DREAM TEAM

Curious Theatre Company continues its 25th season with the regional premiere of ‘Alma,’ exploring the ‘American Dream’ through the eyes of an immigrant mother and her daughter

BY TONI TRESCA

Immigration may just be a political talking point for some Americans, but for others, it’s a tangible reality. That much is evident in Benjamin Benne’s Alma, a play examining the contours of the so-called “American dream” through the perspectives of its title character Alma, an undocumented immigrant facing deportation back to Mexico, and Angel, her first-generation daughter.

“The things people argue about over the water cooler, in Congress and online are really happening and affecting real people. It’s somebody’s daughter, mother, sister or wife,” says actor Laura Chávez, who stars as Alma “What I love about this play is that it focuses on the human beings who people may have never thought twice about, but who are most affected by immigration laws.”

The play, currently making its regional premiere at Curious Theatre Company in Denver through Feb. 18, is set on the eve of Angel’s SAT exam. While Angel preps for her test, she helps coach her mom for her upcoming citizenship exam. Both are excited about the opportunities offered by their respective evaluations, but fear the system is stacked against them.

Benne based the play on the stories he heard growing up from his mom, who immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala without documentation in the late 1970s. Unlike many in her position today, she was able to become a citizen, which opened a pathway to safety and comfort in her new American life.

With his mom’s story in mind, the playwright began researching immigration law during the early stages of his work on Alma. Benne’s efforts resulted in a play that would take home the National Latinx Playwriting Award after being developed locally at the 2020 Colorado New Play Summit, hosted by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA). Now the production returns to the Front Range after having its twin world premieres in 2022 at the American Blues Theater in Chicago and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. this incredible team of women. I just remember listening to the play and thinking, ‘I want to do this play one day,’ Barron says. “And it’s so exciting and kind of a full-circle moment for me that I now get to play this role and be a part of this show.”

But this isn’t the first time Barron and Chávez have worked together on stage. The pair previously played a dysfunctional aunt and niece in The Source Theatre Company’s 2019 production of Suicide Lies, and Barron says the reunion is a chance to capitalize on the deep dynamic they’ve built between each other as actors.

“Laura and I connect on a whole different level, and she is so giving

“It’s so wonderful to be in a healthy environment with such powerhouse women,” Barron says. “As a person of color who is also queer, I’m no stranger to the difficulties of life. It is so beautiful to tell a story that’s so truthful but also heartbreaking.”

For Chicago-based director Denise Yvette Serna, a big part of that beauty lies in the devotion and care between Alma and Angel. “The root of the conflict is: ‘I love you so much and would do anything for you,’” Serna says. “I just think it’s beautiful that you can love someone that much.”

In addition to the tender relationship among its two main characters, Serna says she was also drawn to the script’s themes, which explore intergenerational divides and the loss of cultural identity.

“Angel’s life is completely different from her mom’s,” Serna says. “There’s this tragedy that comes from a disconnect in language, culture, and even food. Angel is embarrassed to eat the lunch that her mom makes her at school; she’d rather be hungry than eat the rice and beans. That is the tragedy of assimilation.”

For Chávez, the mother-daughter aspect hit particularly close to home. “As I was first reading the play, I thought, ‘Did somebody eavesdrop on my life and write down actual arguments I’ve had with my kid?’”

Iliana Lucero Barron, who plays Angel in Curious Theatre’s production of Alma, worked on the show when it first appeared in Denver at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ 2020 New Play Summit. “Grady Soapes [DCPA artistic producer and director of casting] gave me the offer to read stage direction for Alma at the stage reading,” Barron says. She has been a part of the festival since 2017 and was ecstatic to be a part of Alma’s presentation at the Summit.

“I got to be in the room with Benjamin Benne, the playwright, and on stage,” Barron says. “It was a joy to step into this play with her and [was] the best gift of all, because I 100% trust Laura.”

The relationship between the play’s leads may predate this production, but the regional premiere of Alma is the first time Barron has worked with Curious Theater Company. She says getting involved with the Denver-based organization in its 25th year, alongside newly appointed artistic producer Jada Suzanne Dizon, was a special opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

But beyond these familiar moments of family intimacy, Chávez says she hopes Alma spurs more than reflection on the love between a mother and daughter. She also hopes it will change how people think about immigrant communities and policymaking writ large.

“I want the play to make immigration a 3D issue,” Chávez says. “[One] that will make audiences pause and consider if there’s a better way to deal with this that doesn’t rip apart hopes, dreams and families.”

ON STAGE: Alma by Benjamin Benne. Various times through Feb. 18, Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. $32

Blending dance and sculpture, Samuelson will invite the audience to join them “through time, space and memory” in this site-specific work made especially for the Longmont Museum.

3-5 CLUE: ON STAGE

Various times Friday, Feb. 3 through Sunday, Feb. 5, The Spark, 4847 Pearl St., Suite B4, Boulder. $18

The Spark in Boulder hosts a performance based on the popular movie and board game Clue at its theater space on Pearl Street. Was it Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard or Professor Plum? Drop by this family-friendly production to find out.

