Frontera Glossary: Border Glosario
Quixote Nuevo is a play that welcomes both English and Spanish speakers into its audience. There are phrases in Spanish; however, most are usually translated into English phrases immediately following or before the phrase is spoken in Spanish.
It was important for me to douse the language of Quixote Nuevo with the idioma of my borderland. The characters glide easily from English to Spanish to colloquial Spanglish because that is how we speak in my house. Additionally, this is how I was interested in wresting Cervantes’ novel from the vise of Spain and making it New World, making it Nuevo. Therefore, the characters express themselves through high-flown lyricism like the original novel, but also in language that’s profane and kooky, codeswitching from English to Spanish and vice versa at will and inventing their own neologisms. But it’s also an expression of how languages can so easily defy borders and nationalities, in art and in life. —Octavio Solis, Playwright
Below are a few words your ear might encounter as you follow Don Quixote on his journey throughout La Plancha, Texas.
| CALACA | colloquial Mexican Spanish word for skeleton |
| CABALLERO | a knight, or horseman, lately a term meaning “gentleman” |
| MUERTE | death |
| GÜEY | the Mexican slang equivalent of dude; or sometimes idiot |
| MITOTE | commotion, uproar, ruckus |
| INFANTA | a Spanish or Portuguese royal princess |
| PALETAS | ice lollies, sometimes sold by a paletero |
| YONQUE | junk |
| LOCURA | madness, craziness |
| DALE GAS | go for it (literally “give it gas!”) |
| CHANTE | home (corruption of “shanty”) |
| COLLIGE VIRGO ROSAS | Latin term generally meaning “gather ye rosebuds while ye may” |
| MOLE | a slang term for blood (also a type of dark Mexican sauce) |
| CUCUY | boogeyman |
| ATORMENTAS | torture |
| CENIZAS | ashes (also a small town in the state of Querétaro Arteaga, Mexico) |
| CHUCO | filthy |
| MIGRA | border patrol |
| OLIVIDADO | forgotten |
We gratefully acknowledge our friends at Hartford Stage and their Education staff for the use of this material.
More about Quixote Nuevo:
Behind The Curtain: Co-Pro!
What is a "co-pro?" Production Coordinator Haille Lantz-Sweeney explains how co-productions are a special collaborative process that allows different theatre companies to join forces, with staff, resources, and creative ideas all working in harmony to create an experience like Quixote Nuevo.
An Old Story Made New
What to know about Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) to understand Quixote Nuevo (2019)
Octavio Solis’ play Quixote Nuevo is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s book Don Quixote de la Mancha written in 1605: perhaps the most famous novel ever written in the Spanish language. To understand the play, it is useful to know a little about the original story.
A Picture of Life on the Border
Much of Quixote Nuevo takes place in aging professor Joe Quijano’s “fever dream” as he struggles with encroaching dementia. Throughout the play, we’re provided a window into Quijano’s imagination—a karaoke bar becomes a castle, a herd of sheep sounds like a dragon.
While these fantastical elements are important, the play is ...
Making it Nuevo: A Conversation with Playwright Octavio Solis
Considered one of the most prominent Latino playwrights in North America, Octavio Solis has been produced from New York to California and everywhere in between. Read what he has to say about his play Quixote Nuevo, the characteristic humor of the play, and what keeps him writing.
Reviews of "Quixote Nuevo*
"The most extraordinary show I’ve seen at PCS in several years!"
"Energetic and ambitious. A spectacle for the senses. Not a single dull moment."
"The costumes, the set, the puppets, the amazing actors. So much to enjoy. The show had me smiling, crying, and enthralled ...
Quixote Nuevo Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Quixote Nuevo.
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