This production of El Ciclón (The Cyclone) is a perfect example of why everyone should have university and college theater productions on their schedules. Originally produced in 2019 in Miami, Florida, the current adaptation is the result of an intense two-semester “devised research process” with University of Maryland Theatre students and designers. The involvement of youthful performers and craftspersons who are still discovering the possibilities of theatrical production without the economic pressure of the marketplace can bring an energy and ingenuity that often result in startling and inspiring surprises, as it does in this case.
When you enter the theater, you are met with a highly effective representation of the Florida Everglades: a swamp draped in moss and filled with alligators. (Amirmahdi Mahdavi, scenic designer). Embedded in the mud of this swamp are two aging but still functioning automobiles that virtually scream “rugged individualism” and “survival of the fittest.” There is also a television test pattern glowing from a screen on the upstage wall (Hailey LaRoe, projection designer; Zachary Rupp, projections coordinator) and a radio studio situated on stage left.
This is a multimedia production. The onstage action is filmed and edited in real time. Two camera operators (with sound) are onstage. They never become the subject of the action, nor do they detract from the action, but, like ninjas, they are constantly moving through it. The audience’s attention is drawn back and forth between the action projected on screen and the live action taking place on the stage itself. The presence of the cameras allows for close-ups and contrasting points of view that would not be possible to capture with the naked eye. The cameras and their operators become accomplices to the audience’s ability to see and feel what is going on.
As playwright/director Yara Travieso puts it, El Ciclón documents “a time when we are bombarded by the relentless horrors of a system that abuses, disappears, and terrorizes our most vulnerable communities, that wages devastating wars and genocides.” The play is an affirmation of the free-floating anxiety and rage that many are experiencing now. But, as the DJs in the play remind us: “As long as we are choosing one another … and the truth … we will never be alone.”
Throughout the play, the pirated womanist radio station WFM-Fatale broadcasts the approach and progress of a cyclone (and the predictable human devastation that results from undermining social safety nets) that will sweep through the region surrounding Miami. As one of the DJs notes: “We are bringing you TRUTH IN TIMES OF TRANSFORMATION.” Through the radio program we hear about members of the women’s collective Hermanas sin Miedo (Sisters Without Fear), who distribute items needed to survive what the DJs are calling “times of floods and feral hearts.” Meanwhile Ava, a nurse who has gotten stuck in the storm, with no internet access, discovers an injured man she attempts to help. Unbeknownst to her, she is in danger. Because this same man has shot and injured three members of Hermanas sin Miedo.
The script is a knowing mix of campiness, neo-womanist manifesto, and “lost in the woods” horror/fairy tale. And it’s a musical that is captivating from beginning to the end.
Among the standout performers from a totally admirable cast: Phoebe “Pheebs” Coleman’s performance as Honey gave Colored Museum as well as Charles Ludlam’s Theatre of the Ridiculous vibes. Lexie Jones brought stamina and focus to the role of Ava, the primary protagonist. Aïda Shakuur Nyabingi as Tierra embodied the endangered yet necessary essence of the earth itself — and she made us believe it.
El Ciclón runs for only two more performances. If you are able to see this show, please do so.
Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.
El Ciclón plays through May 3, 2026, presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) in the Kogod Theatre at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Purchase tickets online.
The program is available here.
