Laughs in Spanish is a romp. See it.
It’s a fast-paced, one-Act, eighty-minute, colada-fueled gem. If you’re from Miami, you will see yourself in this play and you will like Laughs in Spanish.
The play has a lot happening in a short time.
It’s Art Basel and there is an art heist. Gallery owner Marianna (Mariana Mondragon) must scramble on the eve of the biggest night of the year. Her intern Caro (Marcela Paguaga) has a plan that could solve all her problems. Turns out her cop boyfriend Juan (William Guevera) has a similar plan.
Enter Mari’s mom Estella (Gaby Tortoledo) an A-list Latina movie star, fresh in from Hollywood, who has her own problems and solutions.
The play is well-written. Playwright Alexis Scheer has constructed a well-plotted tale worthy of entering the twenty-first century Miami canon. It’s brisk, daft, and absurd, yet also real and multi-layered. Yeah, there’s mystery and secrets and hidden agendas and plot. And there’s music and dancing and cursing and jokes.
But at its core Laughs in Spanish is a play about mother-daughter relationships. About the sacrifices mothers make and sometimes don’t make. It’s about the fear of turning into your mother. Or the fear of dropping your dream because of motherhood.
It’s a layered cake of a story but the icing is sweet, funny and finger-licking good.
Laughs in Spanish
To be honest, we feared this play would be filled with “Miami” clichés. And there are a few stereotypical throw-away lines, but the production is far from cliché, it’s super fresh, bro.
It’s hard to think of a play that’s more Miami. The transition scenes in Laughs in Spanish are sublime, hypnotic, and immersive. Give Alexis Scheer and Director Victoria Collado immense credit. And to make it more Miami, the play features appearances by all-star Miami deejays like Lucy Lopez and Ruben Rabassa. Plus, the artwork of one of Miami’s best and one of our favorite and most endearing street artists, Diana “Didi” Contreras.
It’s all so Miami, bro. Catch it while you can.
Laughs in Spanish is playing at GableStage until June 23rd – that’s this Sunday, folks.
For more info and tickets click here.
Late Night Notes and Bonus Footage
The opening of the play was delayed one-week because actress Marcela Paguaga broke her foot before opening. If you see her in a cast and crutches, it’s not in the script.
GableStage once again overcame great stress, as they had a similar issue with a cast member prior to the opening of the Lehman Trilogy, in that case they had to replace the cast member.
GableStage had a tremendous 2023-24 season, and we congratulate them.
What a great 25th Anniversary season.
Seriously, someone buy artistic director Bari Newport a silver crown.
Not that we have a vote, but The Lehman Trilogy should get some Carbonell’s.
Am I turning into a dramaturg? Because I really loved this play but could not stop thinking about “windows” where the story could open and flush out some of the plot, such as the art heist, the opening night of Art Basel, and both romantic relationships.
Easily this play could have been 15 to 20 minutes longer.
