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Review: Teatro Vista’s Momma’s Boyz
Review: Teatro Vista’s Momma’s Boyz
by Alexander Perry
Running through December 4th, Teatro Vista’s Momma’s Boyz follows the story of three friends living in Chicago’s south side: the good-hearted yet timid Mimic, the charming yet brash Shine, and the aggressive yet insecure Thug. The plot begins at the end- with Shine’s funeral- and works its way backward to the fateful mistake that sets the tragic string of events in motion. Along the way, a glimmer of hope lingers underneath the inevitable doom: at Shine’s funeral, Mimic has a vision that perhaps second chances are possible.
By moving backwards in time, resident playwright Candido Tirado and director Ricardo Gutierrez’s production is able to play with character revelation and development. In the first few scenes, Thug is an unapologetic killer: his thick, intimidating exterior is incredibly unlikeable. However, as we move further back in his history, we see how this coarse skin grew and the immense insecurity underneath. While Shine and Mimic do not have as radical character arcs, their development is still profound. Mimic begins (or ends?) as a man finally chasing his dreams as an actor and ends (or begins?) as a timid kid who can’t see outside a few blocks around the projects. Shine’s arc spans between a man with a recording studio and a new baby on the way to a playful kid who loves making fun of his friends. What’s fascinating about these arcs is that the inciting action that puts their fate’s in motion- for good and ill- is the decision to deal drugs.
At its heart, Momma’s Boyz is a morality play about the power of friendship and second chances. It could easily be interpreted with one simple message: don’t deal drugs. However, the play’s narrative tapestry and rich character development makes things a little more complex underneath this moralistic surface. At the very end of the play- when the critical opportunity for second chances opens up- the decision to do things differently is not so easy since there aren’t many viable alternatives. Don’t deal drugs- but then do what? Each of our protagonists have huge dreams: Shine wants to start a recording studio, Mimic wants to take acting lessons, Thug- well, Thug wants to be Al Pacino in Scarface. This textured morality- outside of the black and white morality- adds dramatic weight to the final scene and saves the play from a very after-school-special vibe.
Mr. Tirado’s script, as capably directed by Ricardo Gutierrez, sings in the first act, swiftly moving through dramatic, funny, and tragic scenes that reveal character even as they heighten the dramatic tension. This tightly-plotted first act stumbles a bit in the much looser second act, as months pass between leaps in time. While the first act is incredibly efficient and packed with effective character work, these second act scenes seem to wander a bit. However, the characters are engaging even if the plot is a little meandering and better served in a one-act play.
The production’s design team transforms the Chicago Dramatist’s small space into a south-side street corner complete with jutting curbs, graffitied walls, and trash strewn nooks and crannies. Projections of graffitied titles showing the passage of time help the audience follow the rewinding plot. The costumes work well as our three protagonists are slowly stripped of bling as time retreats. A particularly moving scene highlights the lighting and sound design teamwork, where Shine (newly shot) bargains with God underneath a blinding spot-light while the divine voice (in the form of bells) rings. These design elements nicely evoke an urban feel without feeling stereotypical or over-the-top.
The real draw in this production, though, is the superb character work by Steve Casillas (Mimic), Jesse David (Thug), and Marvin Quijada (Shine). Working with Candido Tirado’s script, these young actors embody their characters fully and bring a lived-in and realistic feel to their every movement and word. Thug, Mimic, and Shine feel like real people and are incredibly sympathetic, even with (or perhaps, because of?) all of their bravado and character flaws.
Teatro Vista’s engaging Momma’s Boyz runs through December 4th at the Chicago Dramatists space at Chicago and Milkwaukee. Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a gritty yet funny tale of friendship, hope, and second chances.
