God needs better representation, or at least Monica certainly thinks so. She’s been under the impression that God hates queer people, but when she finds out that God made her a lesbian, her whole world shifts. The Cunning Linguist, written and performed by Monica Garrido Huerta and directed by Beatriz Pizano, invites audiences to journey with Monica as she follows her mission, and her heart, to try and become her most authentic self.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a physical program at a show, and this one is so unique that I felt it was worth a mention. The Cunning Linguist’s program is essentially laid out like a zine: full of collages, unique advertising pages, and interactive elements. It still has all of the information and credits that should be there, with a fun, homemade feel to it. Bravo to the team who put that together, and I can’t wait to try out the origami instructions!

Monica has been given a mission from God: to spread His word and love amongst the lesbian community. But Monica doesn’t feel safe coming out in her own home, let alone to her hometown of Monterrey. But after watching a particularly spicy episode of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” Monica realizes that her gay future lies in Toronto, Canada. Although moving to Toronto initially wasn’t as queer as she thought it was going to be, Monica soon finds her community through school, speed dating, and sex lessons. That’s how Monica learns that she could become The Cunning Linguist she wants to be.

Huerta’s sense of humour truly shines in The Cunning Linguist. Having been raised in a devoutly Catholic household, the religion jokes abound in the text. The irreverence mixed with true belief is a winning combination; we know she loves God, but she’s not afraid to be frank with Him, either. Her conversations with God range from hilarious and tequila-fuelled to open and more honest than she can be with anyone else. Huerta also is able to find the humour in the dating and queer scene here in Toronto, and brings all of that to this play. From unexpected orgies to having the audience participate in a more hands-on element to her sex ed class, Huerta can make just about anything funny.

TCL Collective, Aluna Theatre, and Factory Theatre have also teamed up with the crew at Theatre Passe Muraille to provide some accessibility features for this production, including subtitles for the show. There is open captioning available in both English and Spanish, and those dates are listed on the show’s website (linked below). There are also some translations projected onto the stage as well, which makes everyone able to understand the moments where Monica and God speak in Spanish. This blending of languages makes the title all the more apt, as Monica is perfecting her English skills throughout the story as well as…other equally important mouth-based ones. At the performance I attended, there was a whole group of Spanish-speaking audience members, so that when Monica asked us to repeat something back but in Spanish, there was no hesitation from that part of the audience at all!

Huerta brings all of herself to this piece; while the whole of the story might not be true, you can feel the parts which resonate deeply with her as she performs them. The heartbreak, freedom, fear, and excitement she goes through certainly appears to come from a place of experience. Watching her navigate all of these emotions, yet still have the energy to leap back out on stage for a second bow is an impressive amount of stamina.

The Cunning Linguist is a funny, heartfelt story about a lesbian who loves Jesus. As I’m writing this review, a new Pope has been selected, and I hope that this one will follow in the Pope Francis’ footsteps of attempting to reunite the queer community and the Catholic Church. For Monica’s sake, and many others like her. Everyone should feel safe holding the hand of the person they love as they walk down the street.

The Cunning Linguist runs at the Factory Theatre Studio space until May 11. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.factorytheatre.ca/shows/the-cunning-linguist/

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Cover Photo: Monica Garrido Huerta. Photo by Eden Graham.

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