'Tristan & Yseult' is the Jack in the Box Tacos of Plays - Review
Just like Jack in the Box Tacos, 'Tristan & Yseult' should not work on paper, but delivers perfection.
This is not going to be one of my usual formal, professional reviews. Rather, it is going to be the overly excitable, redundant San Francisco kid, losing his mind about The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’.
At this point you’re scratching your head reading the headline thinking, “What the Hell is he talking about it being Jack in the Box Tacos?” Have you had Jack in the Box Tacos? When described, they sound anything but appetizing:
It's some type of meat, shredded lettuce, a random non-Mexican salsa, a slice (literally a slice) of American cheese and deep fried. Yet, once you take a bite, you are in such disbelief as to how much you enjoyed one, two…seven of them.
The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’ (running now through June 24, 2026) is the exact same way.
Hear me out! On paper, this absolutely should not work:
A contemporary version of a 12th century Irish epic poem, incorporating live music, dance breaks, self-deprecating humor, while being outdoors as traffic wizzes by. A minimalist setting between palm trees, blending incandescent lighting (manned by lighting designer Matt Mankiewicz) as the dusk transitioned into nightfall matching the tonal shift from passion to tragedy as if God, Himself intentionally created the mood.
Again, that description makes it sound avant-garde. Which, if you quote Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) from, ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’: “Avant-garde? That’s French for, ‘Off-Broadway garbage’.”
I’m hammering this point in, because The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’ turned avant-garde into perfection. Making the impossible, possible.
Written in 2003 by Emma Rice for the Kneehigh Theatre, ‘Tristan & Yseult’ is narrated by Whitehands (Callie Pendiville Johnson) along with a Greek chorus known as the Lovespotters (think the Minions, only human), donning coveralls and Coke-bottle glasses and representing the Club of the Unloved. We follow Cornish King Mark (Wesley Chavez) as he faces an invasion from the Irishman Morholt (TJ Rodriguez).
Following a chance encounter with the French drifter Tristan (Gabriel Liron), the battle ends with the death of Morholt and King Mark seeking to claim his prize: Morholt’s sister, Yseult (Emily Porr), as his unwilling bride. The Cornish monarch sends the man he claims as his kindred spirit to Ireland to retrieve her.
As Yseult yields to her captor, she decides that, in order to give herself to her future husband, the only way to fulfill this passionless marriage is with the aid of a love potion, summoning her maiden, Brangian (Bobby Gonzalez). The not-so-fair maiden notices the uncanny attraction between the Frenchman and the Irishwoman, intentionally switching the strong wine with the potion, causing the two to engage in a romantic tryst and leading to greater problems for the future queen.
To hide the fact that the lady has been untouched, Yseult coerces Brangian to take her place in the couple’s marital bed. This is where the play reaches its zenith. The implied deflowering of Brangian is handled with taste, class, and absolute magnificence. It is sensual, not sexual. There is nothing graphic, only mild suggestion, proving that implication is often more powerful than presentation.
This is where Gonzalez went from comic relief to showstopper. His monologue, as he comes to the conclusion of what will happen to Brangian on her wedding night, is heartbreaking. Would a queen give up her chastity for the maiden’s honor? You feel not only the character’s vulnerability, but also her violation; not just of her body, but of her soul.
Unfortunately, spoils do not always go to the victor. Frocin (Jose Orozco), the loyal advisor to the king, becomes jealous of Tristan for fear of losing his position within the kingdom. He exposes the two lovers, thinking he will retain favor with Mark. That plan, too, falters, where love, whether romantic or for power, has been shunned.
Before we get to the Lovespotters, I have to sing the praises of the live band. Mike Manzer leads the trio, featuring Rob Bethancourt and Justin Juknelis, as they not only guide the mood and tonal shift through instrumentals and song stylings, but also break the fourth wall, performing classic lonely-hearts songs as part of the pre-show and intermission.
The Lovespotters, beginning with Sophie Keaney, had me rolling with a single one-liner before belting out a classic ‘60s tune, all while serving as the show’s violinist. Jordan Lockhart could easily front a boy band with his tenor voice, while Jonah Camacho’s deadpan loneliness, waltzing with a palm tree because he had no partner was tremendous.
Along with Kyle Hayes, Nathan Camacho, Portia Hildeband, Dylan Magallanes, Eilane Moehno, Tamar Powell, and Camille Vargas, not a single person missed a beat, step, facial expression, or movement. These 11 Lovespotters were guided by choreographer Emily Taylor, who stole every scene, living up to the motto, “Dance like no one is watching.”
Haven Hansen’s costuming was subtle but told its own stories. From Tristan’s 1970s earth tones to King Mark’s admiral’s uniform, Whitehands’ 1950s housewife chic, and the Lovespotters’ coveralls, not a single thing was out of place.
Under the direction of Brian John and Michael Polak and the tight ship run by stage manager Jared Lindsay, I can say with complete certainty, The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’ is the play of the year.
Good luck to anyone else in the next six months trying to top it production. I do not envy you in the least.
The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’ runs from now through June 24, 2026.
To purchase tickets for The Electric Company Theatre’s ‘Tristan & Yseult’ visit: https://www.onthestage.tickets/the-electric-company-theatre.
The Electric Company Theatre is located at:
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center
1201 W. Malvern Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92833
5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️