"Abuelita" by Prime Productions at the Capri Theater

Prime Productions is continuing their work that "amplifies the voices of women over fifty" with a world premiere new play that, while not written by a woman in her prime, is centered around several of them. NYC-based playwright Nathan Yungerberg (who has Midwestern roots) has written a fictional story inspired by his real-life experience as a biracial adoptee growing up in the Midwest and connecting to his Afro-Caribbean heritage later in life. A story of a 15-year-old boy finding his identity with the help of his "Abulelitas" (if Abuela is Spanish for grandmother, what does Abuelita mean? that you love your Abuela a lot, as one of the characters says). It's a story of community, of grief, of healing, of growing up, of not growing old but continuing to change and explore all that life has to offer. The beautiful, funny, authentic new play Abuelita continues at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis through March 29.

The Abuelita in question is Davia, who arrives in 1990s Spanish Harlem with her biracial grandson Jesús shortly after the death of his mother, Davia's daughter, a drug addict who died a tragic death. Davia decides to move to NYC to help Jesús connect with his heritage; his father was a "Nuyorican" (a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent), and although we never meet him, he's a part of Jesús, a part that was missing in his Iowa upbringing. But Davia is not the only Abuelita in the story; the family becomes friends with Yvette and her mother Niego, both Abuelitas to Yvette's 15-year-old granddaughter Sonya who is living with her in this hot summer. Davia also connects with Yvette's free-spirited cousin Indigo and a conga-playing neighbor named Wilfredo. In this play we see two parallel coming of age stories - Jesús connecting with his Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and his homosexuality, and Davia discovering new parts of herself after 50 years of an unhappy marriage in a small isolated Midwestern town.

Jesús (King Jackson) with his Abuelita Davia (Mary Gant)
(photo by Dan Norman)

Shá Cage directs the play and infuses it with life and joy and music. It would be a great 90-minute-no-intermission play, if not for the intermission that comes fairly late in the play, with a very short second act. But still, it's a nice collection of scenes that build on each other toward the climax of the story, that really is just the beginning of Davia and Jesús' story, their new life. Veteran #TCTheater actor Mary Gant is a hoot as Davia, unafraid of saying anything and determined to help her grandson. Making his professional acting debut, King Jackson is just wonderful as Jesús, a confused young man more comfortable with books than people, who really begins to blossom in this new environment. The talented cast also includes Elsa Vega Pérez as Niego, who comes in with quips and rants in Spanish; Gabi Del Moral as fellow Abuelita Yvette; Skyler Seiler, a spitfire as Sonya every time she bursts onto the stage; Adlyn Carreras as the outrageous and courageous Indigo; and Pedro R Bayón as Wilfredo, providing conga and life lessons.

Davia and Jesús arrive in the neighborhood (photo by Dan Norman)

The clever set built onto the stage of the Capri features a stoop on one side of the stage, where the family hangs out on hot days, and the inside of Davia's apartment on the other side. A sliding wall can conceal or reveal Wilfredo's apartment, and is also used for some sweet shadow puppetry that illustrates the characters' memories. The walls are merely framed out, so we can see through them, with hanging frames and tchotchkes populating the space, and a pull-out couch. Characters are dressed in '90s summer streetwear, and well-chosen songs play during scene transitions and as background during scenes. (Scenic and props design by Jacelyn Stweart, costume design by Caroline A Zaltron, sound design by Mik Finnegan, lighting design by Shannon Elliot.)

This is the kind of theater we need right now, telling the story of an immigrant community, of older women that are the backbone of their families, of a queer biracial child learning that he is beautiful and special and worthy. You can see it at the historic Capri Theater in North Minneapolis through March 29 (all tickets pay-as-you-are-able starting at $15).