The Underground Railroad famously led slaves out of bondage in the Southern states to freedom in the north but, for some, it also ran south to Mexico.
That’s the untold history that unfurls in “Mexodus,” an often explosive hip-hop musical now in its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Created by and starring Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, this ambitious piece tries to fill in some of the gaps in our collective memory.
This live-looping musical, which pivots from reggaeton and rap to gospel, often sweeps you away with its sheer sonic power. While the narrative is less deep and rich than the music, the power of forgotten history, the racial aftermath of the Mexican-American War, is quite bracing.
Did you know that roughly 4,000 to 10,000 slaves fled the United States after Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821? History isn’t a popular concern in American culture right now but Quijada and Robinson are on a mission to change all that.
In the manner of “Hamilton,” this 105-minute two-hander tries to put the fire back into American history so that a modern audience can feel the heat of race, class and borders over time.
As Trump’s recent screeds, suggesting that Haitians are eating cats and dogs in the heartland, remind us, there is much bigotry and fear about newcomers in this nation of immigrants.
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Quijada and Robinson rap their hearts out tracing the journey of Henry (Robinson), a slave who escapes from oppressive 1850s Texas to freedom in Mexico, where slavery had already been abolished. That’s a grim reminder that the land of the free and the home of the brave has always had its dark side.
Directed by Rep associate artistic director David Mendizábal, this new piece still feels unfinished theatrically and it loses dramatic momentum about halfway through, but it’s always mesmerizing in its musical pulse.
Born into slavery, Henry is only 8 when he’s sold to a Texan with a cotton plantation near the Rio Grande, living in chains his whole life. “Take these shackles off my hands,” he pleas.
When he fights back against the master, he puts his life in jeopardy. Once on the lam, Henry crosses paths with Carlos (Quijada), a soldier in the Mexican Army, who’s also lost his whole family, his identity. As their story unfurls, the weight of history feels heavy indeed.
Quijada and Robinson are both gifted musicians as well as charismatic performers but the two key stories at the core of this play don’t yet cut deep enough into the bone. The melodies dig deeper than the text and “Mexodus” often feels stretched too thin. If more depth and detail were chiseled into each man’s story, the history would hit as hard as the music.
The beat is what sticks with you as “Mexodus” forces dark chapters of the American experience into the light.
Contact Karen D’Souza at karenpdsouza@yahoo.com.
‘MEXODUS’
Created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, presented by Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Through: Oct. 20
Where: Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley
Running time: 105 minutes, no intermission
Tickets: $47-$106; www.berkeleyrep.org
