New political satire from Flamboyán Theatre spotlights Puerto Rican history
share
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — When Alberto Medina, a pro-independence Puerto Rican writer and advocate, thinks about Puerto Rico’s commonwealth status — not a U.S. state but not an independent country — he has to laugh to keep from crying.
Medina’s personal experience informs his first play, “We Reserve the Right of Admission,” a political satire about Puerto Rico’s quest for statehood.
The roughly 45-minute play spans from the American invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898 to the Puerto Rico Status Act in 2022, touching on key moments in-between and ending with an imagined epilogue.
“My experience in speaking with a lot of people about Puerto Rico, most folks don't know much about [it], much less politics,” said Medina, who was born in Puerto Rico.
Medina originally published the piece as a written dialogue. He partnered with Flamboyán Theatre to adapt the piece for the stage.
Based in Lakewood, Flamboyán Theatre is dedicated to showcasing Puerto Rican stories, bringing together Colorado’s Puerto Rican community and educating audiences about the island’s history and culture.
“I think with the political moment that the United States is in right now, I think it's probably more obvious than ever that Puerto Rico is not about to get statehood from this current administration,” said Jon Marcantoni, the founder of Flamboyán Theatre.
“[But] this is not about any one political party or political figure. It's important for people to understand this is what our countries have done and been to each other, regardless of who's been in power throughout the decades, for more than a century.”
Reports of ICE agents detaining Puerto Ricans, who have U.S. citizenship, and rhetoric on both sides of the aisle that reduces Latino communities to their immigration or citizenship status have left members of his community feeling diminished and disrespected.
He said this makes stories like Medina’s play even more important to tell.
“Right now if you're Latino, you only matter because of your immigration status. We only matter as this one category, and we're a lot more than that,” said Marcantoni, who is also the play’s director.
“It's really important to remind people right now that we're human beings who come from countries that have been meddled with, have been exploited, and that our countries have a rich and strong culture that is worthy of praise and admiration, whether or not we have a relationship to the United States.”
The play has three characters: Puerto Rico, the United States and the Secretary, who represents the United States’ interests.
For most of the play, Puerto Rico and the United States never speak directly to each other, communicating through the Secretary instead.
Puerto Rico repeatedly makes a proposal for its statehood. The Secretary talks in circles, denying each request but never fully closing the door to the possibility.
“The United States acts like an ally and a friend to Puerto Rico in a lot of ways by giving these concessions, these different rights, but with caveats and with strings attached to them,” said Fabian Vazquez, who plays Puerto Rico.
“I think this is very poignant in the way that, just in the greater scheme of things, in a bigger scope, the U.S. plays with Latin America, specifically Latin Americans.”
Puerto Ricans have voted several times on the island’s political status since the late 60s, though none of these votes have been binding.
In the most recent plebiscite on Nov. 5, 2024, about 59% of voters chose statehood and 12% chose independence, which was the largest turnout of the independence vote.
About 30% voted for “sovereignty in free association with the U.S.,” which would make it a sovereign state able to conduct its own foreign affairs but with the military protection of the U.S.
Medina’s play isn’t designed to be a comprehensive history of the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, he hopes the script’s satirical take on a complex, divisive topic makes the story accessible and inviting to a wider audience.
“I hope people find the particular story I'm trying to tell interesting and enjoyable, and then go see some other stuff. Go read more about Puerto Rico. Go read people who disagree with me about Puerto Rico status. I hope that it'll also inspire people to want to learn more and dig into this debate and kind of see what they get out of it,” Medina said.
The cast of “We Reserve the Right to Admission” will perform a staged reading of the play as part of Flamboyán Theatre’s New Latine Play Salon March 5.
The play series features five readings across two nights, each a different genre and all written by Latin artists. Two of the performances will take place March 3. Virtual and in-person tickets are available for both nights.
Audiences will have a chance to ask the authors questions after the reading and provide feedback. Flamboyán Theatre is developing each play for production within the next year.
“We Reserve the Right of Admission” is slated for a one-night performance on June 8 at Festival Flamboyán.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.