Review: LAUGHS IN SPANISH at DCPA is a New Classic in World Premiere Production

Laughing, as it turns out, is a universal language.

Theatre is often boiled down into two things: comedy and tragedy. From there, the seeds take root and bloom into a plethora of unique stories. However, I often find the greatest stories capture both elements and therefore are that much stronger and beautiful a bloom. Such is the case for the newest play from DCPA, Laughs in Spanish.

In its world premiere by up and coming playwright Alexis Scheer, Laughs in Spanish tells the story of an art gallery owner, Mariana, who comes to work to discover all the artwork for the show that evening has been stolen. As Mariana, her intern Carolina, and Caro's police officer boyfriend, Juan, begin to develop a plan of action, who should come to visit but Mariana's somewhat estranged, celebrity mother, Estella, and her assistant, Jenny - who may or may not know Mariana already. As Mariana works to suddenly balance chaos from every corner, it'll take more than a miracle to manage her mother's visit, a vision from the past, and a show that must go on.

I really enjoyed this show. The story is solid and the cast is an incredibly talented ensemble. There were a couple smaller writing or production elements though that I felt could be reworked to offer more to the play. In example, one of the solutions they come up with for the art show is to display Carolina's artwork. My issue here is that we ultimately never see any of Caro's art! It feels like the most glaring missed opportunity for the scenic designer to have some fun.

My other main issue has to do with Estella's entrance in the play which felt rather "cut and paste." It created a blackout between scenes that was otherwise unneccesary when it felt like a smooth transition was a clear option. In the scene, Mariana answers her mother's call and then says, "You're in Miami?!" before the scene ends. Next thing you know, Estella is in the art gallery and already mid-conversation with everyone. Mariana could have answered the phone and delivered the line just the same, but instead of the scene ending Estella could walk in while on the phone and say, "No! I'm in your art gallery!" This would also lend itself to later in the play when mother and daughter have an exchange of, "Why are you here?" "In Miami?" "No, my art gallery."

Beyond that, the play really moves and I especially enjoyed the queer-love plotline. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I still find myself getting caught off guard when queer love is represented in a meaningful way on stage. It is as if I am waiting for a snigger or jeer from a disapproving audience member. Perhaps that comes from my experience working in a box office for a theatre when they produced It Shoulda Been You - spoiler alert: they're all gay. I am happy to report that there was nary a heckle to be heard.

Under the direction of Lisa Portes, the cast is filled to the brim with talent. As a cohesive unit, they still mange to remain individualized in their roles. Luis Vega as Juan is rather sweet and soft in the role, especially given his archetype of being a male police officer. Vega creates a funny, multidimensional character - and he's handsome to boot. In the role of Jenny, Olivia Hebert is a nice complement to Stephanie Machado's Mariana. They had great chemistry and Hebert is comfortable in the character. My only critqiue for Hebert is in the scene where she accidentally slips up and tells someone something she shouldn't, I could have used more of a displayed reason (re: booze) for the slip up as well as more shock over her stumble. As Caro, Danielle Alonzo is who I related to most in terms of authentic personalities you meet in everyday life. While watching her performance I found myself thinking, "I know this girl...I'm friends with this girl." I also really loved the cadence she gives to her speech pattern. It was almost Shakespearen in its pentameter.

Out of everyone, I struggled a bit with Mariana played by Stephanie Machado - and only if we're being knit-picky! Machado was the only one who, to me, felt rather tight in her performance even for a character who is supposed to be wound up. Whereas the others seemed settled into and became their characters, I got more of an "actor playing a role" vibe from Machado. None of this is to say Machado did not rise to the challenge of leading lady. If anything, I think it all comes down to a matter of perspective.

Regardless of perspective, one thing is for certain. As the mother herself, Estella, Maggie Bofill is magnificent. Much like her character, Bofill is a star. She gives an outstanding performance as the celebrity mother who comes to town for an unknown reason. The character development; the comedic timing; it was all simply Goldielocks - just right. Bofill's Estella is the Colombian Celine Dion except subtract the singing and add one contemporary monologue as the 11 o'clock number.

For being a world premiere, Laughs in Spanish feels so familial. I can see the play itself becoming a new American Classic. DCPA's production takes a great show and still manages to make it better with a great cast. Don't miss your chance to see this new play running at the Singleton Theatre through March 12, 2023.

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