CHICAGO—The mother, Alma, works long hours as a dishwasher to pay for a small apartment in California and to put food on the table. Her daughter, Angel, is a 17-year-old high-schooler who eats poorly, hangs out with bad influences, and believes she knows better than her mother.
Alma wants Angel to take the SAT test so she can go to college. But Angel refuses. Alma believes that her daughter’s intelligence would allow her to become a wonderful veterinarian. But the daughter doesn’t want to be a veterinarian; she wants to be an environmental activist. “What if I don’t do what you say? What are you going to do about it?” Angel screams. “Are you going to take away the shitty phone I have?” She smashes the phone on the floor.
These arguments in “Alma”—the world premiere play at American Blues Theater, presented in association with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance as part of the fifth annual Destinos International Latino Theater Festival—occur between a hard-working Latina mother and her daughter, but it could be about the divide between any mother and daughter of any color, race, or religion. A clash of values has been and still is common in many families.
Set in a tiny apartment in California that was realistically designed by Tara A. Houston, this one-act drama features excellent performances. As Alma, Jazmín Corona is riveting as she projects a woman who so loves her daughter that she sleeps on a couch in the living room while Angel has her own private bedroom. As Angel, Bryanna Ciera Colón does a terrific job at being a stereotypical teenager, screaming at her mother because Alma crossed the line in entering her bedroom, and then hugging a stuffed animal as she apologizes for yelling.
Activist Narrative
Before “Alma” even begins, there are projections on the wall of the set that have nothing to do with its tale. Here, we see dates of 1769, 1846, 1916, and 2016. There is no explanation as to the meaning of those dates, but the audience is expected to know that 1769 was the year that Spain colonized Mexico, 1846 was the year that the Mexican-American War began, 1916 was the year that the United States conducted military operations against Poncho Villa, and 2016 was the year of the last U.S. presidential election. These dates in Mexican history are not mentioned in the play.The action of “Alma” has us riveted with dramatic tension between the two characters. This changes, though, as the play rolls into its final moments. Here, Alma announces that she could be deported to Mexico and would be unable to return to the United States for 10 years, during which time Angel would have to stay with a family friend. Furthermore, to gain our sympathy, the playwright has Alma praising the United States for its abundance of food, with which Angel isn’t impressed.
That sudden and last-minute revelation doesn’t quite ring true. If Alma came to the United States legally, she would not be deported. And if she crossed the border illegally, why would she now be so concerned to follow the law? Today’s illegals are not being denied entry, but then again “Alma” takes place in 2016 during the previous administration, when America’s boundaries were not as porous as they are now.
Just to make sure that we’ve gotten the political message of the play, there’s a scene which hammers the point home. That’s when the television news focuses on Donald Trump talking about building the best wall—to which Alma lets out a horrendous scream. That’s when it becomes obvious that the poignant play is an ill-disguised rant in favor of allowing everyone, including illegal immigrants, to enter America.
It’s a shame that the playwright had to manipulate the characters and their story to fit in with a political narrative, otherwise “Alma” could have been a wonderfully heartfelt play that families would appreciate.
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