Lydia by Octavio Solis

While I was in Colorado, I went to see the play Lydia by Octavio Solis, which is premiering at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Immediately after seeing the play, I bought a copy of the script and have reread it twice.

The script is genious, and the performance was gutwrenching. I have never cried in the theater, but I found myself in tears several times and have never seen such a somber final bow, as a few of the actors were also in tears as they were walking off the stage.

Lydia was commissioned by the Denver Center. It is the story of a Mexican immigrant family's attempt to recover from the horrible accident that befell their only daughter the day before her quinceanera. The story uses magical realism to allow the daughter, who has suffered severe brain damage, to share her thoughts on the demise of her family since the accident two years prior. It fully explores the struggles of immigrant families, coming of age in America, and domestic violence.

On top of the love triangles, the family dynamic, and the addition of a maid to help take care of the daughter, the story delves into all aspects of sexuality (the play is for mature audiences only): the first sexual urges in childhood, sexuality of persons who are disabled, homosexuality, sexual relationships in later marriage, and even incest.

What is stunning about the way in which Solis created his story is that the audience is so involved in the lives of his characters, that one barely notices how much ground he covers. If I were to sit down and just list every theme he uses within his script, any editor would suggest cutting back. How is it possible to do such work in a mere two and a half hours?

Solis has done it, because the world he created is completely tangible. The family is grappling with many things at one time, like any family. If you're in the Denver area, you should see this play before it closes on March 1. Hopefully, the play will move on from the Denver Center to be performed all over the country, especially because it has generated a bit of very deserving Pulitzer buzz.

For more information:
Denver Center website
Review of Lydia in Colorado BackStage
Small biography of Octavio Solis
Review of Lydia in Denver Post