Chris Davis presents 'The Last Emperor of Mexico'

Historical footnote

A sequel of sorts to Davis's 2016 Juan-Winfield Escutia-Scott, or the Mexican-American War, a Butcher's Play, Davis performs this 45-minute history himself, playing the title character, an Austrian prince tapped by Napoleon III to become the short-lived Second Empire of Mexico’s only Emperor, Maximilian I, in 1864. Davis drafts audience members to play the character’s mother and wife, creating their conversations in modern language and attitudes. His talk with Napoleon about the job is priceless: Two guys joking in a bar about a ridiculous opportunity.

This makes historical footnote Maximilian I a relatable guy. Duped into thinking the Mexican people want him to rule, Maximilian takes over at age 31, deposing elected president Benito Juarez. Davis dons a red-and-gold cape, gives his wife a tiara, and reveals how this unlikely leader, who spoke five languages, made progressive changes such as abolishing child labor and reducing the work week’s customary 80 hours.

The history is all true, Davis assured me after the show, and there’s more than he could include in his freewheeling script. He answered questions while serving the audience authentic Mexican food (included in the ticket price).

Davis does it all

When I arrived at Los Amigos, a little corner deli/butcher shop in the heart of the Italian Market on Ninth Street (the same deli that hosted his earlier Mexico-themed show), Davis wore his blue double-breasted officer’s coat with tails and set props around the shop. As the audience arrived – 16 of us, busting the planned capacity by four – he greeted each party, explained the menu (tamales, quesadillas, soda), took orders, and asked us to provide revolutionary nicknames to be used later in the show. When extra seats were needed, he broke out more folding chairs, explaining that he'd brought them from home.

When producing theater almost anywhere, you need to invest in some chairs.

With a variety of techniques – narration, scenes played with audience members as characters, direct address as Maximilian, brief readings of historical documents – the last emperor’s fascinating story unfolds. Director Mary Tuomanen, Davis’s collaborator on his fine One-Man Apocalypse Now, Bortle 8, and other solo works, helps Davis build to its inevitable end this often-hilarious story about a man so proud of his lush beard that he refused to shave to save his life. He has a winking quality, assuring us that history is fascinating and fun, without drawing conclusions or highlighting parallels to today’s politics (though there are opportunities) – beyond a quick reference to our president’s trademark red baseball cap.

When this engaging play ends, less than an hour after its 6:30pm start, Davis serves Los Amigos’s treats (also available for purchase) and the little shop becomes a cozy party. Other than occurring at Los Amigos, which Davis helps with a cut of the box office and publicity (I’ll be going back for more tamales!), The Last Emperor of Mexico could play living rooms, art galleries, classrooms, or any other space. A few years ago, we would only have seen such a show in the Fringe. Now, theater is happening everywhere, at any time and any length. We're evolving.