Demonstrating their dedication to diverse, unique plays, Mercury Theater is presenting an all-female cast and crew production of Enfrascada, a dark comedy that blends humor, folk magic and sisterhood. Directed by frequent Bohemian contributor Beulah Vega, the play opens April 24 and runs through May 10 at Mercury Theater in Petaluma.
Vega had been eyeing the Tanya Saracho play for years and relished the opportunity to present a story featuring, as she says, “women of the global majority.” Indeed, the story is about Latina/Latine women and their bonding over the use of Brujería, hoodoo and Santería magic in order to help Alicia (Reilly Milton) win back her boyfriend.
Lexus Fletcher, who plays Yesenia, emphasizes that Enfrascada is unique because it features “a full cast of women of color who get to express themselves in not only English but Spanish. I believe it is important to show female friendship through the lens of women of color, which is something you don’t see often in this county.”
On the script being non-Eurocentric, Vega notes that the show “doesn’t ask for allyship. It’s a play about four women who are friends and are Latine. To me, the simple act of allowing us to tell a story about just existing in the world without having to apologize for it is an act of resistance.” Vega says that the story appeals because it is “literally like hanging out with a group of your female friends, including cookies, tequila and killer stilettos.”
Vega is particularly proud of the all-female representation among the crew, stating: “Recently, I was sent a press release for a show marketed as ‘all female,’ but the design team was all men. Ours is an all-female play, so I did what I always strive to do with an all-female play: All my designers are women or female-identifying. I don’t think that should be newsworthy.”
She continues: “My hope is that all theaters … have taken a long, hard look at whose story is being told and why… I hope that the mindset of every one of my colleagues is “People of color are allowed to exist on stage without asking for white approval.”
This awareness makes Enfrascada a notable addition to the socially and politically relevant programming that Mercury produces. Art is especially potent when it meets the moment, and Enfrascada, with its emphasis on the female experience of women of color, builds upon that mission.
Mercury Theater presents ‘Enfrascada’ April 24–May 10 at 3333 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. Thur–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $20–$35. 707.658.9019. mercurytheater.org.
