and it was pretty remarkable to me what a contrast that was to what I was hearing said in the news and being reported.” David was challenged by a few new tasks as a writer while creating this piece, which was initially conceived as a novella. “One, writing in a woman’s voice, and two, writing from a different cultural standpoint than my own,” he says. “Three, I was interested in that issue of unresolved grief. That’s how this story was born.” “Invisible Friend” is a story of a young woman, Luna Gomez, who is Mexican-American. She is haunted by the spirit of her older sister, Alma, who was 9 years old when she prevented 3-year-old Luna from being hit by a car by pulling her out of the way, only to be hit by the car herself and killed. This story is about the unresolved grief in her family and particularly the relationship that Luna has with her mother, who is hanging on to the grief more than anyone else. Luna is a young adult now, 26 at the beginning of the play, and determined that she needs to intervene somehow to set her sister’s spirit free, to set herself free, and to allow her family to move forward. “Being the child of Holocaust survivors, I know a little bit about unresolved grief,” says David. “I’ve had that understanding, but also I wanted to express some respect and affection for the Mexican-American neighbors that live in my community and are part of the world we’re a part of.” He wanted to write a story that showcases a realistic view of struggle and coping with life. David wrote a play before as an undergraduate student, and wrote a lot of the set pieces for an improvisation comedy group that he was a part of for five years. He also wrote a collection of 10-minute one-act plays that were performed several years ago. A playwriting class helped him to adapt the novella into “Invisible Friend.” “This is a one-act play, but it’s 70 minutes long – it’s a very different thing,” he says. “I also have to mention that I am working with probably one of the finest directors ever known – Jane Unger,” says David. Jane is probably best known in Portland for having been the creator and artistic director of Profile Theatre for more than 15 years. David was interviewing Jane for The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education archives when the conversation turned to his newest project. She offered to take a look at the play and give him some feedback. “She looked at it and said, ‘I think it’s a good piece of work; I think what you need to do is make sure you get a strong group of actors … and that it’s well directed,’ ” says David. When he asked her if she had any suggestions on a director, Jane replied, “I will do this with you.” “I feel confident about the work, and I’m excited to get it out into the world and for people to have a chance to look at it,” says David. Being part of this festival legitimates the play, and his hope is that as a result of the reading, someone will see it and want to do a “full-blown” production of “Invisible Friend.” “I can’t say enough good stuff about Jane Unger and what she’s done to make this show a reality,” says David. “She’s a remarkable woman and to be taken seriously by somebody who has made such a big mark in the world of theater, is a big event in my life.”
Fertile Ground Theater Festival presents:
INVISIBLE FRIEND A Staged Reading
Directed by Jane Unger
Written by David Fuks
Monday Feb. 3, 7pm
Luna Gomez has grown up in a house laden with her parents’ unresolved grief over the death of her older sister Alma. Alma was nine years old when she died protecting her then three-year-old sister. She has been haunting and protecting Luna since that day more than twenty years ago. Luna must confront her parents and help them face their loss to set her sister’s spirit and herself free. This bilingual reading celebrates the resiliency and culture of a contemporary Mexican American family. Join in this celebration as Luna, her Invisible Friend, Alma, and her family struggle for their freedom.
Milagro Theater
525 SE Stark St. Tickets: $10
Portland, OR 97214
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