“Enfrascada(A Hoodoo Comedy of Jarring Proportions)” at Metropolis

[rating=4]Tanya Saracho’s wonderful “Voodoo” look at a young woman’s life, “Enfrascada (A Hoodoo Comedy of Jarring Proportions) has moved from Berwyn to Arlington Hts , allowing the theater audiences of the Northwest suburbs to experience different theater as part of the “Best of Chicago Series” at The Metropolis Performing Arts Center in downtown Arlington Heights. The program allows some of Chicago’s HITS to be seen without the hassle of the traffic and parking of the city, exposing suburbanites to some of the wonderful productions in our “off loop” theaters. We all owe a debt to the courage of the Metropolis for taking on this challenge.

“Enfrascada” is a delightful little story that is filled with humor, but as in all of Saracho’s plays, there is some deep meaning as we watch Alicia ( a finely tuned performance by Dana Cruz) deal with the emotions of losing her live-in boyfriend, Diego, to another woman. The 100 minute ( no intermission) play begins in Wisconsin at an outdoor convert as Alicia and her best friends,Carolina ( the adorable  Yunuen Pardo)) and Yesenia ( deftly handles by the sexy Yadira Correa, who has a great comic touch) await the start of the concert. She calls home to tell Diego they may stay overnight, when the phone is answered by a female, all hell breaks loose.

From this point on, Alicia, who cannot shed a tear does what she can in order to win him back and destroy this Gringa who has destroyed her life. Her freinds tell her of “their Senoras” all playes with great intensity and wonderful characterizations by Lorena Diaz ( master of changing characters and accents). The Senoras have old secrets that will assist her on getting him back and each involves a “jar” where she must place something or bury it to have her way. During all of these little scenes, all the other characters are portrayed by the very funny Patricia Lavery), we see her two best friends stick by her, even when they do not agree with her tactics. There is one scene in particular which is very funny as they stalk Diego’s house waiting for him to leave so they can break in and steal his underwear. One can see the reality of this taking place, almost like teen-agers pulling off a prank or college sorority girls doing “pledge antics”- what it does show is the power of true friendship between these ladies, and the heart and soul of the Latina.

The final scene, which I will not divulge in total, is a masterful piece of writing by Saracho as the friends try to dissuade Alecia from the final step given to her by the last Senora and fail. What happens next is an experience that is heartwarming and might bring a tear to your eye as we witness Alecia finding peace at last. Directed by Keira Fromm, this is a solid production that has moved from the intimate 16th Street Theatre in Berwyn to the much larger Metropolis. The larger venue , while not as intimate, still works. The set (Kurt Sharp) transfers well and with the larger stage is well spread out allowing the action to be seen with greater ease. Mac Vaughey’s lighting adds to the overall picture that Saracho and Fromm have painetd and Rochelle Rocky Kolecke’ has assembled a great array of props. This is a solid production that although is sprinkled with Spanish is easy to understand and has a story that should be seen  by all ethnicity’s.

“Enfrascada” will enjoy its stay in Arlington Heights through the 22nd with performances as follows:

Sunday,Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 ( a great value for theater of this quality) and there is loads of FREE parking at the Metropolis 111 West Campbell in downtown Arlington Hts- call 847-577-2121 or visit www.MetropolisArts.com for tickets and to see what other productions are coming.

Lots of choices for dinner in walking distance