EL BETO
Based on Shakespeare's Macbeth
Directed and Performed by Kalob Martinez
Puppet Designer: Kalob Martinez
Costume Designer: Jelena Antanasijevic
Lighting Designer: Danielle Verkennes
Photos by Gerry Goodstein
Connecticut Repertory Theatre, CT
“El Beto” is a one-man hand puppet version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth molded into the world of the Mexican drug cartel. 3D-printed puppets are based on the characters from the story of Macbeth and modern-day Mexican drug lords.
This fusion becomes a playground for intersecting past and present, fictional with the real-life characters, minimized to the size of hand-puppets. Intimate theater space allows for many details that elevate the storytelling. Therefore, accessories and intricacies in costumes help describe the characters even better. In telling the story, heraldry becomes one of the main tools. It underlines the royal aspects of both worlds, merged into one story of blood and lust.