by Tommie Espinosa
Daily Cougar Staff"Keeping the faith" is the perfect moral expressed in Jose Rivera's Marisol, currently playing at Main Street Theater.
This Puerto Rican playwright creates a story of a young Hispanic woman living in a disintegrating New York City before the new millennium.
This play, directed by Ron Jones, explores morals, issues of homelessness and hope for the future existence of the world.
The play's characters include Marisol (Marisa Castaneda), Lenny (Rodney Walsworth), June (Deborah Hope) and the angel (Tamara Siler).
Marisol is faced with obstacles in a frightening world, without her guardian angel to protect her. All of Earth's guardian angels abandon their posts to provoke war in heaven against a senile God.
They feel that it is God's fault that there are homeless people and that the sun has not risen.
Throughout the intense play, Marisol must locate her deranged friend, June. Along the way, she discovers compassion and assists the rebirth of Hope.
Main Street Theater provides a personal atmosphere for the performance. There's not much lighting, which enables the audience to attain the dark feeling of the play.
Since the play is set amidst dismal city streets, some characters are dressed in ragged clothes, but of course, the angel has her silver wings.
Another strong subject explored in this play is the Hispanic approach of the Catholic religion. Marisol has a small altar in her apartment in the Bronx. These altars represent the strong religious ties in Hispanic culture.
The importance of the Virgin Mary and God are also intimate parts of Marisol's life, revealed in the play.
The acting is intelligent and brilliant. Jones helps create an initially weak character in Marisol, who grows into a strong, fully developed person.
Walsworth plays crazed lunatic Lenny, who is obsessed with Marisol. Lenny's sister, June, is an independent woman who doesn't take anyone's crap until Lenny adjusts her attitude. The determined angel sees the troubled Earth and decides to take action in heaven.
The play is expertly written by Jones with mature subject matter and strong language. It reveals the diminishing importance of religion and its consequences.
The only drawback is that several actors play more than one part. For example, Walsworth plays three other small parts along with his role as Lenny. Nevertheless, Marisol is a gripping evening of theater, an apocalyptic urban drama.
Marisol, plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays at Main Street Theater, 2540 Times Blvd., until March 30. There will be one Wednesday performance, March 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 to $15, with discounts available for students and senior citizens. For more information, call 524-6706.