When choosing which plays to produce, theater companies tend to forget that a lot can change in 24 years.
For example, no one would watch Death of a Salesman and think, “This is current American culture.” Sure, it’s part of the American cultural collective, but it doesn’t represent contemporary society.
Why, then, when choosing a play to “recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month…celebrating Latin music and culture,” as 6th Street Playhouse’s marketing states for their season-opening jukebox musical, 4 Guys Named José… And Una Mujer Named María, would one choose a play that is 24 years old?
The show, conceived by David Coffman and Dolores Prida and featuring book and song selections by Prida, is an important play in Latino-American history. One of the first all-Latine musicals, it helped pave the way for shows like In the Heights.
Four men, Jose Cubano (Maick Poroj), Jose Dominicano (Jonathen Blue), Jose Boricua (Ben Roots) and Jose Mexicano (Ismael Armando Ramos), are all in Omaha, Nebraska, for… reasons? They meet in a restaurant called “Burrito World.” The men decide that since they are homesick, they should put on a show at the local VFW hall to share their cultures with the community.
Boricua also recruits his next-door neighbor, Maria. But on the day of the show, Maria sends her roommate, also named Maria (Reilly Milton), to fill in for her. Unfortunately for the men, this recently dumped Maria has no plans to be the submissive Spanish senorita and quickly throws their show off track.
While Blue, Roots and Ramos give subdued performances, Poroj and Milton have charisma and energy to spare. The cast was at their best when the plot was forgotten. Dances were well choreographed (director/choreographer Erin Rose Solorio), though the group work was sometimes sloppy. The songs were performed well, especially Ramos’ moving solo during “Mi Tierra.”
The set by Christine Vondralee-Sternhill was jarring until one realized the play was taking place in an old VFW hall. With that knowledge, the faux wood trim, fake ficus and garish decor do a fantastic job of replicating those funky old stages found in town halls nationwide. The costumes, by Adrianna Gutierrez, were an odd mishmash that read as though the production team was unsure if they should look professional or if four guys pulled things from their closets.
This is a hard show to review. If audiences don’t see shows by and about people of color, then theaters won’t produce them. I cannot stress enough how much the community needs to support theaters doing these shows. For my fellow Latines, there are some funny digs at the stereotypes we’ve all dealt with (hello, Burrito World). But if one is looking for currently relevant Latine culture, this isn’t it.
As my Gen Z Latine niece said, “It was good but kinda bland.” Good but bland is an accurate description or, as my family might say, “It’s gringo-spicy.”
‘4 Guys Named José… And Una Mujer Named María’ runs through Sept. 22 in the GK Hardt Theatre at 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Thurs-Sat., 7:30pm; Sat-Sun, 2pm. $29–$45. 707.523.4185. 6thstreeetplayhouse.com.