3-5 ‘25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE’

Various times Friday, Feb. 3 through Sunday Feb. 5, Unitiive Theatre, 800 S. Hover St., Unit 30, Longmont. $15

The knowledge. The nerves. The glory. This Unitiive Theatre performance of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy follows six pre-teens taking on the challenge of their annual middle-school spelling bee, with plenty of laughs to spare. Audience members will get to know the partici- pants as they struggle through sets of potentially made-up words, until one fearless speller leaves as champion.

4

Mardi Gras Dance Benefit

7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, The Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. $35

4

CU ON THE WEEKEND: A STUDY OF INEQUITY IN SPORT

1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, CU Boulder Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE), Fourth Floor, 1725 Euclid Ave. Free

3-4 ORDINARY PORTAL

7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4, Stewart Auditorium, 400 S. Quail Road, Longmont. $15 the test in Lyons this weekend. Competitors can choose a variety of run/bike combinations on gravel, snow or canyon paths. Be sure to sign up before Feb. 5. There’s no race-day registration.

Experience a new work of experimental solo performance by interdisciplinary local artist LA Samuelson.

Mardis Gras comes early to Boulder during this event hosted by KGNU Community Radio and Colorado Friends of Cajun-Zydeco Music and Dance (CFCZ). Head to the Avalon Ballroom for a night of costume contests, music, dance and more.

When it comes to the world of sports, the playing field isn’t always level for everyone. Join CU Boulder Professor Nicholas Villanueva for an intersectional unpacking of how “gender in sport intersects with other dimensions of human experience and identity such as age, ethnicity, race and social class.” Attend in-person or register in advance for the livestream.

5

Amphibians And Reptiles In Winter

10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, location provided when registered, near Boulder. Free

Ever wonder how our wet and scaly neighbors survive the winter? Join Boulder County wildlife experts for an event that will teach you how frogs and other amphibians and reptiles get through the cold season through an interactive exploration of nearby wetland habitats.

5

Old Man Winter Bike Rally And Run

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, Bohn Park, 199 Second Ave., Lyons. $40

The 9th annual Old Man Winter Bike Rally and Run puts participants to

4

LAFAYETTE BIRDS!

1-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, 1600 Caria Drive, Lafayette. Free

Want to get up close and personal with our feathered friends? Spend your Sunday birdwatching at the Greenlee Wildlife Preserve in Lafayette with city staff and knowledgeable birdwatching experts. No registration required. Drop-ins welcome any time.

7

Speaking Out Training

6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, OBC’s Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains, 3340 Mitchell Lane, Boulder. Free

Out Boulder hosts a “speaking out” training on the first Tuesday of every month, designed to “give hope and inspiration to queer and questioning youth.” These events feature a panel of LGBTQ+ volunteers who will share their stories, facilitate a Q&A session and lead a post-panel discussion.

9

KUNLONG COUSIN & ZAC POE: CLIMBING DENALI

7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, Neptune Mountaineering, 633 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

Need a little adventure in your life without risking life and limb? Cousin and Poe will thrill audiences at Neptune with stories of their climbing adventures in the Alaska Range — specifically what they’ve learned from five cumulative seasons of climbing on Denali.

Live Music

ON THE BILL: Bluegrass breakout Billy Strings comes to Broomfield’s 1STBANK Center for a two-night stint, Feb. 2-3. The 30-year-old phenom performs in support of his latest LP, Me/And/Dad, which debuted at the top of the Paradise Found Top 10 in Boulder Weekly last November. See listings for more details.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

CHUCK SITERO AND DYLAN KOBER OF HIGH LONESOME. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

BILLY STRINGS (NIGHT 1).

8 p.m. 1STBANK Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield. $60

FRIDAY,

FEB. 3

AL DI MEOLA. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $40

THE LONE BELLOW WITH TOW’RS. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $31

BILLY STRINGS (NIGHT 2).

8 p.m. 1STBANK Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield. $60

JACKSON MALONEY.

6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

KRISANGELA.

7 p.m. Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. $20

MOONTRICKS WITH SAQI FEAT. DIAMONDE. 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

AUGUSTUS WITH HEADLIGHT RIVALS. 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $10

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

RJD2 WITH TF MARZ, LANDO BURCH AND FRED FANCY.

9 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway Englewood. $30

SATURDAY (CONTINUED)

PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS (NIGHT 1). 7:30 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $125

SHAKEDOWN STREET. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th Street. $13

SUNDAY, FEB. 5

PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS (NIGHT 2). 7:30 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $75

MONDAY, FEB. 6

FRYS WINTER CONCERT: WINTER MUSINGS. 7 p.m. Arvada Center for the Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. $12

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE WITH LOLA BROOKE, J.I. AND BOUBA SAVAGE. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40

EDEN WITH SLENDERBODIES. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $32

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8

SHAWN CUNANNE.

9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free