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by Evelina Fernandez

Directed by Debra Gallegos
June 3-July 1

Faith, Hope, and Charity comprise Evelina Fernandez's series, A Mexican Trilogy. Together the plays tell the story of the Moraleses, a Mexican-American family over a period of 100 years. The plays depict aspects of tradition, religion, labor issues, war, and the clash between immigrants and their first and second-generation American offspring.

Charity, the final play in the series, takes up this American family story as the world mourns the death of Pope John Paul II. The centenarian matriarch of the family is visited by spirits of her past including her husband and her great-grandson slain in Iraq. A young, distant relative from Mexico suddenly arrives full of idealism about the opportunities he will find in the United States. Although she has seen her share of tragedy, Esperanza continues to hold the family together with her wit and authenticity.

Esperanza’s family is filled with colorful and lively characters who love and care for her. Gina, her granddaughter, and her husband, Rudy, experienced the aftermath of the Viet Nam War for many in their family and became anti-war activists, only to see their only son killed in yet another war. The youngest generation of the Morales family, especially Valentina, her great-granddaughter, have special bond with Esperanza which helps the family find the courage to take the next steps in their journey.

While Charity is the culmination of A Mexican Trilogy, it stands beautifully as a story on its own as it explores the universal need to belong that we all share--to family, to culture, to country.