Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of Hispanic and Latino American culture and history, will see Studio Theatre open its first-ever fully bilingual play, Espejos: Clean. The play features two characters, one of whom speaks almost exclusively in Spanish and one whose dialogue is almost entirely in English. Translated surtitles are projected on the back wall of the stage and on screens around the theatre.
Adriana (played by Legna Cedillo), the Head of Housekeeping at a posh Cancún resort, talks about her job as “partirme el lomo para hacer que el paraíso sea perfecto,” or “breaking my back to make paradise perfect.” She runs a tight ship, making sure every room at the resort is impeccably clean. Opposite her, Lauren Karaman as Sarah is a Canadian resort guest who just wants to fulfill her obligations as maid of honor for her sister’s destination wedding without having a complete breakdown. Sarah, despite her best efforts, seems to make messes as compulsively as Adriana cleans them up.
The Spanish word “espejos” translates into English as “mirror.” Espejos: Clean tells the story of two women who seem to have nothing in common, and yet when they finally come face-to-face, they find themselves reflecting truths that neither has been able to face. Christine Quintana’s remarkable story provides a potent look at isolation, the power of being seen, and the ways people can grow around their own damaged places, while the bilingual format allows both of these unique characters to present their authentic selves, in their own voices.
Studio Theatre’s 14th Street location near Logan Circle makes it easy to enjoy dinner before the show at one of many nearby Hispanic/Latino-owned restaurants before coming to the theatre for Espejos: Clean and this brilliant celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Buy tickets now at studiotheatre.org.
