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We meet Ilana Gomez when the doorbell rings at her impossibly chic and grand Pasadena home – it’s the flower delivery man bearing a very large bouquet that, Ilana awkwardly explains in painfully broken Spanish, is for a dinner party to welcome her only daughter’s new boyfriend for the first time. Next we meet her equally upscale husband, Enrique, a light-skinned Cuban who does speak Spanish and their daughter, Yoli, who is newly graduated from college, fluent in Spanish and armed with an elite education. From there, it’s time for Yoli’s new “serious boyfriend” to meet the parents. To the parents’ shock, the boyfriend, “Marcos Cruz” turns out to be Marcos Cruise, a whiter than white, oh so progressive young man, born and raised in Mexico, who arrives with a bottle of wine and a colorful pinata, complete with an explanation of the history of the pinata. So begins Gloria Calderon Kellett’s new play, “One of the Good Ones”, having its world premiere at Pasadena Playhouse.
What ensues is a delightful, poignant and hilarious play full of sparkling dialogue that delves into a wide-ranging exploration of one family’s feelings about this melting pot experiment called America. For in this ever-evolving population, what does it truly mean to be American and what qualifies you to be “Mexican”? Is it blood? Where you’re born? It’s far more complicated than it seems as is powerfully illustrated by Illana, who points out that her ancestors date back to this region of the native Tongva and Mexican rancheros, while she feels guilty for not speaking Spanish and “forgetting” to learn to cook. Meanwhile daughter, Yoli, points out to her father that he is descended from white colonizers, something a proud Enrique rejects. Being confronted with their own biases, Enrique admits that he fears being “erased” and wants to have grandchildren that look like him.
The discussions are heated and hysterical but grounded in very real fears and pain. Ultimately, they are all desperately trying to connect but keep running into their own walls of discomfort.
Lana Parilla is dazzling as Ilana, beautifully capturing the successful perfectionist entrepreneur who is also painfully aware of her self-perceived shortcomings as a mother and what is expected of a modern, Latine woman. Carlos Gomez matches her toe to toe, as husband Enrique. His performance is at turns effortlessly suave and high-octane comedy at its finest. Isabella Gomez, as Yoli, lights up the stage as the daughter ready to have authentic, difficult conversations about race, generational trauma and, from her parents’ perspective, all the things they got wrong. Gomez perfectly balances Yoli’s defiance and need for her parents’ approval and love. Nico Greetham is a revelation as the earnestly sensitive Marcos, trying and mostly failing to ingratiate himself to Yoli’s parents. Watching him tie himself in politically correct knots is a riot. Santino Jimenez has some terrific moments as Pedro, the delivery guy.
Kimberly Senior deftly directs, keeping the surprises and banter firing on all comedic cylinders with an energy infused cast clearly having a blast. So grab a seat at the Gomez table for a rollercoaster meeting of parents, minds and hearts.
“One of the Good Ones” plays through April 7 at Pasadena Playhouse, located at 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. Ticket’s start at $40 and can be purchases online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529 or in person at the Playhouse box office. Performances are Wednesday-Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m; Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
