Review: THE HISPANIC/LATINO/LATINA/LATINX/LATINE VOTE at TuYo Theatre

The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote” by TuYo Theatre premiers in San Diego as part of the National New Play Network's Rolling World Premiere. The play, which examines the personal choices of one woman during a pre-election research cycle, is incredibly timely, offers some strong performances, and asks relevant questions not just for San Diego but nationwide. 

The play opens with Professor Paola Aguilar (Alejandra Villanueva), who specializes in LatinX Studies, talking to the audience about her immediate goal - to have a baby.  In her thirties, she tried to find true love and go in that direction, but after that, it didn’t pan out, so she opted to do IVF.  The issue is that this treatment is expensive, and to try again will only put her further in debt, so when a political research group for THE Political Party offers her a job to help them understand and get a more significant percentage of the Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote, Paola is tempted to accept.

The team bringing her in is led by Kaj (John D. Culver), an older white man who wants results as quickly as possible and has little patience for more nuanced conversation; Rebecca (Kylie Young), who is the kind of woke white woman who can’t help but mention that she speaks Spanish because she studied in Venezuela, Nicola (Nancy Batres) a first generation American who struggles to find her voice, and another researcher, Bernard (Kevane Coleman. Due to an emergency, Bernard's part was read off-stage by the director, Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, at the performance I attended.

After the team gets Paola up to speed on what they know, they want to know what she knows, what she doesn’t, and how she plans to get it.  She suggests interviews with community members to get more details on them and to understand better what drives their votes.  As the interviews take place, Paola and the team are confronted with realizations about prejudices from the community and what they each harbor that impact this process.  As Paola navigates hormone shots and her IVF journey with this research, she finds herself rediscovering what is important to her, her identity, and how that will influence her if she becomes a mother.

At 90 minutes, the play is fast-paced, creative, and clever.  Villanueva leads with an engaging and warm performance, and her conversational audience work is superb, connecting and reading people to get authentic feelings and participation while seamlessly adapting to how they respond (or don’t) and keeping the show moving along. 

The play benefits from its cohesive cast and direction by Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, who keeps the tone funny and entertaining while asking thought-provoking questions. It includes a mix of scenes punctuated by some audience conversations. 

Roberto Castillo Jr. is the quick-change character specialist in this show, playing everyone from the fertility doctor to a series of donor profiles to multiple research interviewees. 

Batres, seen in TuYo’s  “Pásale, Pásale”  last year as well as “Somos Aire” at El Salon Theatre in San Ysidro, is a sweet character who finds her voice when fed up with feeling like she isn’t enough for those who may judge her without knowing her. Young, who was in “Legally Blonde” last year at San Diego Musical Theatre, is very funny as a woman who seems to be trying too hard to relate by reminding everyone she speaks Spanish but genuinely is interested in learning and finding a connection with people. Culver’s Kaj is gruff and impatient, but they may also be more than he seems.

Playwright Bernardo Cubria said he was inspired to write this play after being asked about the percentage of Latino or Hispanic people who voted for Trump in 2016. His response?  “I was offended by their question; why would they expect every single Latino or Hispanic person from Tijuana to Buenos Aires to think and vote the exact same way? Why do they see us as one single entity? No wonder so many people don’t even feel like they want to participate in voting.” 

This play clarifies that the Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine population is complex and nuanced and should not be approached as a monolith. This point is especially well made in a scene where Paola has the team quick-fire their thoughts about individual US states,, which they can do easily. However, when asked to do it for South America, they are stumped beyond “football” and “Paraguay rhymes with Uruguay.”

The play, performed at the Bayfront Charter School, utilizes the location well. Samantha Rojales's scenic design conveys a sense of fun and adaptability. Eliza Vedar's sound design is impactful, especially in key moments, and Carmen Amon's costumes convey each character clearly.

 “The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote” is an entertaining and educational satire that will have the audience laughing and reflecting on the nuances that make you unique and hopefully more open to seeing those nuances in others.

How To Get Tickets 

 “The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote” plays through January 19th at Bayfront Charter High School, 830 Bay Blvd, Chula Vista 91911. Tickets are priced between $20 and $25. For additional showtime and ticket information, go to www.tuyotheatre.org

Photo Credit:  TuYo Theatre 

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