The essence of Latino Theatre Company's monumental production of A MEXICAN TRILOGY: AN AMERICAN STORY is beautifully captured in the simple photograph above. In this starry night scene, a family poised on the edge of major change looks to the infinite sky with hope. Quietly, in these few moments of silence, we as audience members know exactly how they feel. For what parent has not dreamed of providing a better life for his or her children and what child has not longed for a future where dreams come true?
It is, above all, a family story framed in an instantly recognizable historical context. Part I's FAITH begins in 1915 as young Esperanza and Silvestri leave a Mexico devastated by revolution for what they believe will be a brighter future in Arizona, and continues through the 1940's war years. Part II, HOPE, picks up during JFK's presidential reign and the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early '60s, and Part III, CHARITY, skips forward to 2005 Los Angeles, after the invasion of Iraq.
A by-product of creating art with a core acting ensemble that has grown together over the course of many years, like this one, is that communication becomes almost intuitive. You can feel it in the audience when you're watching them. They also bring to the plays their own personal history which enriches the work even further. Lucy Rodriguez, Sal Lopez, Geoffrey Rivas, and playwright Evelina Fernández are an incredible study in truth. That they and their fellow actors (equally as skilled) breathe life into these characters so effortlessly is not at all surprising. It makes the view from our vantage point remarkably humbling and inspiring.
The traditional underpinnings of Part I's FAITH anchor the story culturally before skipping ahead to the idealistic Forties when brave young men went off to war and left many a sweetheart to navigate motherhood alone. Scenes taut with tension coexist alongside those full of situational humor and snappy dialogue that everyone who has siblings will instantly recognize. HOPE swells with the optimism of the early Sixties and here the playwright has great fun with a series of fantasy sequences that provide a lively comic diversion. The sobering reality of CHARITY comes full circle as it connects back to the beginning by acknowledging its roots and providing an avenue to forgiveness.
Each era brings with it a soundtrack that further accentuates the passage of time. Olivia Cristina Delgado, Ella Saldaña North, and Esperanza America's 3-part harmonies are particularly satisfying on a dozen or more standards like the Andrews Sisters' "I Want to be Loved" the Everly Brothers' "Love Hurts" and with the additional of their brothers, a dreamy version of "Mr. Sandman" that rivals the original by The Chordettes. America's lush solos reveal a singular ability to interpret a lyric and a voice that could melt an iceberg. Rosino Serrano's musical direction - and what I assume are his arrangements - are perfection.
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