Pure Native
Reviewed by Terry Morgan
Wells Fargo Theater at the Autry Museum of the American West
Through March 24
Theatrically, Los Angeles is blessed in many ways, and one of them is the presence of Native Voices at the Autry, the only Equity theatre company devoted exclusively to developing and producing new works from Native American, Alaska Native and First Nations playwrights. Their shows are often specific and insightful in a way no other theatre company can be — yet at the same time the themes in their work have a universal resonance. Such is the case with Pure Native, which is both an entertaining comedy/drama and a nuanced look at the debate between corporate America and traditional values.
Connie (Kyla Garcia) is in a bit of a difficult spot. Her husband Gary (Darrell Dennis), an upstate New York reservation chief, is upset with her because she threw a corporate scientist into their local river, resulting in a lawsuit. Gary’s pregnant sister Karen (Tonantzin Carmelo) is pressuring her to start having children. But her main problem is the return of her old boyfriend Brewster (Kalani Queypo), who’s there as a representative of a company that wants to put a bottled water factory on their land. Connie fights fiercely to protect the reservation’s heritage but is alarmed to find that not everyone on the “rez” shares her views.
Garcia is sharp yet sympathetic as the combative Connie, who struggles not only with her feelings for Brewster and Gary but as a person with a Native American father and a white mother who’s never felt completely accepted in her community. Dennis gives a strong amiable performance as Gary, but his character’s motivations, as written, still need fleshing out. Carmelo is amusingly tart as the straight-speaking Karen, and Joseph Valdez is moving as her husband Art, who craves respect from others in place of their ongoing concern for his past PTSD. Finally, Queypo is excellent as the conflicted Brewster, a successful businessman who’s returned home to a place he’d previously been banished from. His conflict — respecting the old ways or profiting from the new — is ever present in his performance.
Under Randy Reinholz’s direction, the pacing is swift, and he makes good use of Christopher Scott Murillo’s multilevel set. A scene in which Brewster attempts to speak with his ancestors at the river is a particular highlight: Chris Warren’s subtle sound, Tom Ontiveros’ projections of ancient tribal leaders and the river and Chris Stokes’ lighting combine with the writing and the performances to create an effective otherworldly mise-en-scène.
Playwright Vickie Ramirez’s script is smart and her themes are compelling. However, there may be one too many of them as the play feels slightly overstuffed. Issues of collective versus personal identity, whether traditional values or corporate partnership or some combination thereof will provide reservations with a better future, and a marital drama are all dealt with here. This results in a lot of expositional dialogue; perhaps a little less plot might give the characters more room to breathe.
Regardless, Pure Native is a well-done production with enjoyable performances, and it gives you plenty to think about after you’ve left the theatre.
Wells Fargo Theater at the Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Museum Heritage Way, Griffith Park; Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m.; through Mar. 24. www.TheAutry.org./NativeVoices. Running time: approximately two hours and five minutes with one intermission.
