Photo by Samer Ghani
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre ‘Laughs in Spanish’
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s ‘Laughs in Spanish’
Mariana is having a really very bad day at her art gallery. First, it’s the day of Art Basel, the major Miami art event of the year, and all her artworks by a famous artist have been taken. Second, important (meaning, moneyed) collectors have been invited with nothing to show but bare walls. And finally, her domineering, self-centered famous actress mother shows up. Unexpectedly.
The sharp claws—and sharper tongue—lash out and therein lies the nonstop fun—and plenty of laughs—in Laughs in Spanish by Alexis Scheer staged by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.
Scheer’s comedic crime romp takes a close-up look at Latinx culture, focusing on the relationships between mothers and daughters, lovers (same sex and opposite sex) and reunited friends. It is in many ways an intimate portrayal of the intricacies and complexity of navigating modern day relationships, dealing with immigration, single motherhood, pregnancy, divorce. The themes are timeless. And it makes the play that much more appealing and relatable.
Director Anna Skidis Vargas has assembled a solid cast of five actors that are their town “moving canvasses” against the sleek white minimalist gallery set by Em Allen (beautifully contrasted when the patio doors open to reveal a lush, colorful patio). Director Vargas keeps the storyline intact and clipping along, at times cutting back and forth between private conversations using Maaz Ahmed’s multi-colored projections to great effect. We are voyeurs here. And with no art and empty walls, the focus is strictly, smartly on the characters as they slowly reveal themselves, like newly-discovered layers in a painting.
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Isa Condo-Olvera is the perfect Mariana; headstrong, pragmatic yet still yearning for the mother who’s always away filming. She is tough yet vulnerable and she battles to understand and come to terms with her larger-than-life mother, Estela, an excellent Rana Roman. To help save the evening, Estella performs a long forgotten monologue which showcases Roman’s many talents, playing “an actor with the actor.” As Estella’s assistant, Jenna Bonofiglio gives her Jenny a nuanced balance of friend, employee and love interest.
Rounding out the group is Mariana’s assistant, Carolina, played by Ashley Oviedo, who subtly juxtaposes her outspoken feminist views with an inner desire for traditional family values. This Carolina is three dimensional, fiery and soft-spoken, fierce but loving. A tricky role but Oviedo manages it beautifully.
And as the only man in the group, Arash Fakhrabadi brings much to the role of Juan, the investigating officer and Carolina’s boyfriend. His remarkable range and depth as actor, even in the smallest, non-verbal moments, stand out within the ongoing hijinks of this production.
While most of characters speak Spanish at times, the language of laughter is universal. And that’s something we all can understand in Laughs in Spanish. And enjoy.
Laughs in Spanish runs through Oct. 8 in the Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission). Recommended for ages 12 and up. For more information, call the Box Office at: 414-291-7800, or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org.
