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| Xavi Moreno and Cheryl Umaña - Photos by Andrew Vasquez |
By Joe Straw
Henry had his own
special spot in this home, a bedside photo, a young man revered and cared for
by a very strong woman. But now he is grown
and off to see the world, via the Navy and Vietnam.
So, throughout the course
of this play, Henry is not physically there. But he seems to be nearby both
emotionally and spiritually. It is a
safe assumption as to why the title of the play is called The Mother of Henry,
because she’s present, all the time, and he is not. - Narrator
The Latino Theater Company Presents The Mother of Henry written by
Evelina Fernández and directed by José Luis Valenzuela through April 20th
2019.
Upon entering the theatre Yee Eun Nam, Projection Designer, slips
the audience comfortably into the 1960’s with projections on the walls of
Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. The Scenic & Lighting Design by Emily Anne
MacDonald & Cameron Jaye Mock effectively placed pipes gives symbolic shape
to form of the Sears Tower building in downtown 1960’s Los Angeles. The bars
also form an elevator that is put to good use.
Connie (Cheryl Umaña) doesn’t have a problem with her name,
Concepcion. Although others constantly mispronounce her name, she shortens
it to Connie, an Americanized version from/for/of the place she calls home. She
is the mother of Henry and also takes care of her Mamá (Esperanza America) a
wildly puerile cantankerous woman - wheel chair bound - wrapped in colorful
woolen scarves who takes no guff from anyone including her daughter, Henry’s
mother.
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| Gary Patent and Cheryl Umaña |
On the first day of the job Connie is hustled to the
upstairs offices of the Sears Tower. She
doesn’t think much of her abilities as Herb (Gary Patent) from Human Resources elevates
her to the floor and then moves her to her desk of the returns department. She muses out loud that she should be working
the basement rather than in the office upstairs.
But now Connie will try to make the best of it as she meets
her co-workers Olga (Mary-Beth Manning) a straight, white, Canadian motherless
being, and Loretta (Ella Saldana North) who takes pride in her constant
complaints.
They are supervised by Manny (Xavi Moreno) a married man,
ambiguously separated, and very much on the prowl with the three ladies in his
department. When he is there, if there
is a heaven for Manny, the office must be that place.
On the face of things Connie’s life is looking up, but now
she has to worry about her son in the military, her mother, and Manny who won’t
take no for an answer.
In the privacy of her own bedroom later that night, she asks
for help from the Virgen de Guadalupe (Esperanza America) and her prayers are
answered, well sort of, and with an accompaniment of an angel (Robert Revell)
on electric guitar to boot.
There is a lot to enjoy from Evelina Fernández’s play of The Mother of Henry, which is funny,
magical and always inventive. What is remarkable are the relationships between
family and friends, between the spiritual and human, and the harsh realities of
everyday life played out in mortal silence. What seems to be missing is the end
for each character, the destination, and a realization of resolution. (In some ways
the ending has a Casablanca feel. “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a
beautiful friendship.”) Does life have a resolution? Or, does it slip into the
next chapter?
This is Connie’s journey presented in a vivid colorful life,
and exercised in an imaginative time - a
colorful crossing into the unknown, a death, and a welcoming back after
grieving. A lot of what you’d expect in José Luis Valenzuela’s direction, a
definitive style, of comedy and drama mixed with a dash of cumin, cayenne, and
crushed chilies.
The acting is top notched. One worries by coming early that
the best days are ahead of the actor, with much more life, backstory,
connection, and meaning. Fernández’s
play has wonderful opportunities for actors to stretch and fill in the
backstory.
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| Esperanza America |
Esperanza America
(La Virgin/Mamá) timing is impeccable and her voice melts. Being a deity of
sorts it is almost impossible to imagine why she presents herself. But, she
must have a reason other than her perspicacity. One figures it must be for
love, but love for a reason. The only
thing missing was the Heiligenschein.
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| L - R Mary-Beth Manning and Ella Saldana North |
Mary-Beth Manning
is Olga, a woman who knows what she wants but when she gets it she doesn’t know
what to do with it, how to behave, and how she moves forward from there. That all plays well but, how has her character
changed in relationship with the other two women? And, how is that resolved in
the relationships with the women as well as the men? How does she find the answer to what she is
looking for?
Xavi Moreno is
Manny, a married man that goes after anyone he can get including his
co-workers. Manny is not mean but
appears to be slightly confused about what he really wants. He is not smart, and
easily found out in many situations, but he is likeable. His vainglorious attempts
at female conquest have its limitations. Moreno must find a resolution to the
character, a defining moment that changes him in a significant way.
Ella Saldana North
is terrifically funny as Loretta who knows everything about everyone’s business. She appears to be single, wears a ring, doesn’t
have a significant attachment, or one she speaks little of, but she’s in
everyone’s business all the time 24/7/365. She thinks she is right about
everything she says. There must be a reason why everyone loves her.
Gary Patent is
Herb, a closeted gay man, alone in the world of the Sears tower. He manages to
come out only because of a moment and to only one person. He wants to belong
but conflicted by discovery. Is there an opportunity to bond with his male
counterpoint?
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| Robert J. Revell |
Robert J. Revell
seems so comfortable as Angel, an angel with a mean guitar. Revell has an
incredible presence on stage. There’s room here for dialogue in the play if
only for short sonorous bursts.
Cheryl Umaña is
Connie, Henry’s mother and one believes Umaña loses sight of her son, possibly
the backstory that she should never forget. One gets the feeling the actor
should carry her son throughout the play in however that manifest itself, a
military hat, a letter, whatever works to keep the son next to her throughout. Symbolism
goes a long way to give Connie courage after the death of a loved one. Also, moments are missed that could move the
play along in a significant way, her discovery of the Virgen, finding out a
character is gay, she seems to reflect a level of stoicism, and an unreadable
stare (from my vantage point), that didn’t move the character along. Umaña is pleasant enough and has her moments
but another level is needed, to give substance to the character and life.
And just as a matter of observation, Connie’s introduction
to the Virgen is lost because the Virgen is bathed in the light and we are
drawn away for Connie’s reaction. This
is an important moment for both characters. We must have a reason they are both
in the room and the relationship must be solid to carry forward. Also, it helps to make the comedy work later
in the play.
Also, Connie’s kiss requires a bit more attention in
whatever physical and emotional output is necessary to carry their relationship
forward. The nadir of Connie’s character
is a death, she lashes out, but there are other choices to get the other
characters to her side.
One more thing, Connie’s relationship to the angel must
carry some weight, a remembrance, the slight turn of the head, reminding her of
her son in a distant land. The angel is
there for a reason and Connie must see that.
John Zalewski, Sound Design, does an incredible job including the
typewriters coming in from the other room.
Moving the desks on and off the stage required a dance of
sorts compliments of Urbanie Lucero, Movement Coordinator and Choreography, but
was not sure about the slow motion movements downstage and how that moves the
play along.
Other members of the crew are as follows:
Michelle A. Prudente – Production Stage Manager
Maricela Sahagun – Assistant Stage Manager
Michelle Tapia – Production Assistant
Evan Nichols – Production Coordinator
Run! Run! Run! And take a believer! No, take a true believer!
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
213-489-0994
TheLATC.org
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