Esperanza Rising is a world premiere commissioned by First Stage. It is adapted for the stage by Alvaro Saar Rios with original music by Dinorah Marquez and is based on the book by Pam Munoz Ryan. This is the most personal and poignant play that First Stage has presented this season and maybe in the period that I have been enjoying their plays.
First Stage is a tremendous youth theater opportunity for both audience members and young aspiring actors. When they play at the Todd Wehr theater they usually present large scale musicals with wonderful choreography and of course, music, with large ensembles of adult and young actors, and dynamic presentations around characters well known to their young audience.
Esperanza Rising is a bit different. Dinorah Marquez has provided some very memorable songs and music that celebrates Mexican culture and family. These songs are sometimes sung by the ensemble and sometimes by individual characters in the play. But here they support the storytelling instead of being a major force in the play. And that adds to the personal. And the storytelling is key.
And a quick reminder. When First Stage presents these larger plays at the Todd Wehr, the core cast of adults remains constant, but the young actors rotate via alternating casts. So I saw the Hope cast on Sunday May 4th, 2025. So if you are hoping to see a particular young actor, check the link below to see which cast (Hope or Dream) they are a part of and when they are performing.
The play is set in the 1930s and begins in Mexico where Esperanza is growing up on her family’s farm. Her father is a very wealthy land owner and the 1930s were a turbulent time and after a pair of family tragedies, Esperanza’s mother decides to move to California along with some of the staff from their farm. They settle in a migrant farm camp and for the first time in her life Esperanza confronts hardship and poverty and the need to work. It is a growing experience for a young girl who is about to turn 13 when we meet her. And this is a very special story about the importance of family and community.
Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
There are five adult roles around Esperanza, but three adult actors. Ashley Marie Rodriguez is Mama. A confident and strong woman who so obviously loves her family but makes a tough decision in the face of adversity and wishes nothing more than a better future for her daughter. Laura Crotte plays both Abuelita and Hortensia. As Abuelita she is the doting grandmother to Esperanza who lovingly teaches her to knit. She too has to make some tough decisions. And Crotte smoothly transitions to Hortensia, a practical and emphatic woman who befriends Esperanza’s family in California. And David Flores is Papa and Alfonso. First a caring and doting father who always gives his daughter a doll for her birthday and does so again for her 13th. But this one takes on more meaning and Esperanza cherishes it. Flores is also simply solid and practical as Alfonso as he moves his family to California and helps Mama and Esperanza reach there as well.
Now, there are two storytellers per the cast list. They are the narrators who fill in the back story and history of the period as well as fill in the relationships of the characters and at times tell us what the characters are thinking. They also get to play a number of small parts: the ‘bad’ guys in Mexico in silly silly mustaches, the immigration agent in California, and a police officer. The storyteller roles are played by young actors from the alternating casts. On Sunday they were played by Lucia Harris and Eleanor Dysart with flair and grace but a bit of comedic posturing when on stage as the ‘bad’ guys, and a certain bit of menace as the border agent or police officer.
RISING. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
There are three other young person roles. Miguel who is Alfonso’s son, childhood friend of Esperanza, and shall we say, love interest. Thomas Alberto Bastardo makes a suave and thoughtful Miguel, an optimistic youth and like his father, someone who can get things done. And Isabel, a young girl at the migrant farm who is paired with Esperanza to baby sit Isabel’s younger siblings. Aria Martinez is a delight with her curious questions and disbelief that Esperanza needs to be taught to change a diaper. They end up being very close in the end. And Marta, an activist and union organizer on the farm. Erin E. Frailing presents a very determined and focused Marta but… The storytellers are eager to march and chant her slogans.
There is some Spanish spoken at times but you don’t need to be bi-lingual to understand the meaning…it is apparent from the situation. And First Stage recommends Esperanza rising for young people 7 to 17 and theater lovers of all ages, I highly recommend this to adult theater goers even if you don’t have a child in tow. This story and these situations are pure drama and I think anyone interested in theater will enjoy this. And despite the era, the topics are very contemporary in their feel. First Stage has done an incredible job and again, I will say, this is a very poignant and rewarding presentation.
Esperanza Rising will continue from now until May 18, 2025 at the Todd Wehr Theater in Marcus Performing Arts Center. The play runs about 75 minutes with a short intermission.
Additional information and tickets can be found here.
And extra credit reading: The Playbill
RISING. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
And the final word from Isabel: “My Heart Is Dancing”.
