Josefina Orlaineta was just a child when she started working. Over the following 60 years,
she worked more than 40 jobs. Josefina is the mother of theatre practitioner Anacarsis
Ramos. The family lived in Campeche, one of the poorest states in Mexico. The mother
stayed behind when her son escaped the stifling hometown. In Mexico City, he pursued a life
in theatre and fully embraced his identity as a gay man. Their paths were separated for a
decade.
In Mi Madre y el Dinero, the pair recounts the mother’s working life and her complicated
relationship with money. In this documentary performance, Josefina’s irresistible sense of
fun as a storyteller is evident as she shares pro tips on selling techniques and survival. All the
while, she stuffs sausages – as though filling the scenes with memories. Investigating the
precariousness of the theatre business or poking fun at European penchant for pronouncing
on other continents’ wretchedness are here but comic sidebars.
The work gently tackles the shame and stigma of poverty and class. It addresses the
vulnerability of the self-employed, be they artists or street hawkers, and considers the ethics
of retelling another’s life story. Can theatre help us focus a gentler gaze upon ourselves?
Josefina Orlaineta succeeds as an actor, just as she succeeded in her other jobs. Her innate
charisma lends Mi Madre y el Dinero gravitas to complement the work’s astuteness and
humour.
Running time: 1 h 30 min
Performance language: Spanish with English subtitles
Age recommendation: 12+
www.espoonteatteri.fi/en
