“Waiting for Godínez” is inspired both by Samuel Beckett’s iconic Godot play and the current absurd, anti-immigrant policies of the federal government. Beckett’s Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo, and Lucky are now embodied in the characters Jesús, Isabel, Piso, and Afortunada. The plot mirrors that of the Beckett play but with distinct differences. Rather than Beckett’s Vladimir and Estragon, here we encounter Isabel and Jesús waiting in a city park, near a bench and tree, for a man named Godínez. During their banter, we learn that each night, immigration officials kidnap Jesús and throw him in a cage with the intent of deporting him. But each time, Jesús makes it back to the park to be with Isabel and wait for Godínez. With humor deeply steeped in Latinx culture, “Waiting for Godínez” explores the meaning--and absurdities--of identity and belonging.

Olivas discusses the writing of his first play in the essay, "From Dystopia to Absurdity: On Being a Chicano Writer in the Age of Trump" published in the Los Angeles Review of Books: https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/dystopia-absurdity-chicano-writer-age-trump/