Lydia (play)
Lydia is a magical realist drama by Latino-American playwright Octavio Solis. The play first premiered in the Space Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on January 24, 2008. The production was directed by Juliette Carrillo. The play is partially inspired by Octavio Solis's own experiences growing up in El Paso, Texas. It explores the experience of a Mexican-American family living on the Texas–Mexico border, trying to live out their own version of the American Dream amidst the aftermath of an accident that changes all of their lives. Character List Ceci, the sister, aged 17 Misha, the younger brother, age 16 Rene, the older brother, age 19 Rosa, the mother Claudio, the father Alvaro, the cousin, age 22 Lydia, the maid Plot summary Act 1: The play opens with Ceci lying on her mattress in the Flores' family living room. She is in a semi-vegetative state for most of the play, making guttural noises for speech and barely being able to move her own body. This is because of a car crash that caused severe brain damage when she was fifteen. Throughout the play she has moments where she shape-shifts into the young woman she was before the accident. The play begins with Ceci having one of these moments, and she introduces each member of her family. Her mother Rosa has dealt with the pain of the car crash by becoming a devout Christian who believes that only God can make everything right. Ceci's younger brother Misha is a good boy who does well in school and likes to write poetry, while her older brother Rene is the bad boy who deals with his guilt over the accident via drinking and violent gay-bashing. Her father Claudio escapes by watching TV with his headphones on incessantly. To help with the family's financial situation, Rosa is about to go back to work, and she has hired an undocumented maid to care for Ceci and help with the cooking and cleaning. The maid arrives, and she immediately has a special connection with Ceci: she knows what Ceci needs and wants despite the fact that Ceci cannot talk coherently. The changes in the household upon Lydia's arrival become immediately apparent. The house is cleaner, the family is eating better, and Ceci seems to be happier. Alvaro, who is Rene, Misha and Ceci's cousin, has been away fighting in Vietnam for the last two years, but he is now back and he visits the family for the first time since the accident. He tells them that he is going to be working on border patrol now. Lydia brings Ceci out in what would have been her Quinceanera dress if she had not been in the accident. Claudio enters and gets angry because of Ceci wearing the dress and Misha takes the blame. Claudio takes Misha outside and brutally beats him as punishment. After Alvaro has left and Rene has fled the house in a state of grief and anger, Lydia tends to Misha's