“Alma”
Written by Benjamin Benne | Directed by A.Z. Espinoza
Dramaturg: Gilberto Vega
Passage Theatre Company, October 2024
Alma is a working mom and undocumented immigrant from Mexico; she has single handedly raised her daughter, Angel, on tough love, home-cooked comida, and lots of prayers. A sacrifice from Alma’s past weighs heavy on their present; will the American Dream cost them a life together? Set in the uncertainty of 2016, Alma is a mother daughter story of heritage, healing, and hope.
Because of the play’s subject matter, Gilberto’s scope of work included an interactive lobby display that featured: a chronology of immigration laws and reform spanning eight presidencies; a community prompt wall to amplify a moment of joy from December 2016; a resource tables with materials for voter registration, know your rights, and SAT registration; a slideshow alternating between common SAT vocabulary and civics questions as part of US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) oral exam; and a fine arts exhibit featuring artwork from Trenton-based immigrant artists (curated by Buck Malvo).
A chronology of immigration laws
Prompt Wall: A Moment of Joy from December 2016
Resource Table and Interactive Slide Show of USCIS Civics Questions and SAT Vocabulary
Gilberto in front of the Community Prompt
Dramaturg’s Note:
The United States is a Game.
A Game has an objective: This Game’s objective is to achieve your idea of the “American Dream.”
A Game has rules: This Game’s rules are anchored in white supremacy culture and a capitalist-fueled democracy.
A Game has an underlying strategy: This Game’s underlying strategy is the more money and socioeconomic privilege you have, the more likely you will “win” the Game.
As an undocumented Mexican residing in the US, Alma’s Game is US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) “10 Steps to Naturalization,” specifically “Step 6: Complete the Interview.” This interview includes an oral exam where an applicant is asked 10 questions from pre-provided civics questions (and their encouraged answers) ranging from “During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?* to “Who is the ‘Father of Our Country’”?**
Meanwhile, as a high school senior and US citizen, Angel’s Game is the College Board’s SAT. This anxiety-inducing exam (allegedly) “levels the playing field” for college admissions and has resulted in a multi-million dollar industry of expensive prep classes, practice books, and personal tutors that offer tips and tricks to increase scores.
These Games collide in Alma and Angel’s one-bedroom apartment in La Puente, California on a Friday night in December 2016. If you turned on the tv to a news source that night, chances are you would’ve seen reruns reporting on stories like: Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway says “He’s the President-elect, so that’s presidential behavior” when asked whether its presidential to lie about voter fraud on Twitter (now X); and Trump attorneys and Republican officials attempt to block vote recounts in swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Shakespeare says, “What’s past is prologue,” which means history is the context for the present. As I refreshed myself on what was happening in the world during that post-election/pre-inauguration period after the 2016 election, I noticed echoes to the period after the 2020 election. This circular motion of history makes me wonder what will happen in the United States during the period after the upcoming 2024 election, especially for the Almas and Angels in Trenton and around the country that are just trying to “win” the Game.
*“Communism” is the only answer USCIS encourages.
** “(George) Washington” is the only answer USCIS encourages.