A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story

Reviewed by Gray Palmer

Los Angeles Theatre Center

Through October 9

RECOMMENDED:

At the beginning of A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story, Old Esperanza (Lucy Rodriguez) recites an invocation in “the ancient language” she has been struggling to remember. Playwright Evelina Fernandez is adapting an invocation from the Aztecan language Nahuatl. It goes in part: “You have arrived, my little girl; precious necklace, precious feather; You came to life. Our creator and our mother sent you to Earth. This is a place of thirst, a place of hunger. This is how things are… But do not forget, above all, you have come from someone; that you are descended from someone; that you were born by the grace of someone; that you are both the spine and the offspring of our ancestors…”

When we adopt a long view, as this trilogy of plays does, some distinctions that had seemed vitally important may begin to shift or vanish. Persons and things loved and lost may suddenly come back. Divisive nationalism — even the modern notion of the nation itself — may become transparent, or may be seen as a shifting construction, and familiar powers may be replaced by something else, something previous, something older.

Fernandez’s three plays, Faith, Hope, and Charity, follow four generations of the Morales family. They were staged individually in 2011 and 2012. Now the Latino Theater Company, under the fine direction of Jose Luis Valenzuela, is presenting them together at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, so that audiences may see them on consecutive evenings, on Thursday (Part A) and Friday (Part B), or on weekends as a full day of theater with an afternoon curtain, followed by a dinner break that may be shared with audience and cast, and then a late evening performance of the conclusion.

I recommend taking the full course. The long-form in theater has pleasures similar to reading a novel. By the time the narrative arrives at the middle of Part B, we feel the presence of the past as a determining influence on the present, a unique theatrical experience, not to be missed.

A Mexican Trilogy will touch anyone who has listened carefully to grandparents, who has listened to the collectors of family and regional history. The plays give rise to the fundamental awareness of epic story-telling — a long family chronicle may embody a lyric view of shifting social forces.

But of course the distinctive differences of the Mexican-American experience are here, palpable in the pleasures and sentiment of the opening night audience, not only in content but also in theatrical form. The stylish, accomplished presentation is rooted in collective practices developed by El Teatro Campesino, by the theater of Luis Valdez (there are many veterans of Zoot Suit here), and by the 30 years of this company’s production history.

What better remedy to the shameless racist rhetoric that dominates current American political discourse?

The plays progress through narrative styles that mirror an awakening to heritage and a sense of history. In Faith, we begin with those ancestral voices and a legendary moment in 1915. We discover that there is a curse: The women of this family are unable to lie. Young Esperanza (Olivia Cristina Delgado, excellent in the first of three roles), at confession with her priest Young Silvestre (Kenneth Miles Ellington Lopez) discloses her sinful passion — she loves him. The priest falls from his vows immediately with a kiss, and these two immigrate to El Norte to escape the scandal.

Faith continues in a light, often comic, storybook style, filled with music, focusing on the three daughters of Silvestre (now played by the incomparable Sal Lopez) and Esperanza (Rodriguez here). The family, in Jerome, Arizona, is supported just barely by Silvestre’s miserably exploitative work in a copper mine. Esperanza is strict, protecting the modesty of her daughters, while the daughters struggle against her discipline to find an American life outside the home. They are talented singers — they emulate the sylings of the Andrews Sisters (musical direction by Rosina Serrano), with outstanding lead vocal performances by daughter Faith (Esperanza America).

In Hope, we follow the family of daughter Elena (now played by Ella Saldana North) to Phoenix in 1960. She has married Charlie, a philanderer (Geoffrey Rivas), and they have four children, the third generation of the Morales. Patriarchal structures are shattered here. The family is sometimes abandoned for long periods, with a memorable scene of the family sleeping, hungry, outdoors, making wishes on the falling stars.

Another shift in tone sets this play firmly in its American time-line: Daughter Betty (Delgado again) makes a series of fantasy telephone calls to JFK — she has a crush on “Jack” — and to Fidel Castro. In these splendid scenes, her feminine influence saves the world from nuclear destruction. (Castro remembers his Jesuit school days and crosses himself as they talk).

Charity, the concluding play, is set in 2005 in Los Angeles. Old Esperanza is still living; she’s in the attic, surrounded by ghosts. The “theological illusion” of the practicing Catholic is lost on this generation — although they are admirers of Pope John Paul II. Elena’s daughter Gina (playwright Fernandez) has become the center of the family, with a daughter Valentina (America), the fourth generation. Gina is mourning the death of Emiliano (a very fine Sam Golzari), killed in Iraq — he is one of the ghosts in the attic with Esperanza.

Charity is also memorable for a series of scenes that sketch the conflicts of patriots and veterans. Rudy (the fantasic Robert Beltran), Gina’s husband, visits with brother-in-law John (Sal Lopez again), a damaged Vietnam vet, who sneaks into the house when others are gone — for cash, tequila, talk and song. The performance of these two great stage veterans, completely at home in Fernandez’s rich material, is deeply touching.

The entire ensemble is wonderful. The production team delivers first-rate work in every department, scenic design (Francois-Pierre Couture), lighting (Pablo Santiago), costumes (Carlos Brown), projection design (Yee Eun Nam), wigs (Mariana Cortez), props (Frannie Williams/ Michael Navarro), and sound (John Zalewski).

Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Downtown; Thurs., Part A- 8 pm.; Fri., Part B- 8 pm.; Sat., Part A- 5 pm.; Part B- 8:30 pm.; Sun. Part A- 3 pm.; Part B- 6:30 pm.; through October 9. (866) 811-4111. thelatc.org . Running time: two hours and 45 minutes (for each part) with intermissions.