In this chapter, Celiany Rivera-Velázquez and Beliza Torres Narváez argue that Javier Cardona’s Ah mén parodies and critiques Caribbean and Latin American moralistic discourses that pathologize men who do not conform to normative gender expectations. They focus on particular scenes that animate the social enforcement of normative masculinities as well as the harmful consequences of such enforcement. They ultimately observe that, within the context of Ahmén, dance functions as a site of queer potentiality and thus opens up possibilities for healthier articulations of masculinity.

This chapter features Jossianna Arroyo’s interview with Ah mén creator Javier Cardona. In the first part of the interview, Cardona details his creative process, explaining how he conceived Ah mén. Cardona then shares his potential interests and investments in applying the term “queer” to his “identity” and performance work. Finally, Cardona discusses his relationship to theater and performance critics and scholars.