Always changing, life is temporary

We don’t always have control over the events in our lives. We know that what can be built, can be destroyed.

And perhaps no one knows this better than the Afro-Cuban peoples of the Caribbean. Shipped in as a part of the slave trade, they knew what it was like to not have control of your own life. And living in prime hurricane territory taught them that what can be built can be swept away by the primal forces of nature.

Out of this life, the Afro-Cubans developed a unique system of beliefs and practices known to some as “Santeria.” The belief system revolves around several Orishas, or spirits who are said to have control of the world. Miracle Theater’s newest production, Oya: Call the Storm, focuses on the interaction of these spirits and their relationship to three human characters: Melinda, Miguel and Eva.

The devotees of Santeria call it “Regla de Ocha.” The practice initially started under the guise of Roman Catholicism, but they maintained many of the practices of the tribal religions of Africa. And as the slave trade continued longer in Cuba than almost anywhere else, there was a constant influx of people who had fresh knowledge of non-Western traditions, particularly from the area of the Niger River. Dancing, song and drumming are thus essential parts of Afro-Cuban practices.

Oya: Call the Storm is told mostly through dance, and occasionally through dialogue or song. Traditional Afro-Cuban choreography dominates, with some more Latin and modern movements thrown in. The dialogue alternates between Spanish and English, but it’s possible to follow the play if you don’t know any Spanish, some of the details may just be fuzzier.

The titular character Oya is one of Santeria’s spirits, she rules over the wind and the storms and as such, is one of the principle forces that act on the three human characters.

All three humans come to (presumably) America, each for their own reasons. Miguel meets a beautiful woman, Melinda, who he convinces to spend the night with him. The next morning she leaves him because he is too poor. She is trying to acquire wealth and wants to avoid attachments. He tries to get work and make more money to win her back.

Melinda becomes pregnant from the encounter, and this brings her much distress. Her funds also dry up around this time. Miguel loses his job, turns to crime and is deported. The third character, Eva, is a child looking for her mother. It may be that she is the daughter of Miguel and Melinda come back later looking for her parents, the story isn’t clear.

Each actor also portrays an Orisha. Ochun, the spirit of love, doubles as Melinda. Chango, the spirit of strength, doubles as Miguel. Eva also plays the spirit of mischief. Also constantly in the scene, awaiting an opportunity, is Iku–the spirit of death. Oya and Iku are often at odds, dancing for life and death.

Actor Freila Merencio Blanco embodies the strong Oya with confident and powerful dance. Luciana Proano brings a slight but relieving playfulness to Iku. Mayra Acevedo commands an excellent range, from calculating to vulnerable, as Melinda/Ochun. Carlos Alexis Cruz truly amazes with his feats of strength and acrobatics as Miguel/Chango. The young Maya Malan-Gonzales is also well cast as Eva/Eleggua.

The great value of Call the Storm is the realistic view of life and the outcomes it presents. Although few of us are likely to believe in spirits controlling the world, we can agree that life is neither all good nor all bad. Happiness is always interrupted by sadness, and sadness interrupted by happiness. That certainty of change is what Oya represents today.

Oya: Call the Storm

Playing until April 26 Thurs. at 7:30 p.m.Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m.Sun. at 2 p.m.$15 for students, $20 for everyone else Miracle Theater: 425 S.E. 6th Ave.