Lydia (play)

Last updated

Lydia is a magical realist drama by Latino-American playwright Octavio Solis. [1] The play first premiered in the Space Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on January 24, 2008. The production was directed by Juliette Carrillo. [2] The play is partially inspired by Octavio Solis's own experiences growing up in El Paso, Texas. [3] It explores the experience of a Mexican-American family living on the Texas–Mexico border, trying to live out their own version of the American Dream amidst the aftermath of an accident that changes all of their lives. [4]

Contents

Character List

Ceci, the sister, aged 17
Misha, the younger brother, age 16
Rene, the older brother, age 19
Rosa, the mother
Claudio, the father
Alvaro, the cousin, age 22
Lydia, the maid

Plot summary

Act 1: The play opens with Ceci lying on her mattress in the Flores' family living room. She is in a semi-vegetative state for most of the play, making guttural noises for speech and barely being able to move her own body. This is because of a car crash that caused severe brain damage when she was fifteen. Throughout the play she has moments where she shape-shifts into the young woman she was before the accident. The play begins with Ceci having one of these moments, and she introduces each member of her family. Her mother Rosa has dealt with the pain of the car crash by becoming a devout Christian who believes that only God can make everything right. Ceci's younger brother Misha is a good boy who does well in school and likes to write poetry, while her older brother Rene is the bad boy who deals with his guilt over the accident via drinking and violent gay-bashing. Her father Claudio escapes by watching TV with his headphones on incessantly. To help with the family's financial situation, Rosa is about to go back to work, and she has hired an undocumented maid to care for Ceci and help with the cooking and cleaning. The maid arrives, and she immediately has a special connection with Ceci: she knows what Ceci needs and wants despite the fact that Ceci cannot talk coherently. The changes in the household upon Lydia's arrival become immediately apparent. The house is cleaner, the family is eating better, and Ceci seems to be happier. Alvaro, who is Rene, Misha and Ceci's cousin, has been away fighting in Vietnam for the last two years, but he is now back and he visits the family for the first time since the accident. He tells them that he is going to be working on border patrol now. Lydia brings Ceci out in what would have been her Quinceanera dress if she had not been in the accident. Claudio enters and gets angry because of Ceci wearing the dress and Misha takes the blame. Claudio takes Misha outside and brutally beats him as punishment. After Alvaro has left and Rene has fled the house in a state of grief and anger, Lydia tends to Misha's wounds. Misha reads her his poetry, which she says is good but lacks humanness. After Misha goes to bed Claudio enters and Lydia confronts him about what he did to Misha. Lydia realizes what Claudio needs in order to get out of his persistent state of escape and she has sex with him in the living room. This is another moment where Ceci shape-shifts into her old self and narrates what is occurring. Unknown to any of them, Rene sees it all.

Act 2: The second act opens with a flashback sequence of Ceci, Misha, Rene and Alvaro pretending to be ants when they were kids. Within this dream-like flashback sequence, the shadows of Alvaro and Rene kiss behind a sheet. After this the play returns to present reality and Rosa gives Misha a gold Cross pen because she feels guilty for not being able to stop Claudio from beating him up. Rosa then takes Lydia shopping, and also, it is later revealed, to see about getting her papers so she can stay in America legally. Alvaro visits again and another flashback occurs, in which Ceci asks Alvaro to be her first dance at her Quinceanera after her father's dance. She also wants to know what he and Rene are planning to do that night and she wants to come, but Alvaro won't tell her and says she cannot come. Ceci then professes her love for Alvaro and they kiss. Returning to the present, Rosa returns with Lydia and Rene. Alvaro gives Rene a jacket he bought him in Vietnam, then lets it slip that he loves him. Rene gets extremely angry and reveals that he saw Lydia and Claudio making love. Rosa and Misha ask what is actually going on between Rene and Alvaro. Lydia says that Ceci will tell them what actually happened the night of the accident, and proceeds to "translate" for Ceci. There are moments when Ceci speaks for herself, but to the family everything is coming from Lydia. Ceci tells the story through Lydia of that night, where she says she snuck into the back seat of Rene's car, wanting to surprise Alvaro when Rene picked him up. She heard Alvaro get into the car, and then heard them kissing and Alvaro saying that they should go to the border like they always do. Rene and Alvaro made love in the front seat of the car as Ceci listened from the back, getting angrier and angrier because she was in love with Alvaro too. When they were done and started to drive away, she jumped up screaming at Rene. She started pummeling him over the head so he couldn't see where he was driving, and the car swerved and crashed into the telephone pole. Rosa is completely shocked at this story, and after Rene admits it is true, he throws the jacket Alvaro gave him on the ground and leaves the house, never to return. Rosa whispers something to Alvaro and he goes to Lydia's room and pulls her out of the house to Misha's protestations. She will be sent back to Mexico as an illegal immigrant. After Alvaro leaves with Lydia, Claudio enters and he and Rosa go to bed together. Misha is left alone with Ceci, and he goes to give her her physical therapy. She struggles and is able to say his name once. Then she guides his fingers under her dress. He reluctantly does what he knows she wants and in her ecstasy Ceci sets the pull-tab on her blanket on her tongue and swallows it. [5]

