What Happened to Maria?

Dead Girl’s Quinceañera

Enjoying its World Premiere at the Goodman Theatre, Phanesia Pharel’s first full-length play, DEAD GIRL’S QUINCEANERA, is a very funny, often chilling and sometimes somber comic thriller. It takes place in Miami during an important right of passage for all young Latina ladies. When fifteen-year-old Maria mysteriously disappears during her Quinceañera, her three Latina gal pals, Salma, Este and her cousin, Phoebe, set out to solve the mystery of what happened to Maria?

Maria was last seen enjoying her Quinceañera, surrounded by her family and friends. But suddenly the party came to an unexpected halt, due to some sort of emergency. Then, following the out-of-the-blue crisis, Maria simply disappeared into thin air. Despite her three friends’ texting and trying to reach her by phone, there’s been no contact with the young girl for almost an entire day and night. So Este and Phoebe begin working tirelessly in a race against time. Under Salma’s confident leadership, Phoebe and Este try to solve this real life mystery and rescue their best friend.

Talented playwright Phanesia Pharel has written an enjoyable play that is unique. Quite likely, she’s written the very first play centered around a Quinceañera, an important Latin American coming-of-age celebration. In the Hispanic culture, when a girl turns fifteen, a religious ceremony and party mark her transition from childhood to adulthood. The event becomes an observance of life, growth and family unity, most often beginning with a Catholic Mass, during which the girl is given a special blessing, a Bible and a rosary. Then a festive afternoon and evening follows with the teenager, clothed in a lavish ballgown, receives a tiara, as queen of the evening. Next, her godfather trades her childhood shoes for adult heels and a choreographed dance between the girl and her father marks the commencement of the festivities. The event is filled with music, dancing, revelry and a profusion of delicious foods. But for Maria, we learn that this important, once-in-lifetime event, was unexpectedly interrupted and now the young girl is nowhere to be found.

Award-winning director, teacher and artistic leader Melia Bensussen leads the first, exciting production of Phanesia Pharel’s comic thriller. The Goodman premiere is a co-production with both the Barrington Stage and Hartford Stage, as part of Chicago’s Latino Theater Alliance’s Destiny’s Festival. During the run of the show, the theatre has planned several special events that promise to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of Ms. Bensussen’s production. They can be found by going to the Goodman website.

The cast of this ensemble show couldn’t be better. Each of the actors also plays a significant male character in this story and there’s a lot typical fast, teenage, talk-over dialogue. Beginning with one of my favorite Chicago actors, gifted Ariana Burks returns to the Goodman Theatre (seen there in LIFE AFTER and 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL), fresh off her Broadway run of REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, as well as the inspiring National Tour of SUFFS. The magnificent Ms. Burks brilliantly portrays Maria’s cousin and good friend, Phoebe. Her performance is definitely award worthy because Ariana provides the pulse and beating heart of this story. Not only her friend, but with close family ties to the missing girl, Phoebe becomes the most frantic and eager of the three young ladies trying to find Maria. Ms. Burks, for this audience member, is the central character of the play.

Taking the reins of the girls’ amateur investigation, Jacqueline Guillen is powerful and often hilarious as the strong-willed Salma. The young lady, a fan of true crime reality shows and the internet, has morphed into a “Nancy Drew on steroids,” as one character describes her. Salma has turned her bedroom into Investigation Central, with a large bulletin sporting post-it notes containing all the Who, What and Where, along with some Facts and Motive information as new information is discovered. In this beautifully realized role, Ms. Guillen, a New York actor who’s been seen on several popular TV shows, plays a take-charge teenager who is continually showing off her knowledge of crime research. Jacqueline is a powerhouse in this production.

As Este, the pretty, but spacey third member of the crime-solving girl group, Carmen Berkeley is ideally cast in the role. Carmen is also a New York actress, having appeared Off-Broadway in OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD. Portraying Este, Ms. Berkeley provides much of the gentle humor in this production, often coming off as the most hilarious and dense of the three amateur sleuths. But in Ms. Berkeley’s capable hands, Este is a gentle, genuinely caring and deeply memorable young lady who has much to contribute in the search for Maria.

The fourth cast member is Andrea Ferro, as the missing birthday girl, Maria. This lovely, talented, Venezuelan-American actor is also based in New York City. Enjoyed there in performances ranging from LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET to BIG LOVE, as well as appearing in a Miami production of ANNA IN THE TROPICS, she portrays the character the audience is waiting to see and learn more about. What Ms. Ferro brings to this production in its final scene is powerful and provides the resolution to the mystery.

Goodman’s production features an incredible set design by Sara Brown that magically transforms from Salma’s bedroom into a number of other locations. Dan Kotlowitz’s clever lighting not only illuminates the playing area, it also add a few special effects. Raquel Adorno’s thoughtful costumes, not only clothe her characters in their individual, everyday wardrobe; she also creates an array of gorgeous, Cinderella-worthy Quinceañera gowns for all four young women.

Filled with humor, teenage bravado and a mystery that theatergoers will be trying to solve before the three super sleuths in the play, DEAD GIRL’S QUINCEANA presents a new world and culture to many theatergoers. Phanesia Pharel’s first full-length play is most promising. As directed by Melia Bensussen it gives audiences an entertaining and chilling brain twister that’s perfect for this time of year. The one-act is liberally laced with unexpected comedy, and it’s brought to life by a quartet of lovely, extremely talented Latina actresses. But it all comes down to the question of the evening: What happened to Maria?               

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented September 26-November 1 by the Goodman Theatre on the Owen Stage, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 312-443-3800 or by going to www.goodmantheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos by Justin Barbin