Sal Lopez, Geoffrey Rivas and Evelina Fernandez.

“Mexicans drink to confess” – Octavio Paz

A funeral creates an excuse for a “party” and a group of friends who have not seen each other in years find themselves in one house with lots of liquor and plenty of “catching up” to do. And you know what happens when you have alcohol and a chillon in the room. Confessions, confessions, confessions.

Gabriel, played by Geoffrey Rivas, just buried his mother that he had not seen in years. He left the neighborhood abruptly over 20  years ago,without saying good bye to his best friends and  never looked back. Now, a successful man, he is thrown into a situation where he has to host his friends at his house. Much to the dismay of his wife Sonia, played by Lucy Rodriguez, who is battling with the fact that the maid took the day off for an immigrant march and now she is stuck serving the guests. Imagine… The Real Housewives of Whittier Hills.

The best friends he left behind are Ramona and Johnny, played by Evelina Fernandez and Sal Lopez.  These are the charaters that say things without filters. They crack you up with their honesty but their words are wise with the years of your uncles, aunts, mothers and fathers.

Semyon Kobialka, Fidel Gomez, Robert Beltran

Along for the ride is Ramona’s son Angel, played by Fidel Gomez. Reluctant to be there he strikes up a conversation with the limo driver who calls himself “The Man”, played by Robert Beltran. Angel, fresh out of college, is on the verge of leaving everything behind and moving on with his own life. The Man, if you could imagine , is like the illegitimate son of the “Most Interesting Man in the World” from the Dos Equis commercials. He provides Angel with insight on love, life and family.

The play moves in between quotes from Octavio Paz’, Labyrinth of Solitude. The playwright took inspiration from this work to write the play around.

This is truly a brilliant cast and an excellent piece of writing. Under the direction of Jose Luis Valenzuela the stage is filled nicely and the action moves swiftly.

On the negative points of this show the set and lighting design were a little lacking in flavor. Fancois-Pierre Couture laid out a simple stage in black in white framed by two giant picture frames. I’m sure he was going for simple, but it somehow didn’t feel right. Some lines made it feel like the stage ended where it didn’t and it actually felt like actors were stepping off stage.

There are dance sequences that serve as scene transitions. In the beginning of the show these dance breaks are a little too long and interrupt the story that we were  just getting acquainted with. They could be a little shorter.  But by the end of the show, when the story has your heart clenched in its grasp and your tears are pouring down your face, they are a welcome break in the action allowing you some time to absorb what you are feeling.

Robert Beltran and Lucy Rodriguez

There is a cello player also along for the ride named Chello, played by Semyon Kobialka, a friend of the limo driver and she provides a live soundtrack. The music is beautiful, sometimes sublime, but it often distracting from the action and I found myself staring at the cello. There was a rythmic sound coming from the house speakers that I found hypnotic and trance inducing without being distracting.

Now I, your humble narrator, am not a MFA in theater or in writing for that matter, but I do know what I like. I do know that this show is worth your hard earned cash in these tough times. I’m coming back with my family, because as I watched it I kept thinking of all my familia that would relate. I want to bring back those that I know will cry and laugh along with me.

I always tell my daughter that a play should be like a hot chili, you know it’s good if it makes you cry, laugh, sing and dance. Solitude does all of the above more than once. A cathartic experience not to be missed.

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Solitude.

Written By: Evelina Fernandez
Directed by: José Luis Valenzuela
Choreographed by: Urbanie Lucero
Original Music by: Semyon Kobialka
Produced by: Latino Theater Company

Starring
Robert Beltran (Star Trek, Voyager, Big Love), Evelina Fernandez (Luminarias, American Me), Fidel Gomez (Walk Out, Luminarias, 7th Heaven), Sal Lopez (Luminarias, American Me, Dementia), Geoffrey Rivas (Luminarias, CSI), Lucy Rodriguez (Dementia, ER), Semyon Kobialka on CelloWith a cast of characters you might know if your own family, the Latino Theatre Company start their season with a production of Solitude written by Evelina Fernandez.

Price:  $35 General;  $15 Students/Seniors
Start Time:  Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 8:00pm
End Time:  Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 3:00pm
Location:  The LATC, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA

Phone:  213-489-0994 extension: 107
Email:  boxoffice@thelatc.org

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Rafael Cardenas can be reached at eastsiderwriter@gmail.com

You can also find his writing in the Citizen LA.
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