Background of Setting

Lydia is set in the early 1970s, at a time when civil rights had become a focal point for change. The civil rights movement was waning, and the African-American fight for equality had become an inspiration for other oppressed minority groups, such as the Mexican-American people. [6] With the civil rights movement as a source of inspiration and a guide, Mexican-Americans started what is referred to as the Chicano Movement, seeking greater rights for themselves and their undocumented relations.

At the same time, the Vietnam War was becoming an ever-bigger catalyst for anti-war sentiment in the United States, and it became evident that most war casualties came from the working class. [7] Chicano youth in the movement viewed this from a racial perspective, arguing that the Mexican-Americans and other minorities were carrying the main burden of the war. [8]

All of this historical background of the setting plays a significant role in Lydia, which is set in Texas on the Mexican–American border in the early 1970s. The character of Alvaro highlights the issues pertaining to the Vietnam War as the family deals with his absence and safe return. The Flores family highlights the struggles of a minority working-class family trying to make it in a country that is biased against their traditional Mexican culture and language. It shows their efforts to conform, specifically with their language, in order to survive. The setting also affects Lydia through the character of Lydia herself, an illegal immigrant who came to American seeking work and a chance at a better life. Octavio Solis grounded this exploration in his own experience growing up with two undocumented parents who would hire illegal maids to help in the home. [9] As the Chicano Movement began to take root and thrive, this issue of immigration and illegal workers was a focus in the movement, and the characters of Lydia and Claudio (the undocumented father of the family), are affected strongly by this issue. [10] The play as a whole arises and thrives in the turmoil and conflict created from the place and time period in which it is set.

Themes

Perhaps the most prominent theme is that of family. The Flores family's relationships with one another and how they interact serve as the catalyst for much of the conflict throughout the play. Within this, the theme of sex is dealt with in depth. The play highlights how sexual desires bring the characters to make decisions and take actions they otherwise would not have. [11] Along with this, a more subtle theme is that of homophobia. Even the characters who have homosexual desires seem at the same time to be homophobic, causing them much inner conflict and turmoil. The play also deals with the theme of the American dream. The Flores family must reconcile their current lives with their hopes of what the American dream would have to offer them. The setting of the play on the El Paso, Texas and Mexican border highlights many themes in itself. One of these is that of illegal immigration foremost through the character of Lydia and on a lesser level through Claudio. The play is riddled with the issue of Lydia's illegality and how the family deals with that. This, along with the central focus on a Mexican-American family, brings into question the rights of and respect given to minorities in the United States, and if it is enough. [12] The last central theme is that of disability. Ceci's shifts from semi-vegetative state to fully functioning human makes the viewer question the stereotypical views of disability. [13]

Production History [14]

Awards [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicanismo</span> Ideology of the Chicano movement

Chicanismo emerged as the cultural consciousness behind the Chicano Movement. The central aspect of Chicanismo is the identification of Chicanos with their Indigenous American roots to create an affinity with the notion that they are native to the land rather than immigrants. Chicanismo brought a new sense of nationalism for Chicanos that extended the notion of family to all Chicano people. Barrios, or working-class neighborhoods, became the cultural hubs for the people. It created a symbolic connection to the ancestral ties of Mesoamerica and the Nahuatl language through the situating of Aztlán, the ancestral home of the Aztecs, in the southwestern United States. Chicanismo also rejected Americanization and assimilation as a form of cultural destruction of the Chicano people, fostering notions of Brown Pride. Xicanisma has been referred to as an extension of Chicanismo.

