Fools by Martin Walker

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Lydia - Onahoua's play - Variety Review

If you should speak to or email Ona, she does not want to hear about the reviews (even when they are good).



Lydia

(Space Theater, Denver; 235 seats; $48 top) A Denver Center Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by Octavio Solis. Directed by Juliette Carillo.

Ceci - Onahoua Rodriguez
Misha - Carlo Alban
Rene - Rene Millan
Rosa - Catalina Maynard
Claudio - Ricardo Guitierrez
Alvaro - Christian Barillas
Lydia - Stephanie Beatriz

By BOB BOWS

Catharsis and dysfunction battle for the last word in Octavio Solis' poetic and psychologically disturbing new work, "Lydia," world-premiering as part of the Colorado New Play Summit. Ceci, who suffered a traumatic head injury in a car accident three days before her quinceanera, lives in two worlds: one clear-thinking and lyrical at the core of her otherwise damaged brain, and the other spasmodic and gurgling, unable to communicate with the outside world. Together, these disparate worlds provide a recipe for magical realism with a psycho-physiological twist.

As the narrator, Ceci (Onahoua Rodriguez) lucidly shares her inner-most thoughts and desires with the audience, painting a landscape filled with dreamy images; as a character, she struggles to communicate her most basic needs with her Mexican immigrant family in El Paso, Texas.

Her mother, Rosa (Catalina Maynard) -- exhausted from her daily trials of tending to Ceci, her surly husband and two demanding sons -- takes a job to get out of the house. Enter Lydia (Stephanie Beatriz), a young and attractive illegal, as the family's new maid.

"Who are you?" asks younger son Misha (Carlo Alban). Indeed, as scribe Solis plays it out, we wonder whether she is the Angel of Mercy or of Death. The answer depends upon our existential disposition; it also determines whether the play is a comedy or tragedy. The script's detailed examination of diverse subject matter -- ranging from Hispanic immigration and assimilation to materialism to incest -- argues for tragedy, but the characters' happiness depends upon comedy.

In the scribe's hyperbolic storyline, the dark side wins out, as sexual boundaries fall prey to taboos and the poetry of despair. Instead of an instrument of healing, Lydia serves as a catalyst for further family dysfunction and disintegration. Plot twists offering comedic resolutions to the central conflict of Ceci's salvation are ignored.

Miracles abound, however, in the performances, led by a transcendent Rodriguez, who alternately breaks the fourth wall, sharing Ceci's poetic and passionate soul, and then breaks our hearts, struggling to express these feelings to her family.

Beatriz's beatific equanimity infuses Lydia with enigmatic qualities that heighten the scribe's intended moral ambiguity. Alban, as Misha, forces us to admire the young man's courage, even if we find his choices untenable. Rene Millan crafts an edgy and unsettled Rene, the older brother wrestling with his sexuality in a macho culture.

We empathize with Maynard's Rosa, whose American dream has gone sadly awry. Ricardo Guitierrez, as Claudio, the husband and father, harnesses the anger and tristesse of the dispossessed immigrant everyman, each appearance generating palpable tension. And Christian Barillas's Alvaro, the distant cousin and former beau to Ceci, pains us with his misplaced patriotic zeal offered as proof of an American pedigree.

Scribe demands attention with his jazzy mix of Spanglish, poetry, pop lyrics, magical realism and emotional insight, but allows shock value to overtake the imperatives of character, leaving us bereft of a transformative experience.

Set, Antje Ellermann; costumes, Christal Weatherly; lighting, Charles R. MacLeod; original music, Chris Webb; sound, Kimberly Fuhr; fight direction, Geoffrey Kent; production stage manager, Lyle Raper. Opened Jan. 24, 2008. Reviewed Jan. 25. Running time: 2 HOURS, 35 MIN.



Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117935968&c=33

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About The Three Shorts

Christine Le wrote and directed the 1st story Love 10 to 1.
The first story explores the life of a 29-year-old virgin, Jenny, who desperately wants to lose her virginity before her 30th birthday. As she encounters one loser after another on dates, Jenny pines after her boss, Dustin. While at her grandmother’s retirement home, Jenny learns a powerful lesson from her grandmother about sex and the meaning of life.


Christine Le (right) directs Shireen Nomura Mui (Jenny) & Justin Klosky (Jim).

Lucy Rodriguez wrote and directed Love Song.
The second story revolves around Shane, the lead singer of the L.A. rock band, Dirty Virgin. Shane has her pick of admirers but it’s her roommate Dustin she wants to be with. Shane confesses her feelings on Jackie and Jared’s show but when Dustin meets Cali, Shane’s shot at love starts to dwindle. With Dirty Virgin about to embark on a world tour, will Dustin realize that he’s the object of Shane’s affections? Will they risk their friendship to give this Love Song a chance?


Lucy Rodriguez & David Villar (Dustin)

Laura Somers wrote and directed Diving Lessons.
The final story picks up where Love 10 to 1 left off, but from the perspective of Jim, the guitarist of Dirty Virgin. Jim sees Jenny at a swimming pool, trying desperately to overcome her fear of diving. In fact, he finds out that she’s making a list of everything that she’s afraid of and trying to overcome them, one by one. He is instantly smitten and tries to convince her that he’s not just a rock star who ‘loves ‘em and leaves ‘em’. Can a rock star find love with a virgin?


Shireen Nomura-Mui, Laura Somers & Justin Klosky




Leah Anova is the Director of Photography for Love 10 to 1 & Diving Lessons.

Additional Cinematography on Diving Lessons by Erik Forsell

Matthew Boyd is the Director of Photography for Love Song.