoned all hope for change, which is evident in the comic relief he provides, although it seems that he still sees a bit of himself in Librado. At different times throughout the play Olef is reminded of the role he played with Librado in demanding change and answers from the government in the past. Once informed and active, the two men have ventured into a state of passivity and now have no idea what is going on in their country. The explosions and planes flying overhead are the only discourse that can be heard.
Elizabeth Nungaray as Salustia. Photo: Franky
Salustia is the final patient who wishes to enter the bell tower. An avocado picker, she has felt invisible throughout her entire life. Despite all that she tries to do, Salustia can’t help but feel ignored and ostracized from society. Physically, she is present, however, those around her act as if she does not exist. Consequently, Salustia desires to enter the bell tower and escape what she feels the world has done to her. All three patients have lived very different lives, and while on one hand Olef and Librado have been recognized and remembered during their lifetimes, Salustia hasn’t made an impact on anyone or anything. Who will be remembered once they enter into the bell tower to never be heard from again?
In the medic’s office at the back of the room there is a large board filled with photos of the faces of everyone who has entered the bell tower, along with a small description of who each person was. At one point Olef and Librado are examining the photos and notice two individuals, also named Olef and Librado, who had entered the tower a long time ago, but who also had eerily similar stories to their own. For Librado and Olef, this seems to be a turning point. In this moment the two men are almost reassured of the mark they made throughout their lives through the photos of two men who may or may not have been Librado and Olef at a younger age. The photographs were almost confirmation that the two men were at the end of their lives and can enter the bell tower. This realization stirs a howling laughter in the men, causing viewers to ponder whether or not Librado and Olef have any idea of what’s really going on. Their laughter situates the two men at a crossroads of confidence and doubt as to whether or not to enter the tower.
Although nearly silent more often than not, Salustia is the embodiment of complexity though she rarely speaks. She is young and beautiful, innocent, but she wears her scars like decorations, helplessly trying to be heard but unable to resonate. Her movements look like those of a weathered individual who had already loved and lost. For Salustia, however, there is hope.
At various moments throughout the play Salustia emerges from her room and enters into the medic’s room while he is speaking with Olef or Librado. In one of these instances Salustia falls to the ground, becoming parallel with the floor as the medic, the nurse, Olef and Librado attempt to help her back up. This fall to the ground symbolizes something life changing for Salustia.
Salustia is still young and impressionable. By falling to the ground Salustia appears to have what is sacred and precious literally knocked back into her. As she makes contact with the earth she has a realization that everything she needs is right there in front of her. All this time she had been focused on the wrong things and not what was most sacred, the earth beneath her feet. In this sense, Salustia embraces the youth that Olef and Librado once possessed. She is optimistic and no longer weighed down by what she can’t control. She is hopeful for change and retracts her request to enter the tower, a newfound excitement for life is upon her.
For Olef and Librado their ending is not so clear. As the medic signed their forms approving their request to enter the tower, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Moments later Olef and Librado erupt into a howling laughter that awoke a sense of uneasiness. The laughter disguised the uncertainty that the two men felt about entering the bell tower. On one hand they were escaping the explosions and ambiguity of their current world, but they were also abandoning what they would be remembered for, their fight for justice and equality. What would now define them, what they once did or the decisions they just made?
Raúl Dorantes leaves many questions unanswered in this thought provoking whirlwind of introspection. True happiness is questioned along with whether or not being remembered, in one way or another, is a necessity for a fulfilling life. Dorantes forces the audience to look past Librado, Olef and Salustia, and to reflect on the current world we live in. Are we passive observers who take the easy way out by reassuring ourselves that simply nothing can be done? Or are we active participants in reclaiming what was once sacred and cherished? What is it that we will be remembered for, if anything at all?
JJ Romero as Librado. Photo: Franky
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Parker Asmann is a 2015 graduate of DePaul University with degrees in Journalism and Spanish, along with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. He is currently residing in Chicago while focusing on issues of social justice and human rights. He is a member of El BeiSMans Editorial Board.
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