Alicante ARNICCHES THEATER
½
Authorship and direction: Andrés Caminos And Gadiel Sztryk. Company: sutottos
Comedy duos built on the tension between contrasting personalities have long entertained audiences. The blend of cleverness, naivety, and playful mischief creates a dynamic that sharpens as the performance unfolds. In this spirit, the Argentinian ensemble Sutottos presents “Forgiveness.” The show centers on guilt and regret, brought to life by seasoned and versatile performers Andrés Caminos and Gadiel Sztryk, with dramaturgy and direction by both artists.
Exaggeration and distortion drive the caricatured moments. The story follows two childhood friends as they meet again, their long-standing differences resurfacing. Yesterday’s disappointments mingle with today’s realities. What exists, what remains hidden, and what could have been are laid bare. A bittersweet mood lingers, inviting the audience to reflect on the past even as the present unfolds.
Memories surface in fragments: the first school days, a childhood love, and the awkward clash of opposites who are somehow compatible. Language—spoken and body—becomes a tool for confusion, wordplay, and rhythmic repetition. Dialogues and monologues reveal the performers’ craft in Arniches, a space where theater and memory converge. Four years earlier, the company delivered another theatrical showcase here titled “Unstable.”
The brisk pace can feel sharp, almost shrill, with moments of forced cheer that edge toward the grotesque. The piece traces an anti-psychological arc with heavy comedy, not from a lack of imagination but because the storytelling purposefully unsettles expectations. It invites viewers to consider how far social and personal pressures can push people to act in ways that seem extreme yet reveal truth beneath the surface.
Yet beneath the humor lies a thread of introspection. The performance nudges audiences toward questions about connection, responsibility, and the irrationality that shapes relationships and the human condition. It entertains while prompting reflection on how people navigate love, forgiveness, and the fragile choices that define lives. The balance of laughter and melancholy offers a window into common human struggles, even when the delivery is deliberately offbeat.
A memorable moment comes as the two narrators listen to a familiar love song, Amigo, once popularized by Roberto Carlos. The song becomes a cue for examining what has changed, what remains possible, and whether reconciliation can ever fully occur. In another, distinctly different episode, the duo revisits a meeting in Veure’ns, a piece recently witnessed in this venue, underscoring the performers’ range and the evolving nature of their collaboration.
Through a blend of poignant memories and comic mischief, Forgiveness gathers momentum—from quiet recollections to chaotic spurts of interaction. The show explores how friendships endure, how regrets shape present choices, and how humor can illuminate serious truths about life, aging, and the pursuit of meaning. In its core, the production speaks to universal experiences while anchored in a specific artistic voice that resonates with North American audiences seeking relatable, human-centered theater.
The synergy of Caminos and Sztryk, backed by Sutottos’ creative framework, crafts a performance that is at once intimate and expansive. It invites spectators to consider their own histories, to laugh at the absurd, and to feel the weight of what forgiveness can mean when time does not permit a clean resolution. The result is a show that lingers in memory, offering a thoughtful, entertaining lens on the drama of everyday life. [citation: Sutottos production notes and contemporary reception]