Jarrott Productions Presents A PORTRAIT OF MY MOTHER Review — An Intimate Story of Motherhood and Sacrifice

During Agustin Lara’s velvety rendition of Piensa en Mi, Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, the production’s writer and star, appears in a baby-blue room, sits before a blank canvas, and begins painting. While doing so, he speaks straight into the camera, as if looking into the audience’s eyes under simple overhead lighting. From this moment on, it is clear that the piece will enjoy a theatrical intimacy rarely achieved through the online medium. He says, “Many people say they have the best mom, I believe that to be true. Some people say they didn’t have the best mom, this is also true. Others no longer have their mother, for them I pray that they have stories to help keep their mother's memory. And we have to tell stories. Stories are important.” It is exactly this last sentence that the show concerns itself with: the importance of telling stories and the importance of remembering. He then both literally, through each brush stroke on that canvas, and metaphorically, through each story he tells, paints a portrait of his mother.

Jarrot Productions’ A PORTRAIT OF MY MOTHER Paints a Dramatic Life

Garcia’s mother, Maria Guadalupe, is portrayed in this show as a “real-life Mexican Cinderella,” similarly abandoned and taken in as a girl by an abusive foster family. The narrator tells us how she used to sleep on the hard kitchen floor, and how she was forced to do all kinds of chores. When Maria was a child, her foster mother would spit on the floor, hand her a long grocery list, and force her to run to the store and come back before the spit was dry. If she took a minute longer, she would have to endure a beating. Carlo details his mother’s recollections of these moments empathetically as if he had lived through them himself. Through the modulations of his voice and the emotion in his eyes, the actor delivers an honest, vulnerable, and engaging performance, in this writer’s opinion.

The following years of Maria Guadalupe’s life were likewise full of trials and tribulations, with times of homelessness, financial hardship, and complicated relationships. Despite this, Carlo includes several joyful memories and comic anecdotes in his play, like his mischievous adventures as a child or his mother’s love for Elvis. He goes into detail about a Thanksgiving spent outside, after the gas and water had been disconnected in his house. What could have been a night to forget, became a memorable evening, where Carlo and his siblings ate joyfully “like pilgrims”, accompanied by their mother, under the night sky.

Maria Guadalupe acts not only as the main subject of this production but as a vessel for culture and heritage. When Carlo was young, his mother used to tell him he was related to Mexican legends such as revolutionary Emiliano Zapata or composer Agustin Lara. Although he admits, while chuckling, that this may not have been true, he sees this sense of belonging, heritage, and connectedness to greatness as responsible for inspiring him to seek greatness for himself.
That, along with the work ethic his mother instilled in him, led him to where he is today. The show reminds its audience of the importance of role models and cultural heritage.

Carlo’s vulnerability and  ability to connect emotionally to the stories he tells elevates this show, in this writer’s opinion. Due to his passionate narration, it becomes more than a collection of stories about his mother’s life, but rather a love letter to motherhood and a thank you to every parental figure out there. By the time Garcia finally reveals the portrait of his mother, the audience has already painted their own image of her in their minds.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, plot-heavy, high-production piece, this may not be for you. But for all those interested in an emotional, intimate, conversation-like experience: this may just be it.

RECOMMENDED

WHEN:
Streaming through July 31, 2021.

WHERE:
Online Performance.

TICKETS:

$10

Visit the Jarrott Productions website for more information and tickets.

CAST:

Carlo Lorenzo Garcia

CREATIVE TEAM:

Writer: Carlo Lorenzo Garcia
Director: David R. Jarrott
Sound Consultant/ Mixer: Craig Brock
Lighting Consultant: Alison Marie Lewis​
Camera Operator/ Video Consultant: Jose Lozano Magic Spoon Productions
Video Editor: Jason Graf
Assistant Direction: Natalie Garcia
Scenic Design/ Technical Director: Carlo Lorenzo Garcia
Production Assistant: Will Douglas
Marketing Director: Natalie Garcia
Public Relations: David Rosenberg

Images Courtesy of Jarrott Productions