MY MAÑANA COMES
Written by Elizabeth Irwin
Directed by Armando Molina
Produced by Stephen Sachs
Starring Richard Azurdia, Pablo Castelblanco, Peter Pasco and Lawrence Stallings
RAVE REVIEWS!
People’s World – “STUNNING THEATRE!… director, Armando Molina, who has made a career of Latino theater [ ] keeps the rapid-fire, non-stop crackerjack dialogue tightly calibrated to [ ] split-second timing… The scenic and production design by Michael Navarro is stunning… Dillon Nelson, responsible for props design and set dressing, also rates kudos… Jennifer Edwards as the lighting designer rates another star review… THE ACTING IS ALL TOP-NOTCH.” – Eric A. Gordon
Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes – “[A] DON’T MISS PRODUCTION… flawlessly directed… an exemplar of ensemble acting. The players are extraordinary, displaying split-second timing while engaging each other in rapid-fire verbiage… characters and situations that touch the heart, culminating in a sudden, stunning climax and a poignant dénoument.” – Paul Myrvold
BroadwayWorld.com – “SO INNOVATIVE. SO EFFECTIVE… very talented cast… ingenious scene changes… Lawrence Stallings commands the stage as Peter… Richard Azurdia effortlessly exhibits Jorge’s humility, his integrity, his commitment to his family… Pablo Castelblanco charms as the wide-eyed immigrant still having the naiveté for the American dream… Peter Pasco’s simply perfect as Whalid, the fast-talking, unsympathetic asshole with no respect or concern for anyone else except himself… All the stage business – precise fruit cuttings, condiment fillings, utensils sorting, napkin folding – all accurately spot-on… WONDERFUL THEATRICS!” – Gil Kaan
Theatre Spoken Here and Not Born Yesterday – “POWERFUL… meticulous direction… brilliant performances… Great theater reminds us of our common humanity.” – Morna Martell
Discover Hollywood – “My Mañana Comes FEATURES EFFERVESCENT PEFORMANCES OF A SENSITIVE AND KNOWING SCRIPT EXQUISITELY DIRECTED… The language and choreography of My Mañana Comes is spot on. Writer Elizabeth Irwin has captured the subtle nuances of the language of bus boys. Director Armando Molina did a masterful job capturing the flavor of restaurant kitchens. In particular the scene changes were very artistically done with an innovative sound design by Christopher Moscatiello and light design by Jennifer Edwards… DON’T MISS THIS ONE.” – Suzanne Birrell
Stage Raw – “RECOMMENDED! – Immigration issues are bandied about in political discourse in the media every day, but the lives of kitchen workers and janitors and fruit pickers are rarely brought to the stage. Kudos to New York-based playwright Elizabeth Irwin for doing just that… Deftly directed by Armando Molina… socially relevant… a political piece with a sharp and meaningful message.” – Deborah Klugman
Los Angeles Times – “A NUANCED EXPLORATION OF THE LIMITS OF HUMAN COMPASSION IN DESPERATE TIMES… Peter and Whalid are American citizens, Jorge and Pepe are not, but they are a team, working together like parts of a machine on Michael Navarro’s jewel of a kitchen set. They’re ENGAGING PERFORMERS, and director Armando Molina choreographs their dance with a chaotic harmony that, along with Irwin’s sharply observed banter, conveys a strong bond. They may trash-talk one another, but at the end of the day, each has the others’ backs… The cast and crew have reproduced the atmosphere of a restaurant kitchen with meticulous care… when the plot finally does kick in, with an abrupt, heartbreaking twist, the time we’ve spent getting to know these men pays off.” – Margaret Gray
The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses – “ “SUPERB… we are carried away by the forward momentum of these characters, their hopes and dreams and frustrations… I’d like to point out the really superb job these four did doing the job of busboy!” – David MacDowell Blue
EdgeMediaNetwork – “This is a fine play given the usual Fountain attention, continuing their proper place in West Coast Theatre: EXCITING, RELEVANT, ENJOYABLE… [Elizabeth] Irwin gives these men lively backgrounds, showing off their strengths as humans as well as their political weaknesses… Her dramatic set-ups are intriguing, exposing the managers’ and owners’ disregard for their workers’ emotional and physical health, along with the ways survival-mentality hurts everyone. Director Armando Molina has a firm grip on the action, keeping the arc of the play smooth. The time advancements are handled uniquely by the movement- director, Sylvia Bush, with slo-mo segueing into normal action, to festive music on Michael Navarro’s working set… EYE-OPENING. – Dale Reynolds
The Hollywood Times – “A RIVETING PLAY!… This powerful play reminds us of the struggles of the undocumented workers in America and the issue of minimum wage… keeps the audience on the edge of their seat… Lawrence Stallings (Peter) puts on a brilliant and passionate performance as he attempts to provide a life for his daughter… Peter Pascos plays Whalid, the young American just looking for a little cash to play with. He will make you laugh the entire way through… Richard Azurdia puts on a powerful performance as a Mexican immigrant sending money to his family back home. Azurdia will leave you speechless as he struggles with making enough money to provide for his family back home in Mexico and his feelings of guilt for being away from his children… Pablo Castelblanco will bring a smile to your face as he plays the young, naive immigrant trying to achieve the American Dream… DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, CHECK IT OUT!” – Joe Morgan
Gia On The Move – “PLAYFUL YET DEEPLY POTENT… a timely immersion into the very real struggles the working class face… charming… engaging… specifically written to be performed by actors of color, yet is targeted for audiences of all shades (a welcome treat to both acting and theater-going communities)… superb recreation of a kitchen in an upscale eatery… provocative ending… a testament to human dignity.”
