Losing Sight

  When I first arrived in Buenos Aires I was invited to a performance called A Ciegas con Luz  at "Teatro ciego" which means "The Blind theater". It is a dinner and performance that is done in complete and total darkness. Entering the room, you follow a waiter by putting your hands on his shoulders as three people trail behind (kind of like doing the locomotive at weddings). You are seated at a table of four in a pitch black room. The waiter, who is blind, instructs you where you can find your wine glass, dessert, and dinner in front of you. Eating in the dark was a really unique experience, especially not knowing what you were eating. While eating the food our very skilled waiter served refreshments both red and white wine options. Then there was a lovely woman singer named Luz who sang songs from all over the world as a blind pianist accompanied her. At the end of the performance she lit a candle and the room was illuminated in an eerie way, the room illuminated felt very different from how I had imagined it in the darkness. 

    Last week I took my parents to Teatro Ciego, worried that they would be overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the complete darkness. But alas they surprised me and adjusted to the drastic lack of sight quite quickly. We went to the same show  A Ciegos con Luz which has been modified since the last time I was there. There were many added smells like rain, coffee, grass as well as sensations like being misted by rain water and sound affects to help imagine the performance in your mind. You had to use your imagination, but all my other senses were heightened in a way I wasn't used to and the full body experience was delightful. The menu had also recently changed, again serving finger-licking good finger foods as well as an edible bread basket. On top of everything, the manager, Martin, and his girlfriend and star of the show, Luz, couldn't be kinder people who speak very good English and are very accommodating to English tourists. I highly recommend anyone who visits Buenos Aires to take the time to visit Teatro Ciego, the only theater in the world of its kind. teatrociego.org