Time Out Chicago July 31, 2008
Esperanza Rising
Written by Lynne Alvarez. Dir. Henry Godinez. With ensemble cast.
During a summer packed with family-friendly theater options that rely on flash and spectacle, it's refreshing to find a show with deeper substance. While you can opt for mouth-agape entertainment elsewhere, Esperanza Rising provides a chance to ponder real-world questions like class- and race-based privilege. (Chicago Children's Theatre recommends it for kids 8 and up, but considering the social and historical issues covered during the performance—the Great Depression, immigration, labor strikes—age 10 is probably a better baseline.)
Which isn't to say Rising doesn't have moments of levity: It begins, after all, during the festive birthday party of title character, Esperanza, the only child of a wealthy ranchero. We quickly learn how spoiled our heroine is, but then her life is forever transformed by violence. She must escape with her family's servants across the U.S. border, where she learns the nature of work and selflessness.
The themes of this Chicago Children's Theater production, directed by Henry Godinez as part of the Goodman's Latino Theatre Festival, don't fully flower until the California-set second act. As Esperanza matures, so does the show; its previously cut-and-dried moral distinctions become more complex. Also, the appearance of Esperanza's poor cohort, Isabel, played by the infinitely charming Gabi Mayorga, goes a long way to lighten the tone. Along with an ace mariachi trio, Mayorga is the show's brightest light. Meanwhile, Maite Alvarez deftly navigates Esperanza's evolution, filling in the script's blank spaces.
In a very welcome move, CCT also provides playgoers a “newspaper” explaining pertinent issues of the '30s (plus a glossary of Spanish words and an article about theater etiquette). The smart supplement makes a great little study guide for young summer vacationers.