Review: ‘Adobe Punk: A Punk Rehearsal in Real Time’ at Margo Albert Theatre
- Anthony Gutierrez
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
"Adobe Punk: A Punk Rehearsal in Real Time," written and directed by Gabriel Garza and Theresa Chavez, is a visceral theatrical experience that takes the audience to East L.A.'s punk scene in the early 1980s.
Set within the walls of an historic adobe home in Bell Gardens, the play not only explores the history of California and Los Angeles, it captures the raw and emotional process of musical collaboration. Instead of a polished performance, the audience experiences the messy, passionate and frustrating process of artistic creation.
The story follows a fictional band, Bell Systems, as its members rehearse for their inaugural gig in the old adobe house where they are squatting. With Noreen (Sara Bunge) on guitar, Manny (Isaac Cruz) on drums and Kat (Margarita Brighton) on bass, this band truly rocks (songs by Chavez and Nina Diaz). In the collaborative and decentralized spirit of punk music, all three take turns at vocals.
The band rehearses songs they know and even write a few new ones before the night is over, and we get to see it all. The actors/musicians do an amazing job of recreating the spontaneity of writing music and communicating ideas as bandmates. The music is so raw and passionate that it is easy to forget it’s a play as well as a concert.
As one might expect from a rag-tag group of young punk musicians, they are steeped in a grungy existence. The floor is covered in empty beer cans and food wrappers, surrounded by a nest of cables. The walls are literally coming apart. On one large piece of butcher paper on the wall, the bandmates each scribble their contributions to the setlist.
The set, designed by Dorothy Hoover, combines with dynamic sound by Sage Lewis and masterful lighting by Briana Pattillo, telling a story before the show even begins. The show is as much about a punk band as it is about the land they are standing on. The adobe house becomes a character of its own as the band tries to understand the fraught origins of Los Angeles.
While "Adobe Punk" certainly evokes a sense of nostalgia, it is more than a story with good music. The play grapples with identity, artistic integrity and the search for belonging. Each band member has their moment of epiphany as they furiously learn new music.
"Adobe Punk" is a must-see for anyone who appreciates live music, and a dose of raw, unfiltered energy. It's a theatrical experience that will stay with you long after the performers’ final bows.
“Adobe Punk: A Punk Rehearsal in Real Time” continues through April 13 at Plaza de la Raza’s Margo Albert Theatre, 3540 N. Mission Rd., Los Angeles, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets through eventbrite.