Nathan, main character and narrator of Main Street Players’ new play The Pot best sums up his parent’s lifestyle and neighborhood in saying that it’s a place full of “cul-de-sacs, Cadillacs, and curvy roads that rarely intersect.” So when Nathan’s sister, Laura, brings home her undocumented boyfriend, Rick, and his sister, Diana, things begin to unravel and those rarely intersecting curvy streets suddenly become crossroads.
The Pot is a fictional story that has been lived by thousands, yet the far-reaching narrative feels uncomfortably intimate. The portrayal of a suburban family with cracks that widen into chasms is brilliantly undertaken by a well-casted group led by the captivating Pedro Louis as Nathan. Louis inhabits Nathan’s skin with ease and in doing so wonderfully immerses the audience into a stream of consciousness on race and frustration.
Sofi Sassone, who plays Laura, finds a balance between privilege and revelation of the injustices of the world. Dylan Nuñez and Michelle Antelo, who play Rick and Diana, perfectly exude the ever-present fear and determination often witnessed in undocumented people. Clint Archambault as George, together with Melissa Ann Hubicsak as Mary, wade through the waters of their personal paradigms, and Clara Lyzniak as Angela and John Olivera as Uncle John, present the opposing forces without which The Pot would lose its steam.
The play tackles the question “Who Am I” through Nathan’s narration of the events that unfold and the ethereal moments that feel like dream sequences. Every character, even those that hold unpopular opinions, feel whole and dynamic. Seemingly innocuous conversations of invasive animal species and family recipes hint at realities much more unsavory and it is in this, in the banality of every day life contrasting with harsh truths experienced by many, that The Pot shows its greatness.
Playwright Glenn Hutchinson and director Ivan Lopez have cultivated a relevant, poignant, and real depiction of the struggles of immigration and piecing together the fragments of identity.
The Pot runs through October 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Following the show on certain Sundays is a talk-back with panelists from various legal institutions that will lead a discussion with the audience about the ramifications of immigration.
Scheduled for Sunday, October 4 are Carlos Martinez, Miami-Dade County Public Defender; Maggie Arias, Immigration Attorney for Arias and Pereira; and Julio Calderon, student activist. The last panelist discussion on Sunday, October 11 will include Carson Osberg, Esq., Staff Attorney for Americans for Immigrant Justice; Chris Brochvus, Esq., Assistant Public Defender, Padilla Unit for the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office; and the The Pot playwright, Glenn Hutchinson.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students, seniors, and military personnel and may be purchased in advance at www.mainstreetplayers.com or at the door at 6766 Main Street, Miami Lakes. For more information on the play call The Main Street Playhouse at 305-558-3737.