This is a LONG overdue post about a play which was not a commission, just something I did because I needed to write something joyful for my kids and my community during the pandemic lockdown. Fast forward to a few years later. It felt like Spring 2023 was all about Lotería. First, the play enjoyed a staged reading+ (I add "+" because it was beyond a staged reading in that the producing entity--the brilliant theatremakers of Northwestern U's Purple Crayon Players--actually created a pillow fort and had props and just made it so much fun) directed by Nini Bagundo. The following week, I popped on over to Silverthorne, CO to see the first full blown production at Theatre SilCo. Oof. Directed by Sara Rodriguez, this show quite simply slayed, as the kids say. It was beyond anything I could have imagined and my only regret is that I didn't bring my family to come see it. There are parts of that show that are easter eggs for my people and it's a little bit creepy how Sara was able to break into the recesses of my mind to find those specific "detalles" that made this show so epic (like how did she know that one song was such a seminal part of my family's history???). Having the audiences filled with kids who laughed, screamed, and tried to help the protagonists on their quest just made this experience so unbelievably magical. What a lucky playwright I am and thank you to every single human who helped shepherd this play, from every actor, dramaturg, reader, and especially to Ricky Araiza from Teatro Bravo and Jenny Millinger from Reimagine who took a chance on a Mexican girl, a board game, and a dream.
Wanna read this play? Because I'm on summer break and trying to catch up on the things I've ignored whilst in school, I finally put it up on NPX! Check it out here: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/2888745/%C2%A1loter%C3%ADa-game
Photos from Theatre SilCo's 2023 production of ¡Lotería: Game On! by Jesus Lopez
