Theatre Macabre by Sèphera Girón

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Theatre Macabre is a short collection of speculative poetry all centered on the stage. The book is cleverly laid out like a stage performance itself, beginning with the aptly named "Curtain Up" a poem about anticipating that moment just before the curtain rises and a play begins. I was in a number of productions during my high school days. This poem captures that nervous uncertainty that comes while you work to calm your jitters and accept that even if mistakes are made, the show must go on. Setting up the book like this allows the reader to imagine each poem as a performance in itself, and Girón brings this metaphorical structure home by wrapping up the collection with a quick little poem called "Curtain Down". The final poem is short, but I think this fits the theatre idea. So much time and energy is spent leading up to a production - rehearsals, costumes, nerves, lines - and then, rather suddenly, it's over. 

All of the poems in this collection are about some sort of performance, but the topics vary enough that it's not just a repetitive collection of theatre poems. There are marionettes, a witch providing psychic readings, magicians, and ballerinas. Girón also explores more personal aspects of performance such as a deceptive lover in "Gaslight Tango" or an abusive relationship in "Leech". 

The poems in this collection are an easy read and thoughtful without being pretentious. If you are looking for an abstract set of poetry, this may not be the book for you. I can appreciate lofty prose, but what I really enjoyed about this collection was how approachable it was. Girón plays with rhyme, metaphor, and style, but I followed the meaning of each one. There wasn't one that I had to sit down and puzzle out like a riddle, which is something I don't personally enjoy about certain styles of poetry.

I recommend this collection to anyone who has a theatrical background or interest in theatre and doesn't mind a little bit of darkness in their life. 

Buy the book on Amazon.

Author's Website.


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