Lawnpeople by Natalia Temesgen

Lawnpeople tracks the journey of a Mexican woman, Solymar, working as a housekeeper for a wealthy, black Southern couple. Solymar has just lost her mother to gang violence in Mexico, leaving her pre-teen daughter without family in their dangerous hometown. She and her new husband, Felix, are undocumented immigrants working with the hope to plant roots in the US; Solymar finds returning to her daughter in...
Lawnpeople tracks the journey of a Mexican woman, Solymar, working as a housekeeper for a wealthy, black Southern couple. Solymar has just lost her mother to gang violence in Mexico, leaving her pre-teen daughter without family in their dangerous hometown. She and her new husband, Felix, are undocumented immigrants working with the hope to plant roots in the US; Solymar finds returning to her daughter in Mexico to be a growing implausibility. Meanwhile, the wife of the couple that they work for is becoming so emotionally involved with Solymar’s troubles that it’s threatening the wellbeing of her marriage. Race, class, and the deepest matters of the heart are at odds in this play about love, ambition, and responsibility.
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Lawnpeople

Recommended by

  • Daniel Prillaman:
    26 Oct. 2021
    “ Brutally feeling, deeply layered, and mired in heartwrenching and hope in equal measure, Temesgen's play will blow you out of the water. The ethical, nigh impossible choices at hand deftly bring us to the line of "what you would do?" and the scenes move at a brisk, neatly escalating pace. Atop everything else, the haunting visage of Solymar's daughter is brilliant, adding the perfect touch of pure theatricality into the otherwise realistic world. The picture "Lawnpeople" paints of grief (for those living, for those gone, and for those who never were) is absolutely stellar. Highly recommend. ”
  • Heather Meyer:
    27 Jul. 2020
    “ LAWNPEOPLE is a thoughtful, impactful play. Natalia Temesgen's writing is wonderfully crisp, active and emotional. An excellent play for an ensemble of performers! ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    30 Jan. 2020
    “ LAWNPEOPLE is a powerful play with vividly rendered characters and a briskly moving and consistently engaging plot. The Catch-22 that Solymar is caught within as an undocumented immigrant is potent, and the pressure she faces from all sides--Felix, the specter of her still-living daughter, her own hope at a better life--make for a compelling arc. The intersectional complexities of Hal and Adora's class and race add several new layers to the piece. I love how they read both as antagonists and sympathetic characters throughout. The dialogue is spare but often beautiful. Hope to follow this play's development journey! ”
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Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project
    ,
    2013

Production History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project
    ,
    2013