Capital & Main – “THE ACTING IS UNIFORMLY EXCELLENT, with the men forging palpable bonds that seem as strong as steel. So when the drama in the last act boils over, the audience can almost feel the stinging heat from loyalty and camaraderie betrayed. Armando Molina’s directing is solid and keeps the action moving, while special kudos go to scenic and production designer Michael Navarro’s spot-on kitchen set. Playwright Irwin’s experience in kitchens is obvious, and while no individual bites stand out, the overall effect of her words is memorable. Her slice-of-life piece serves to provoke a broader rumination on workers’ rights in the food industry. As a result, it’s hard to walk away from Irwin’s searing play without thinking of the thousands of kitchens across this land where this experience plays out every day.” – Alex Demyanenko
LA Splash – “Playwright Elizabeth Irwin’s poignant tale of New York City kitchen workers… With 20-20 vision – but also humor – Irwin captures their lives and makes them real… Molina develops four very interesting characters as their lives intersect and they slowly share their fears and fantasies. He has the good fortune to have FOUR VERY TALENTED ACTORS to make this happen. MY MANANA COMES runs head-on into some of the very controversial issues of today and treats them with sensitivity and compassion… This is a timely and important play and well worth the price of admission.” – Elaine L. Mura
Larchmont Chronicle – “A fast-paced ballet… an excellent cast.” — Patricia Foster Rye
Los Feliz Ledger – “Filled with humor… illuminates the dreams of the underpaid… you come to care about their frustrations and their dreams… the camaraderie between the men is palpable… the actors were so convincing that I had to remind myself that they are actors, not real busboys… the choreography, which has the men rush from one place to another without colliding, is amazing and keeps the actors in almost perpetual motion… This is a charming play with a serious message. I’m sure that in the future I will have a different reaction to those who serve my food.” – Marilyn Tower Oliver
Santa Monica Daily Press – “MOVING… DELIGHTFUL… INCREDIBLY FUNNY… It’s a wonderful, powerful play, beautifully staged and directed by Armando Molina… four exceptionally fine actors.” – Cynthia Citron
Latin Heat Entertainment – “A THOUGHFUL, HUMOROUS, AND ENGAGING PLAY… It will likely make you laugh and make you think… Richard Azurdia, Pablo Castelblanco, Peter Pasco and Lawrence Stallings breathe forceful life into their roles… A SATISFYING EVENING IN THE THEATER.” – Luis Torres
StageSceneLA – “WOW! – an engrossing, eye-opening treat… REMARKABLE PLAY… My Manana Comes should be required viewing by any Trump or Arizona SB 1070 supporter, each of whom could benefit from attaching names and faces to the nameless, faceless immigrants they seem intent on demonizing. Still, even bleeding-heart liberals can learn a thing or two by spending an hour-and-a-half with Peter, Jorge, Pepe, and Whalid… Armando Molina directs My Mañana Comes with sensitivity, nuance, and brio, eliciting one superb performance after another—Stallings’ dynamic, focused Peter, Azurdia’s warmly paternal Jorge, Castelblanco’s adorably naïve Pepe, and Pasco’s edgy, intense Whalid—work made even more remarkable by the virtually nonstop restaurant “business” each one executes with razor-sharp precision.” – Steven Stanley
CultureVulture – “You can count on the Fountain Theatre to offer well produced and directed plays with top notch actors. Of all the many equity waiver theaters in and around Los Angeles, The Fountain is perhaps the most consistent… EXCELLENT ACTORS… It is hard not to lose your heart to these men.” – Karen Weinstein
PerformingArtsLive – “The cast is excellent. The story is important and powerful. It is one of our FEATURED events. GO!“
thru June 26th
Sat at 3 & 8
Sun at 3
PWYC Mondays at 8
Four busboys in the kitchen of an upscale restaurant learn the hard way how to deal with pay cuts that could jeopardize their dreams for a better life, their dignity and their friendship. Fast-paced, hip and funny, the play brings to colorful life the camaraderie, sharing of dreams, competition and traitorous backstabbing that climaxes with a powerful dramatic turn at the end. Immigration, the minimum wage crisis, rights for undocumented workers, and citizenship lie at the center of this fast-moving, funny and powerful new LA premiere that examines the true meaning of ”home” and how far we’re willing to go to get there.
