With both the plight of the neighboring island of Cuba and the struggles of refuges worldwide in the headlines, the appearance of the Hit the Lights! production Isla couldn’t be more timely. Portraying her own aunt, Lulu, HTL Co-Artistic Director Samantha Blain shares the immigration story of the Blain sisters from Cuba to Miami to New York in 1969. Thanks to the three scrims that make up the set, dragons and mermaids occupy the same space as Russian missiles and mom’s home cooking. With its blurry time line and illusory digressions, the narrative is as obscure as a genuine human memory. Yet the feelings — love, fear, and determination — remain evident.
The story begins in 2018 when Blain decided to begin recording members of her family in order to better preserve their legacy. After introducing the players, Blain transforms in full view of the audience with a simple change of wardrobe and hairstyle (Costumes by L.A. Clevenson). She is joined onstage by Daniela Delahuerta as older sister Carmen and Tiffany Iris as younger sister Alina, Blain’s mother. Drawing on HTL’s multi-disciplinary ensemble work, performance occurs both behind and in front of the screens under the co-direction of company members Roman Sanchez and Mikayla Stanley. Dialogue in both English and Spanish is minimal and some of the recordings are difficult to hear. But the three women move gracefully, have sweet singing voices, and lend gravitas and sensitivity to the fabulizing.
The sisters’ private world is expanded by the Latin jazz music of Claron Hayden — who remains on stage throughout — and most strikingly by original shadow puppets designed by Casey Scott Leach. Though black and white, they are the most colorful characters. Leach is assisted in his artistry by puppeteers Erica C. Knight and Jessie March as well as by the resourceful lighting design of Vittoria Orlando. Mia Sempertegui is the understudy for all three principle roles.
With its reliance on evocative imagery, Isla is more a work of art than a play. It is intended to be a family entertainment, though a certain amount of maturity is highly recommended. One could imagine this work having life as a museum installation. (Throughout, I was often reminded of “Meta/Physical Therapy,” Shana Moulton’s performance project that was featured at The Museum of Modern Art in the spring of 2024.) If you are unfamiliar with the Cuban Revolution, Operation Anadyr, and the Freedom Flights from Havana it is doubtful Blain’s work will offer enough history or explanation, but the images of a rich island life brought into decline will linger.
This World Premiere continues through August 29 at the WP which provides discounted space to Women+ at 2162 Broadway, 4th floor. The performance on August 17 includes a special talkback about shadow puppetry. Tickets are three “pick your price” tiers from $34 – $94. Accessible seating is available only in row A. Running time is approximately 75 minutes with no intermission. Advanced purchase is available at https://www.hitthelights.org/. Late seating and rebooking are not guaranteed.
The Unforgettable Line 