Valentin is an anarchist and Molina is a homosexual who has been suspected of molesting a child. And they are both in prison. In the play Kiss of the Spider Woman, escaping from prison doesn’t seem too difficult. For example, they change scenes in the dark a little too often and it just interrupts the flow. I guess they were trying to be precise, but I had a hard time concentrating on the play because of that. They turned off the lights when I least expected. They could improve on the details as well. Valentin, who should have a sickly appearance, has an animated face and the steel bars surrounding the stage are shouting out, “This is the prison cell!” What was the most surprising of all was the voice of the Warden who makes Molina get information about Valentin (the Warden’s voice is only heard from off stage). The awkward voice pulled me out of the prison cell and threw me back to reality. And because Molina is in the lead, it’s hard to capture Valentin’s mentality, which is a shortcoming. Despite all of these issues, Lee Myeong-haeng stands out in the role of Molina. Molina’s role in the play is absolutely crucial. Just like Valentin opens up to Molina, the audience does the same. Lee Myeong-haeng’s Molina grabs the center of the play and leads it to a brighter place.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a play about two men who meet each other in prison and it’s an adaptation of a movie and novel by the same name. The prison allows these two men to face each other when they are the weakest and the most honest. Movies are what connect the two men. Every night Molina talks about movies and Valentin starts to open up because of this.