Some people send flowers for Mother’s Day. But for onetime Chicago theatermaker Carlo Lorenzo García, his bouquet for his mom, María Guadalupe, takes the form of art. Based in Austin since 2016, García spent part of his time in COVID lockdown finally delving into the story of his mom’s harrowing childhood in Laredo, Texas, and her subsequent escape to Chicago. The result, a new digital solo show, A Portrait of My Mother, opens on Mother’s Day through Austin’s Jarrott Productions.
Right after turning 18, on New Year’s Eve, María Guadalupe bought a bus ticket to Chicago, where she slept on benches in the Greyhound station for two weeks. With the help of another young woman who had fled her home, she eventually found work at Chicken Unlimited and several other jobs. She also met Carlo’s father, with whom she had five daughters in addition to her son.
As for María Guadalupe García, she eventually ended up working over 30 years in administration with Chicago Public Schools, raising her children mostly on her own and giving them the love and encouragement she never received as a child, even through financial hardship. Her son believes her interest in kids, particularly in early childhood education, came about because of the horrible experiences she had as a little girl.
Those four are: korde arrington tuttle‘s graveyard shift, which premiered at the Goodman; J. Nicole Brooks‘s Her Honor Jane Byrne, which opened at Lookingglass the weekend before the shutdown; The Leopard Play, or Sad Songs for Lost Boys by Isaac Gómez, produced by Steep Theatre; and Brett Neveu‘s Verböten, a House Theatre production capturing Chicago’s early punk scene and featuring music by Jason Narducy, whose title band formed in 1983 when he was 11. The other finalist is Douglas Williams‘s Ship, which premiered at Philadelphia’s Azuka Theatre. The winners are to be named later, most likely in mid-June.
On Saturday, Chicago Dramatists acknowledges the sixth anniversary of the death of founder and longtime artistic director Russ Tutterow, a pivotal force in new play development in the city. From 2-4 PM, the company’s Twitch page will livestream tributes, as well as songs, monologues, and scenes from past Dramatists productions. v
Through 7/31, available on demand with purchase anytime,jarrottproductions.com, $5 early bird, $10 after 5/9.
