A world in itself
‘Los Illegals’ plumbs the depths of immigration issues
By Leigh Kennicott 06/14/2007
Visitors to the Cornerstone Theater's Pasadena residency at the Armory Northwest get three plays in one with “Los Illegals.” The performance is the first to be crafted from real experiences of day laborers by the group's new artistic director, Michael John Garcés. It is also the first in a new series of community-based theatrical events that attempt to deal with community issues in a way that is unique to Southern California.
The first in the group's “Justice” cycle, “Los Illegals” uses both Spanish and English to depict the plight of undocumented workers. It does not sugarcoat internal factional discords or their uneasy relationships with the world outside on which they depend for subsistence wages.
The play demands much of its audience: Even with some familiarity with Spanish, some sections are difficult to follow due to its heavy use. Director Shishir Kurup, however, has cleverly made audience members a part of the action by placing them at tables among the performers in an enclosure known as The Center. The audience tends to be swept away in the infectious emotion regardless of any language barrier.
Garcés has grafted three different stories together to embody the heartbreak of immigrant journeys to the United States. The main narrative, loosely based on “Fuente Ovejuna,” a 16th century story of oppression by Lope de Vega, involves the story of one worker who destroys his work when his employer refuses to pay him at the end of the day. It is a classic example of failure to communicate.
With The Center's future then at stake, all the workers must work together to save it. During this time, a muralist paints a large portrait of his brother during his border crossing through the desert. This tragic story is contrasted with the tale of a woman traveling by truck in stifling heat and brutal cold, and both relate back to the plight of “Los Illegals” as they fight for their rights.
The cast, too numerous to mention, is uniformly impassioned and moving. Cornerstone veteran Peter Howard, however, stands out as “George,” the manager of a fictional big-box hardware store where The Center is located. His character engages current conflicts between commerce and justice.
Although no answers come from Cornerstone's innovative creation, this is a production that brings home the enormity — and the complexity — of the intractable immigration issue.
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