Patria Libre
Written by Zoë Miller Lee
Directed by Tara Branham
at Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge (map)
thru May 4 | tickets: $15 | more info
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A good idea gone dull
Prologue Theatre Company presents
Patria Libre
Review by Lauren Whalen
Slice of life drama can be fascinating. Every family unit is slightly different, and the most miniscule details (like how they make their coffee) are what make each household unique. The Perez family of Patria Libre makes coffee. A lot of coffee. I could have done with less coffee-making and more coherent storytelling. Despite some strong production values and one good performance, Patria Libre never gets off the ground thanks to largely weak acting and a poorly penned script.
When I think of my Patria Libre viewing experience, the first word that comes to mind is bored. The concept – being haunted by personal trauma at the expense of moving forward with one’s life – is one of my favorites, but it requires careful plotting and thoughtful writing. Neither of these are present in Zoë Miller Lee’s script. Patria Libre could easily be an hour shorter: the “meat” of the script is overshadowed by endless scenes of clunky dialog and ill-timed attempts at humor. Watching a family cook (don’t forget the coffee!) without any real reason or addition to the story, loses its charm the third or fourth time around. Maria is neither likable nor sympathetic until Act II, and by then I was so alienated by the unrealistic way of speaking that I didn’t even care. And the “ghosts” of the soldiers, Victor and of Abuela are so contrived that they cross the line from supernatural into unnatural.
According to the press release, Miller Lee is an “emerging” playwright and Patria Libre is her first produced work. Here, she makes the rookie mistake of tacking on gratuitous violence in hopes of adding gravity to the story. Disturbing images can be extremely effective (LiveWire’s 25 Saints is one of my favorite plays of 2013), but incorporating them is a very subtle art that Miller Lee has yet to master.
An actor is only as good as his or her script. Even with that significant challenge in mind, Patria Libre’s cast fails to impress. Adriel Irizarry, who plays Maria’s intelligent son Rigoberto, is stiff as a cardboard cutout, while Jencks alternates between mumbling and shrieking her lines. Jamaica’s Abuela sounds absurdly American for someone who presumably lived in Nicaragua most of her life, and her delivery is shallow. As a loser boyfriend, Jay Españo’s characterization is all over the place and the soldier ghosts just seem lost and unsure. Only Paula Ramirez, portraying Maria’s headstrong youngest daughter, puts forth a believable character, confident in her wild ways and pushing to understand her family’s origins.
Kudos to Patria Libre’s scenic designer Shaun Renfro and props designer Carrie Hardin, for maximizing Rivendell Theatre’s small space to create an authentic family home – complete with a working stove. If only that plausibility extended to the plot, characters and players. Patria Libre is a good idea gone dull, a rough draft in need of copious polish. It could be something special but right now, it’s not even close.
Rating: ★½
Patria Libre continues through May 4th at Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15, and are available online through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at PrologueTheatreCo.org. (Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, includes an intermission)
artists
cast
Isa Arciniegas (Female Soldier 1), Jay Españo (Angel), Katia Gomez (Laura), Adriel Irizarry (Rigoberto), Beatriz Jamaica (Abuela), Heather L. Jencks (Maria), Robert Quintanilla (Male Soldier), Paula Ramirez (Armada), Kevin Matthew Reyes (Victor)
behind the scenes
Tara Branham (director), Elaine Bell (associate director), Margaret LeBron (dramaturg), Beth Zupec (stage manager), Mae Dyer (asst. stage manager), Dylan Marks (tech director), Shaun Renfro (set design), Raquel Adorno (costumes), Aaron Cannon (lighting), Danielle Stack (sound design), Carrie Hardin (props), Leslie Ann Sheppard (violence design)
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