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Review Mon Aug 29 2011
Corazón de Manzana at the DCA Theatre
Corazón de Manzana is a dark, serious and vast play that incorporates many facets of human emotion. The play follows three families in Canada, America and Mexico as they struggle with a post-NAFTA North America.
I don't want to spoil too much of the plot, as this is a must-see, but the crux of this play is the discovery in America by Women's Studies professor Denise (Yadira Correa) that there have been a series of murders of women in Juarez, Mexico. While Denise tries to wrap her head around this atrocity, 17-year-old Sara (Katie Herbert) in Canada, tries to balance becoming a young woman with managing her aggressive mother (Ilyssa Fradin). Oh, yeah, she's also received a heart transplant. In Mexico, 7-year-old Mazi (Cruz Gonzalez) begins a terrifying journey into a magical land that she may never return from.
These three very different stories are connected with a thread that becomes stronger as the play progresses. The acting is wonderful (especially that of Cruz Gonzalez, who actually convinces us she is indeed 7, although the actress is in fact a young woman), and the quick scenery changes allow for a clean, seamless experience.
This play is a must see, because it addresses an extremely important problem that is often overlooked when we discuss the benefits of globalization. If truly art can inform as well as entertain, this play accomplishes that.
Corazón de Manzana runs through Sept. 25 in the DCA Theatre's Storefront Theater, 78 E. Washington St. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students, available online or at the box office.