Ester Hernández is a California Bay Area Chicana visual artist recognized for her prints and pastels focusing on farm worker rights, cultural, political, and Chicana feminist issues. Hernández' was an activist in the Chicano Arts Movement in the 1960's and also made art pieces that focus on issues of social justice, civil rights, women's rights, and the Farm Worker Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasquachismo</span> Theory of Chicano aesthetics

Rasquachismo is a theory developed by Chicano scholar Tomás Ybarra-Frausto to describe "an underdog perspective, a view from "los de abajo" in working class Chicano communities which uses elements of "hybridization, juxtaposition, and integration" as a means of empowerment and resistance. Rasquachismo is commonly used to describe aesthetics present in the working class Chicano art and Mexican art movements which "make the most from the least." It has been described as a worldview, the "view of the underdog, which combines inventiveness with a survivalist attitude." Artists will oftentimes depict experiences of their own life in the "barrio" or the experiences of being Mexican and Chicano. This art movement has also been defined by artists and scholar Amalia Mesa-Bains "as a survivalist irreverence that functioned as a vehicle of cultural continuity."

Diane Rodriguez was an American theatre artist who directed, wrote and performed. An OBIE Award winning actress, she was known for using comedy to confront various forms of oppression, often with special attention to issues of gender and sexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha P. Cotera</span> Mexican librarian, writer, and activist

Martha P. Cotera is a librarian, writer, and influential activist of both the Chicano Civil Rights Movement and the Chicana Feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Her two most notable works are Diosa y Hembra: The History and Heritage of Chicanas in the U.S. and The Chicana Feminist. Cotera was one of six women featured in a documentary, Las Mujeres de la Caucus Chicana, which recounts the experiences of some of the Chicana participants of the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas.

La Heredera is a Mexican telenovela produced by TV Azteca. It marked the third reunion for Silvia Navarro and Sergio Basañez as protagonists. The series was then developed into an American telenovela by the title of American Heiress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano art movement</span> Movements by Mexican-American artists

The Chicano Art Movement represents groundbreaking movements by Mexican-American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States. Much of the art and the artists creating Chicano Art were heavily influenced by Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s.

Tony Sancho is an American stage and film / television actor based in Los Angeles best known for his lead role as Isaac in Tadeo Garcia's debut film On the Downlow also featuring starring Michael Cortez as Angel.

Atrapada (Trapped) is a Mexican telenovela produced by Ernesto Alonso for Televisa in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Octavio Solis</span> American playwright and director (born 1958)

Octavio Solis is an American playwright and director whose plays have been produced at theaters and small companies across the United States. He has written over 25 plays, including his most famous works: Lydia, Santos & Santos and Man of the Flesh. His works have earned numerous awards and grants.

Destino is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carlos Sotomayor for Televisa in 1990. Was divided in two parts. Is a remake of 1976 telenovela Mundos opuestos.

Carrusel de las Américas is a Mexican Children's telenovela produced by Valentín Pimstein for Televisa in 1992. It is both a sequel and remake of 1989 telenovela Carrusel. Chain member of the memorial project Americas 500 years since the discovery of America. It was shown via satellite to Latin America as part of that program block.

Se Llama Cristina is a one-act play by Latino playwright Octavio Solis. A man and woman wake up locked in an apartment with nothing but a crib with a fried chicken leg in it. They have no idea who they are, why they're there, and what their relationship to each other is. They must piece together their past histories to find their identities and construct a future. This poetic play takes you through time and space and feels like a claustrophobic fever dream about the anxieties of parenthood. The play uses elements of magic realism.

Soledad "Chole" Alatorre was a Chicana labor activist who was active in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and was known for her work with the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo (CASA) and for her advocacy of civil rights among the Chicano community.

