Chicanas, Cholas y Chisme VI: STAND UP! SPEAK OUT! 

Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian 
CASA 0101 Theater, Main Stage 
Through April 15 

RECOMMENDED  

Produced by Josefina López, artistic director at CASA 0101, Chicanas, Cholas y Chisme: STAND UP! SPEAK OUT! consists of 12 short plays written, directed and starring Latina artists. The show developed out of a series of workshops aimed at encouraging women within the Latinx community to tell their stories and play a bigger part in the arts and entertainment industry. The 2018 edition touches on such timely topics as #MeToo and “Time’s Up,” police brutality, transgender equality and the recent school walkouts. Sometimes bold, sometimes silly, most of the work makes a powerful statement about current issues that viewers of all ages and ethnicities can relate to.

The show starts out with a bang. “November 8th” (written by Elvia Rubalcava, directed by Claudia Duran) focuses on a drama group’s devastated reactions to Donald Trump’s election win and the chaos in the year to come. The actors hold little back as they express their fears about the future; they curse and drink their problems away before making a pact to fight against Trump’s tyranny, no matter what. Though predictable, the piece sets the tone for the following vignettes, which focus on the nationwide controversies that have risen out of this erratic presidency and underscore the ensemble’s efforts to make their voices heard.

From there, the mood shifts from lighthearted to dark and back several times. Some of the more comic plays, such as “PC” (written by Wendy Castro, directed by Rubalcava), deal with self-esteem — being kind to both yourself and others, while knowing when to release your inner “chola” to deal with life’s tougher moments. Others, such as “Cycles” (written by Suzanne Linares, directed by Angela Moore), address rape, unwanted pregnancy and child abuse by exploring mother-daughter stories that take a close look at several generations of harmful behaviors and how they snowball into family tragedies.

A trigger warning is appropriately issued before the show begins for those uncomfortable with watching physical violence on stage, and social services are offered to anyone affected by the realistic portrayal of traumatic events. This especially comes into play with “Combat” (written by Mariana Herrera, directed by Maria G. Martinez), which simulates a rape scene, and “Dirty Laundry” (written by Moore, directed by Martinez), which features a sudden gunshot that had audience members jumping from their seats the night of the premiere. Though shocking, these difficult-to-watch brutal scenes are necessary — many of the plays tell distressing stories taken from life and acted out to provoke spectators into paying attention to these women’s ongoing struggles, both past and present.

STAND UP! SPEAK OUT! also sheds light on the Chicano Movement, a vital part of East L.A.’s history. Two plays in particular target the negative and positive events associated with the 1960s protests. “Regrets” (written by Martinez, directed by Rubalcava) channels the “Time’s Up” movement by delving into the past of two former Chicana activists as they sadly reminisce about their silence when male leaders took advantage of their loyalty. The piece is a heart-wrenching analysis of what happens when corrupt individuals lie and use their power to dominate people working alongside them for a good cause. On an equally serious but more positive and encouraging note, “The Blowouts” (written by López, directed by Sujey Gonzales) reenacts the walkouts that took place 50 years ago as part of a demand to create equal opportunity education for Spanish-speaking students in public schools. The segment parallels the current walkouts taking place in schools all over the country in support of gun control laws.

This last scene closes out the show in a compelling way, tying all 12 stories together cohesively. It spotlights the basic fight for human rights that took place within L.A.’s Latinx community in the past, and pinpoints both how far the community has come and how little, real progress has been made in the grand scheme of our country’s greater narrative.

Overall, the show is well done; the staging is simple, but it’s helped immensely by overhead projections that link old and current news clips to onstage events. Some pieces are stronger than others, but the overall message is clear: these are battles Americans face both within and without the Latinx community, and CASA 0101’s group of Latinas are ready to tell their story regardless of who is willing to hear it.

CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; through Apr. 15. (323) 263-7684 or https://www.casa0101.org/shows/chicanas-cholas-y-chismes-stand-up-speak-out. Running time: 2 hours with one 10-minute intermission.