Flood by Alicia Margarita Olivo

**NEW DRAFT AS OF 11/16/22**
As Hurricane Harvey’s landfall approaches Houston, Salomé Salas is stranded with their estranged Mexican immigrant family. Tensions are high as their parents, Humberto and Yolanda, grapple with their return, unaware that Salomé has been expelled from college after a violent mental breakdown. Magdalena, Salomé’s sister, tries to keep them from recklessly sabotaging their...
**NEW DRAFT AS OF 11/16/22**
As Hurricane Harvey’s landfall approaches Houston, Salomé Salas is stranded with their estranged Mexican immigrant family. Tensions are high as their parents, Humberto and Yolanda, grapple with their return, unaware that Salomé has been expelled from college after a violent mental breakdown. Magdalena, Salomé’s sister, tries to keep them from recklessly sabotaging their familial relationships. Jealousy and resentment permeate Humberto and Salomé’s interactions, while Yolanda falls deeper into despair and disgust. As Harvey rages on, Magdalena documents her family’s life, violence, and trauma in a series of audio recordings.

Funded by The Pamela Daniels Fellowship. Part of Teatro Chelsea's 2021 A-Típico: A New Latinx Play Festival. Finalist for the 2022 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search.
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Flood

Recommended by

  • Martha Wade Steketee:
    20 Dec. 2023
    “ A nuanced exploration of immigrant life on the edge of the southern U.S. including one story involving class and gender identity and intergenerational expectations. Beautiful work blending English and Spanish and several dialects, the nuances of which I missed in part but the elegance of which I much enjoyed.
    ”
  • Shaun Leisher:
    22 Mar. 2022
    “ I thought I knew where this play was going. Bravo to Olivo for giving us the ending that is unfortunately more truthful. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    6 Apr. 2021
    “ Beautiful and wrenching piece! I loved how microscopically focused we were on this one family while still holding space for much larger conversations about family vs found family, identity, transphobia and homophobia, and cyclical familial/other kinds of trauma. The dialogue is effortlessly real and human (with all its humor and pathos) and contrasts so wonderfully with the theatricality of the storm. The hurricane is a well-executed extended metaphor with an amazing payoff in the final moments. I'd be incredibly excited to see this realized onstage! I hope I get the chance to soon. ”

Character Information

  • Salomé
    22,
    Mexican American
    ,
    Nonbinary, transmasculine
    College student.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Non-binary
  • Yolanda
    47,
    Mexican
    ,
    woman
    Salomé's mother.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Magdalena
    20,
    Mexican American
    ,
    woman
    Salomé's sister.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Humberto
    48,
    Mexican
    ,
    Man
    Salomé's father.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

Awards

Finalist
,
Writers Search – Playwriting
,
Del Shores Foundation
,
2022
Finalist
,
Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration
,
Texas State University
,
2021
Runner Up
,
2021 Theatre Viscera Podcast Season
,
Theatre Viscera
,
2020
Winner
,
The Pamela Daniels Fellowship
,
Wellesley College
,
2019