PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Ruffalo
Death is a fact of life, and family members choose to deal with the loss of a loved one differently. First Stage’s On the Wings of a Mariposa reveals the connection among three generations of women in Michoacán, Mexico.
Directed by Karen Estrada and adapted by Alvaro Saar Rios from the book Ghost Wings by Cedarburg’s Barbara Joosse, the cast is comprised of 10 young actors and two adults. Dialogue is a mix of English and Español brought to life by the Latinx cast.
Pilar (Abby Hanna) had a special relationship with her Abuelita (Laura Crotte) and the scent of roses and tortilla on her deceased grandmother’s rebozo triggers comforting memories. She works through her grief with the help of her Mami (Rána Roman). While empathetic, mom also realizes the need for her daughter to find way to deal with their shared loss.
A shimmering backdrop of an enchanted forest conjures the magic realism of young actors portraying migrating monarch butterflies and a talking mouse. It spins the metaphor of long journeys, always accompanied by the spirit of loved ones, to life. The original recorded score, music and lyrics by Dinorah Márquez and performed by Latino Arts Mariachi Juvenil adds dreamlike authenticity.
After school, instead of coming straight home, Pilar has trekked to the forest to have conversations with the spirit of her Abuelita. Grandma metes out wisdom, yet Pilar is still scared by the monsters in her bedroom each night. As the rebozo’s scent fades, Pilar fears her protector will no longer be able to banish los monstros.
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But her Mami tells the girl to trust the power of memory through walls of time. She will carry her grandmother in her heart no matter where life’s migrations take her. She even accompanies her daughter to the forest, though fearful, to the same place Abuelita took her as a girl years before.
When a friend’s uncle dies in a mining accident, Pilar begins to understand the universality of grief. The Día de los Muertos marketplace celebration shows how all generations rely on the love and support of friends and family.
Through Nov. 10 at Todd Wehr Theater, 121 E. State St. For tickets and more information, visit firststage.org.
