Family takes care of family.
Tensions run high when three tightly bonded but very different sisters join together to care for their ailing parents. However, one sister’s harrowing secret will change everything.
With stirring direction by David Mendizábal, The Huntington continues Ricardo Pérez González’s tragicomedy Don’t Eat the Mangoes live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston Massachusetts through Sunday, April 27. This bilingual production contains strong language, adult content and runs 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Though the production is mostly delivered in English, you may enjoy it more thoroughly if you are familiar with Spanish. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Set in Puerto Rico in 2019, Tanya Orellana’s impressive scenic design unveils a seemingly functional house complete with a laundry room, yard, and a towering mango tree hovering over a portion of the house. An eclectic mix of dishes and items scattered in the kitchen and stacked on built in shelves create a natural, lived in atmosphere with a dated fridge and latticed wooden embellishments. This is just a portion of this extraordinary cement house that details subtle signs of mold and wear and tear on the family home. The house rotates from scene to scene unveiling the action in each room.
Jake Rodriguez creates an effective and occasionally immersive sound design most notably when a storm knocks the power out. The flash and crash blended with Cha See’s flickering bulbs, illuminating candles and startling lightning makes for a wild event. Alexandra Buschman-Román and Jason Stamberger’s mystical original music amplifies the production’s mercurial changes in mood from foreboding and suspenseful to catchy and lighthearted with music compositions infusing dance genres such as bomba and flamenco.
Jessica Pimentel as organized loan officer Ismelda, Yesenia Iglesias as married and family oriented middle sister Yinoelle, and Evelyn Howe as activist professor Wicha know their roles when it comes to their parents. While Ismelda lives with her parents, Yinoelle and Wisha assist where they can when they come to visit. Zoë Sundra costumes reflects each character’s individuality through sharp and stylish costumes in vibrant patterns and tropical designs from sharp pant suits to colorful crocs to denim and athleisure.
Not only does this trio share their joys, sorrows, and annoyances, but their snappy sibling rapport occasionally inspires harsh comments and resentment that cut deep and to the quick. It is as if they are so tightly bonded that they can’t help but occasionally step over the line. José Ramón Rosario portrays their ailing and temperamental father Papi who had a stroke and is bedridden dealing with other medical issues. With startling outbursts, Rosario exudes an implied dominance as Papi and even as he sits in his wheelchair, he commands immediate attention ringing a bell for any and all of his needs. Susanna Guzman depicts instantly likeable, headstrong and realist Mami who has been battling cancer. Ismelda is evidently overwhelmed, overwrought but dedicated tending to their parents and while her two siblings are helpful, Papi prefers Ismelda to handle things. With slumped shoulders and tightly wound tendencies, Pimentel exemplifies Ismelda’s anxiety, the weight of her worries and the pressure to do right by her family.
Don’t Eat the Mangos delves into many dark places including abuse, trauma, PTSD, and fanaticism. It approaches tough subjects with dark humor that can provide relief and some of it is just heartbreaking. It also offers some very funny and relatable family humor exploring cultural traditions, complications and challenges growing up in this Puerto Rican family. It has many tense moments, but its heartwarming connection between the sisters is among the production’s brightest spots. This is especially evident in a moment when the three sisters are trying to piece together a song from their childhood. The scene is brought together in a beautifully organic way and reflects the true nature of the lifelong bond between these siblings.
The production also delivers more than a few stunning revelations. Susanna Guzman as Mami and José Ramón Rosario as Papi also hold their own in an escalating, powerful and alarming scene. Guzman’s Mami may be ailing, but she is a force to be reckoned with.
The Huntington continues Ricardo Pérez González’s tragicomedy Don’t Eat the Mangoes live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston Massachusetts through Sunday, April 27. Click here for more information and for tickets.