By Elia Esparza
The hit baby-boomer comedy, 57 CHEVY, about an immigrant family’s misadventures in the mid-century suburbs of the San Fernando Valley, has played to standing ovations in San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Houston and East, and West L.A. This summer of 2019, 57 CHEVY continues its comedic quest by cruising to Beverly Hills’ pastoral TreePeople Park on the weekend of August 23rd and 24th. One week later, it will be the featured showcase production of San Diego Repertory’s New Latinx Play Festival on the evening of (Saturday) August 31st.
The one-man comedic tour-de-force garnered rave reviews for both its star, Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas:
“Magnetic” and “Hilarious” — Los Angeles Times and L.A. WEEKLY
Emmy Award-winning writer Franco attributes his play’s staying power to its timeless subject matter.
“Everyone can relate to feeling like you don’t belong. In 1964, our famiia packed up our Chevy and moved from our diverse, old, South Central neighborhood to a brand new housing tract where the streets, kids, and houses all looked the same. We moved to the San Fernando Valley.”
What follows is 75 uproarious minutes exploring the playwright’s bicultural-bilingual childhood. “Our living room furniture was covered in clear plastic to keep it looking ‘beautiful’.
My Old World dad forbade my teenage sisters from going ‘piyama parties’. My mom spoke a hybrid-Spanglish (saying “baby-city” for “babysitter”). We five kids were squeezed into a tiny tract house in Mission Hills all under the watchful stare of ‘Gringo Stalker Jesus’ – that picture of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus with the eyes that follow you around.”
Chockfull of retro-references — at one point the young narrator imagines he’s astronaut John Glenn orbiting over his relatives in Mexico City — it’s much more than a joyously nostalgic valentine to a more welcoming era. In these days when immigrant families are being maligned, the piece has taken on a weighty new relevance. Veteran agitprop actor/writer Salinas puts it this way,
I’ve been performing political theater for 30-plus years, and as light and entertaining as 57 CHEVY appears on the outside, it may be my most political work so far.” –Ric Salinas
Both audiences and critics praise the subtly powerful and far-reaching message. Tony Garcia, avant-garde Chicano director of Denver’s historic Su Teatro Cultural Arts Center christened it, “An evocative and poignant coming-of-age masterpiece.” And, journalist Dale Reynolds of Stage & Cinema applauded the show’s wholesome take as “Daring to be optimistic.”
The show’s newest fan is renowned television writer/producer Tommy Lynch, who has recently optioned the property for adaption into a family sitcom. Why?
“Because I love this show,” says the kid’s TV hitmaker. “From the moment I first read it, I was taken by the story’s big heart and bigger laughs!” Franco reflected saying, “I’m hoping these true-life anecdotes recounting the lighter side of our family’s assimilation will bring some healing laughter at this challenging time. I think they will.”
To join in the healing laughter of 57 CHEVY at TreePeople Park Amphitheater on (Friday) August 23rd and (Saturday) August 24th @ 8 PM log onto www.treepeople.org/canyonnights. To see 57 CHEVY on Saturday, August 31st @ 7 PM at San Diego Repertory’s Latinx New Play Festival log onto https://securesite.sdrep.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=13170
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