Tlaloc Rivas is a Mexican-American writer, producer, and theatre director. He is one of the co-founders of the Latinx Theatre Commons, which works side by side with HowlRound to revolutionize American theater and to highlight and promote the contributions and presence of Latinos in theatre. Central to Rivas' work is the Latino experience, but also exploring the American experience through the lens' of underrepresented voices. Rivas focuses on writing and directing plays that significantly explore Latino identity and history. Additionally, Rivas has also translated and adapted plays from the Spanish language and directed Spanish-language and bilingual plays such as Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarias and classical works such as Peribáñez y el Comendador de Ocaña.

Manuela Solís Sager (1912-1996) was a Mexican American labor leader, union organizer and educator. She is best known for her work organizing with Mexican women in Texas during the 1930s, where 40% of the total Mexican population were employed almost exclusively in low paid, low status jobs.

Herman Baca is a Chicano activist best known for grassroots community organizing in National City, California. Mentored by labor activists Bert Corona and Soledad Alatorre, Baca focused on political empowerment, grassroots organizing, police brutality, immigration, and a number of other issues during his involvement with the Mexican American Political Association, La Raza Unida Political Party, CASA Justicia, and the Committee on Chicano Rights. He was a key figure that advocated for undocumented immigrants as a part of the "Chicano/Mexicano" community during the Chicano Civil Rights Movement since the 1960s. As part of the Chicano Movement, Baca advocated for self-determination and defending human rights through organizing protests, administering electoral registration campaigns, community-based fund raising through tardeadas, and legal defense and social service workshops. Baca is currently based in San Diego, California in San Diego County.

Cara Mía Theatre Co. is a Dallas-based theatre company founded in 1996 by Adelina Anthony and Eliberto Gonzalez. It is dedicated to highlighting the Latino American experience in the United States through theatrical productions and educational programs. It started as a Chicano theatre to tell the stories of Mexican Americans on Dallas stages and make Latino literature more accessible.

Santos and Santos is a crime saga written by Latin playwright Octavio Solis about the Santos Family Law Practice in El Paso during the 1980s. It is loosely based on the killing of Judge John H. Wood Jr. by Jamiel Chagra and his brother that also occurred during the 1980s in El Paso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliette Carrillo</span> American theatre director

Juliette Carrillo is an American theatre director, playwright, and filmmaker. She has directed plays and musicals at the Denver Theater Center, Yale Repertory Theater, South Coast Repertory, Mark Taper Forum, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, the Magic Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Arizona Theater Company, and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville.

References

  1. ↑ Rave, Maria Eugenia B (2003). "Magical Realism and Latin America"(PDF). The University of Maine. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "List of Works". Octavio Solis: Playwright and Director.2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "A Rising Star Writer and a Miraculous Maid". Narr. Neda Ulaby. All Things Considered. NPR. Natl. Public Radio. Retrieved 10 March 2016
  4. ↑ Gates, Anita (20090213). "Amid Lives Gone Awry, a Struggle to Be Heard". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Solis, Octavio (2010). Lydia. Samual French. ISBN   9780573698163.
  6. ↑ Rosales, Francisco A (1996). Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. Arte Publico Press. ISBN   9781558852013.
  7. ↑ Rosales, Francisco A (1996). Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. Arte Publico Press. ISBN   9781558852013
  8. ↑ Rosales, Francisco A (1996). Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. Arte Publico Press. ISBN   9781558852013
  9. ↑ Guterman, Gad(2014).Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law: A Theatre of Undocumentedness. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   9781137412485
  10. ↑ Guterman, Gad(2014).Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law: A Theatre of Undocumentedness. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   9781137412485
  11. ↑ Gates, Anita (20090213). "Amid Lives Gone Awry, a Struggle to Be Heard". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Guterman, Gad(2014).Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law: A Theatre of Undocumentedness. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   9781137412485
  13. ↑ Solis, Octavio (2010). Lydia. Samual French. ISBN   9780573698163
  14. ↑ "List of Works". Octavio Solis: Playwright and Director. 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016
  15. ↑ Solis, Octavio (2010). Lydia. Samual French. ISBN   9780573698163
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.