Luis Alfaro’s Mojada (Spanish for a derogatory term for a recent immigrant) at the Public Theater takes familiar material—the story of Medea—as its source, but the playwright makes something contemporary, relevant, and thought-provoking out of it. Just as the original protagonist was a foreigner in a hostile land and abandoned by her husband, this Medea is lost in her new home and responds with vengeance. But unlike the original, Alfaro’s creation is not a venomous virago; she’s a victim of political and social forces beyond her control.
This Medea is an illegal immigrant living in Corona, Queens (Arnulfo Maldonado created the realistic backyard set). Jason her spouse works for the ruthless Pilar, a Cuban emigre with designs not only on taking Jason but on becoming a mother to Acan, the couple’s young son. Pillar’s scheme is made possible by Medea and Jason’s undocumented status which gives the drama a devastating immediacy. The cliche “ripped from the headlines” was never truer. “I could call ICE on you tonight myself,” Pilar threatens Medea and the words shoot out like deadly ice missiles.
Chay Yew’s direction balances the mythic scale of the original with a detailed accounting of the everyday, just as Alfaro’s script does. The heroine’s story is harrowing including a nightmarish recreation of her family’s arduous journey from Mexico to NYC, yet it’s always believable, even the terrifying climax. No spoilers, but if you’re familiar with Greek tragedy, you’re ahead of the game.
Sabina Zuniga Varela’s Medea is heartbreakingly tender even as she renders bloody retribution. Alex Hernandez makes for a virile, yet self-centered Jason. Ada Maris is a slippery schemer as Pilar, Socorro Santiago captures the fierce wit of the family servant, and Vanessa Aspillaga nearly steals the show as a chatty food-cart vendor.
