Coming of age stories resonate more profoundly when they mirror the lived reality of a real person. That’s why the firecracker of a play, Hail Mary/Maria, that’s just begun its far too short run at Theater Wit, is must-see theater for just about anybody who counts themselves as a member of the human family. If you’ve ever been young or wracked with self-doubt, Hail Mary/Maria proves there are avenues that lead to clarity and self-actualization. Making the play act as a raucous, hugely humorous and often touching guide on how to find them.
Very much a reflection of playwright RJ Silva’s own experiences, the story follows the life of Kid (Juan Sedonio), a teenager who immigrated to the US with his mother from the Philippines when he was in the seventh grade. Now in an all-boys high school, he’s a little bit of a loner and completely hooked on the exploits of his favorite pro-wrestler, Maria. He’s also, with great misgivings, about to embark on his first journey into romance.
A badass brawler with heart, it’s Maria we first meet when the play opens. She pumps up the crowd with her bravado, high voltage smile and saucy hair flips. A stark contrast with the subdued and self-enclosed Kid, Maria’s the bolt of energy that serves to ignite a story that’s about to match her spirit.
The core of the play starts innocently enough in school with Kid, which is short for Kindness, sitting alone listening to music through his earbuds. He’s joined by another student who casually strikes up a conversation. Confident and friendly, the boy is feeling Kid out, trying to learn more about him. He trips over the typical stumbling blocks when it comes to pronouncing foreign names and learning new things about a different culture. But there’s no animus. He’s open and curious. They both tap into their recall and remember being aware of each other from previous school encounters. Blond and self-assured, the new arrival’s name is Jack and it’s clear he wants to be friends. Since Jack (Aidan Leake) is really into the new Avatar movie, we can tell it’s the original he’s talking about and that the play’s setting is fifteen years or so in the past.
We can see too from their exchange that Kid, although on the surface quiet and retiring, has some spunk to him. Once he begins talking about why he’s such a fan of the wrestling phenom, Maria, played with zestful impeccability by Carina Lastimosa, we get a glimpse of his animated side. To Kid, she’s an underdog who became the top dog. An inspiration. There’s a lot of pride that comes pouring through in his admiration for her.
We meet Kid’s other role model at home. It’s his Mom, Marie (Marie Tredway). The quintessential Filipina nurse; tireless, indispensable, magnanimous, Marie’s got an iron core that’s fortified and sustained by her faith and belief in Mama Mary. A figure most of us know as the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Kid’s household, she has a shrine set up in her honor and consulted by Kid as well as his Mom for guidance and advise. Filling two roles, Lastimosa shows how easily she can portray widely divergent personalities. As Mama Mary, she beautifully personifies a potent blend of compassion and enlightened understanding when responding to Kid’s solicitations.
Scenes that take you inside Kid’s home are some of the most moving and treasured in the production. Thanks in no small part to Katelyn Montgomery’s wonderfully evocative set. They’re portals into a world rich in tradition, strongly held belief and the type of family values that insure cohesion. Attributes that on one hand are wonderfully sublime and on the other almost quaint. The types of characteristics that may have once flourished in the American culture as well; but have long since dissipated or atrophied.
Very much a collaborative effort, Hail Mary/Maria is directed by Mr. Silva’s husband, Adam Reed. The unconventionality of the central character is complemented by an equally unorthodox directorial approach in Mr. Reed’s debut directing effort. One that fills the one-act performance with heaps of emotional and physical dynamism while encouraging plenty of audience interaction.
Pro wrestling of various shades have long been extremely popular in the Philippines. From the responses of the audience Saturday night, it has a strong following in this country too. Rather than conjuring it only through the imagination, Hail Mary/Maria brings it live and center stage, giving the uninitiated a taste of its electric appeal. The ploy works beautifully, making Hail Mary/Maria as much a rewarding visceral charge as it is a splendid theatrical offering.
From that initial conversation between Kid and Jack, you somehow know Jack had more than friendship on his mind when he sat down next to Kid that day. And he likely sensed that Kid was interested in him, too. As we all know, a lot can be transmitted in a simple glance.
Kid and Jack inch their way toward understanding one another and liking each other even more as their familiarity grows. Something that triggers trepidation and even fear in Kid. How can he reconcile who he is with what he thinks should be? How that dilemma is resolved is what makes this project so appealing. There’s a wholesomeness to it that feels very honest. The solid gold cast help make Hail Mary/Maria a treasure. Both Sedonio and Leake fill their roles with the kind of intangibles that make what they present on stage memorable. A statement that’s just as true for Lastimosa and Tredway. You can’t help but want to see them all in other works that showcase their skill and gifts as well as this project one does.
The only pressing question now might be, what’s the fledgling entertainment enterprise going to roll off their runway next?
Hail Mary/Maria
Presented by Nova Entertainment
Thursday, August 20th - 7:30pm
Friday, August 21st – 7:30pm
Saturday, August 22nd - 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, August 23rd - 2:30pm
Venue: Theater Wit in Theater 2
1229 W. Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
For more information and tickets: https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/602/performances
Highly Recommended
