There are some theatrical works that have predictable plots but are immensely attractive anyway because of the wit in the dialogue and outstanding casts of performers.
"Sunsets and Margaritas” is one of those. Hispanic-American playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez has mined from his own life’s experiences materials with which he constructed one of the funniest comedy-dramas in recent memory.
All of the elements of traditional "familia” are there in the story of the Mexican-American Serano family, living out their lives in a small town in Colorado.
The imminent crisis in the family life is the 78-year-old macho father Candelario (Daniel Valdez), a proud Korean War veteran, and the founder of the family cantina, who is revealing the early signs of senility that is making him a reckless danger to himself and others.
His middle-aged son Gregorio (Tommy A. Gomez), is laboring under the traditional culture of respect for, and submission to, a parent, whom he feels has never shown any appreciation or respect for him.
His supportive wife, Luz (Roxane Carrasco), a former refugee from the Cuban revolution, is pushing Gregorio to complete his movement into full, independent manhood by bringing the suggestion of an aging retirement home to his father. The thought of placing his father in such a home is abhorrent to him as disrespectful of his father.
In addition, modernity and assimilation are testing the bonds of this formerly traditional family. Daughter Gabby (Dena Martinez) has come out gay, lives with a female partner, has borne a little girl by artificial insemination from a prominent man in the town and become a conservative and compassionate Republican.
Wheelchair-bound and charismatic son Jojo (Miles Gaston Villanueva) has become a hip modern-day entrepreneur in some bizarre enterprises, including clothing design and enjoys faking a gang warfare veneer about the true cause of his spinal injury.
The day is May 1, a labor significant holiday which is bringing marchers about the immigration problem into town. But the cantina was intended to be dedicated to a celebration of Papa Candelario’s birthday, they hoped. A local young girl, Bianca Carrillo (Ericka Yanin Perez-Hernadez), has been recruited to help with the serving and incurs resentment when she intrudes comments during the tensions because she is not "familia.”
The town sheriff Montoya (Nestor Campos, Jr.) weaves in and out of the action, mostly hoping to avoid arresting Candelario for his illegal operations that day, especially stealing a crate of Preparation H to deal with his hemorrhoid problems.
Thrown into the mix are apparitions rooted in Mexican superstitions that appear only to the hyperventilating Gregorio in his times of psychological crises.
Much of the family humor results from the friction between the generations as they occupy the same physical spaces in their relationships. The adult daughter still cries with fright when her father raises his voice to her. Candelario is contemptuous of his daughter-in-law’s Cuban origin. Revelations of sexual unfaithfulness reveal themselves during the explosive family setting. Questions of illegal immigration become an issue. Power struggles between the macho Hispanic males and their wives and children in a modern world setting still haunt the threatened culture.
Recommended for you
I am unable to believe this could have been cast better, anytime, anywhere. But, I do need to say I got the most personal kick out of Miles Gaston Villanueva, as the super-hip Jojo swinging around on his colorfully decorated and automated wheelchair, bearing a huge booming sound system mounted on the back.
I will confess I found the ending as too pat as it resolved all of family tensions and exposed all of the family mysteries and secrets in one boring swoop.
But the rest was so witty, so human, so true to life and so superbly performed that this may be the best comedy on the Peninsula this season.
If you go:
‘Sunsets and Margaritas’
BY: Jose Cruz Gonzalez
PERFORMED BY: TheatreWorks
DIRECTED BY: Amy Gonzalez
WHERE: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday to Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays through April 4
TICKETS: $29 to $62.
CONTACT: 463-1960 or theatreworks.org
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.