“Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy” shines at the Los Angeles Theatre Center

Evelina Fernandez’s “Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy” explores family resilience and social change in 1960s America.

By Kaia Mann, Staff Writer 

Photo courtesy of lavc.edu

Set in an era of a promising presidency, Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy brings to the stage a family that uplifts one another while navigating the changing landscape of 1960s America. 

The Latino Theatre Company in collaboration with LACCD campuses presented Evelina Fernandez's Mexican Trilogy: Faith, Hope & Charity, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela. Valley College performed part two, ushering in the new frontier and intriguing audiences. 

With a runtime of 2 hours, including a 10-minute intermission, Hope flew by. The pacing was quick, each scene melting right into the next. 

In Hope, the Morales family grows closer, faced with global and familial threats. Despite the name, there is a sense of dread throughout, with audiences aware of the coming tragedy set for the new president. While the country is going through a difficult change, so is the titular family. 

Elena (Raylene Marquez Lopez), is forced to reevaluate her life and marriage to Charlie (Rubén Gabriel Hernández), a cheating and abusive husband and father. This realization set several events in motion, changing the lives of our main characters.

While the play deals with heavy themes like suicide, abuse, and war, it is full of humor. The funniest scenes involved Betty (Justine Ortega), “speaking” to JFK on the phone. These calls served as an intensely creative way to show the thoughts and feelings of the main character while remaining lighthearted. 

The Los Angeles Theater Company is the perfect venue to display this trilogy, with a tantalizing '60s set, large TV screens, and projection of narratively connected videos. The screens on the stage dually serve as set pieces. Audiences could look into them and see bedrooms where the actors, not on center stage, would sit in character.  

This set would not have been nearly as captivating if not for the creative sound design. Nuclear sirens pierced the air and there was nary a quiet moment. Through the usage of sound, the play was able to take on the correct tone for each scene whether it be surreal, humourous, or melancholy. 

This being said, the sound mixing was troublesome, especially during the musical numbers. Hope featured iconic ‘60s songs like “Shout” and “Please Mr. Postman,” which were hurt by too-loud music and too-quiet singing. The songs added little to the story and halted the movement of the play.

Despite this, Alejandro Cuauhtémoc, who played Enrique, was captivating, serving as a powerful presence in both acting and singing. Ángel Vásquez playing Bobby was another standout, able to convey sibling and parent dynamics while capturing the audience's attention. 

Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy was an entertaining look into the Morales family after the Mexican Revolution. Those involved are dedicated to telling this story, and the story is worth being told.