The 1970s marked the time in US history that women’s rights become as big an issue as it was during the suffragette era. For Mexican-American women the idea of being mariachis wasn’t something that was discussed. It would be laughed off as pure folly. Enter playwright José Cruz González who has written American Mariachi which looks at why such a group might be formed and how it would be received. American Mariachi just opened at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa where it will play through October 5th.
Gabriella Carrillo plays Lucha Morales, a young woman who is taking care of her mother, Amalia (Diana Burbano) who is suffering from dementia. Lucha finds a record that her mother used to listen to, but in an argument with her mariachi father, Federico (Mauricio Mendoza), the record is broken. This one recording seemed to be the key to reawakening a lost part of her mother. No longer able to play the record, she wants to form an all-female mariachi band to perform the song for her mother.
American Mariachi uses comedy, drama and music to tell its story over the course of about 100 minutes. And the music is glorious. Augmenting the cast itself are professional mariachis (Esteban Montoya Dagnino, Sayra Michelle Haro, Antonio A. Pró, Ali Pizarro, Adam Ramirez) whose playing and singing are a total joy.
For tickets go here.
Main photo: Alicia Coca, Gabriela Carrillo, Luzma Ortiz, Marlene Montes and Satya Jnani Chavez in American Mariachi. All photos by Jordan Kubat/Courtesy of SCR.
Update: The spelling of Gabriela Carrillo’s name has been corrected within the body of the post. Cultural Attaché regrets the error.
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