Kevin Holden, HH founder:
I was still in grad school, and generally unhappy with “theatre.” Feeling that theatrical performances needed a totally new paradigm to regain a true legitimacy in our culture, I often thought about what a new paradigm might be or look like.
One day, my neighbor (fellow Horse Head Founder, Anthony Contello) told me he was going to a Mexican Wrestling event near the duplex we shared with our friend, Adrianna Perez, and that I should go. I was hesitantly intrigued, but decided to join them. We went that night.
It was close to where we lived, but where we lived was almost exclusively a Hispanic community. The venue was basically a large aluminum barn on a concrete slab. In the center sat a wrestling ring about four feet above the floor, and around it were a few hundred folding metal folding chairs. There were tacos being made and beer being sold at a large concession stand. I partook in both immediately. The place was in a noisy chaotic state, and I felt incredibly out of place as the only white guy (besides Anthony . . . who’s Italian). I had made bad decision . . . or so I thought.
I sat in the front row in the section opposite the door I came in, and just marveled at my surroundings and enjoyed a handful of beers prior to the start of the wrestling. Every other person in the building was Hispanic, and I’m sure a large majority of them were migrant families. Regardless, no English was being spoken. Children were running everywhere with great abandon and no regulation. I was aghast at how many injuries didn’t occur! These children were either the luckiest or most agile children in the world. With all the things I saw, never once did any of them take a spill that was violent enough for a shut down (And dozens of them would wrestle in the ring between matches!! Four feet above a concrete floor!). Amazing.
The event begins: No wait. It might help for me to explain the process of Mexican Wresting . . . or at least what I was able to discern on from my experiences.
MEXICAN WRESTING RULES:
I was still in grad school, and generally unhappy with “theatre.” Feeling that theatrical performances needed a totally new paradigm to regain a true legitimacy in our culture, I often thought about what a new paradigm might be or look like.
One day, my neighbor (fellow Horse Head Founder, Anthony Contello) told me he was going to a Mexican Wrestling event near the duplex we shared with our friend, Adrianna Perez, and that I should go. I was hesitantly intrigued, but decided to join them. We went that night.
It was close to where we lived, but where we lived was almost exclusively a Hispanic community. The venue was basically a large aluminum barn on a concrete slab. In the center sat a wrestling ring about four feet above the floor, and around it were a few hundred folding metal folding chairs. There were tacos being made and beer being sold at a large concession stand. I partook in both immediately. The place was in a noisy chaotic state, and I felt incredibly out of place as the only white guy (besides Anthony . . . who’s Italian). I had made bad decision . . . or so I thought.
I sat in the front row in the section opposite the door I came in, and just marveled at my surroundings and enjoyed a handful of beers prior to the start of the wrestling. Every other person in the building was Hispanic, and I’m sure a large majority of them were migrant families. Regardless, no English was being spoken. Children were running everywhere with great abandon and no regulation. I was aghast at how many injuries didn’t occur! These children were either the luckiest or most agile children in the world. With all the things I saw, never once did any of them take a spill that was violent enough for a shut down (And dozens of them would wrestle in the ring between matches!! Four feet above a concrete floor!). Amazing.
The event begins: No wait. It might help for me to explain the process of Mexican Wresting . . . or at least what I was able to discern on from my experiences.
MEXICAN WRESTING RULES:
- all participants wear ornate masks. Hand made masks (along with the rest of their outfits)
- All matches are tag team matches
- It’s never just one pin and win. I think it’s best out of three, but I know I’ve seen two to two ties.
- There is always a bad guy team, and a good guy team.
- Everyone in the audience is very familiar with all the wrestlers wrestling.
An announcer (not visible) welcomes the audience in a loud dramatic (Spanish) voice. The crowd cheers frequently. The referee is introduced. He’s a portly fellow who has likely borrowed his striped shirt from a smaller friend of his. It didn’t quite cover his belly. The announcer begins to introduce the first team. Obviously bad guys, as discerned from the audience’s actions. They enter from a restroom tucked in the corner of the building (one of two). The good guys fall shortly (from the same restroom). The crowd is going nuts. The match begins, and I’m still feeling completely out of place, but certainly enjoying the spectacle. But something happened as the first match was playing out. I can’t tell you the moment it happened or even if it was gradual or spontaneous. All I know is that at some point I became autonomous with the event. I became just like all the other people in the crowd. I yelled at the ref, and even had an exchange with him at one point where he warned me to keep my mouth shut. I had distracted him for a bit while a bad guy was being all sneaky and performing illegal moves on one of the good guys. I was ecstatic. The ecstasy lasted throughout the evening. When I got home that night I sat out on my porch, drank a bit more and reflected the evening. Being as slow as I am, it wasn’t until then that I realized that I had experienced an amazing piece of theatre that night. It was poorly executed, and designed, but it was more effective than any high dollar, professional piece of theatre I had ever seen. Much more effective. If “theatre” could be as cathartic as my experience here . . .Hmmmmmm . . . A new paradigm was beginning to form. A new theatre more akin to a Mexican Wrestling event would be fantastic. I would go to that theatre often . . . who wouldn’t?!
I went again the very next week with a group of friends I forced to attend with me. At the end of that night they were all very emotional, and thanked me like teenagers on ecstasy for bringing them. I also caught a midget that night during one of the matches. That’s another story unto itself….