←Recommendations of La Llorona

Part ghost story, part drama that delves into the inner lives of three teen girls, this piece interweaves both beautifully, lyrically, and suspensefully. If you want a folktale for the modern life, this is it.

Incredibly well-paced and engaging piece of theatre. I love plays that feature the beautiful and complicated inner lives of teenage girls, and LA LLORONA does so with ease and authenticity. The satirical and thought-provoking moments are completely earned. Wonderful work!

In "La Llorona," Raker has created a unique and well-drawn theatrical world. Lyrical poetry, irregularly human naturalism, and haunting movement theater co-exist beautifully side by side. Rachel, Maria, and Molly are all incredibly distinct and compelling central characters with powerful journeys to go on. I love how this piece moves at a steady and intentional clip, but eschews cliched plot structure. When I got to the end, the effect felt almost like taking in an impressionistic painting--this sense that the whole was something profound and also so necessarily made up of its individual parts. Produce this!

Beautifully poetic yet naturalistic dialogue. I loved the exploration of the cultural myths through their relevance to the three teenaged girls. I hope one day to get an opportunity to see a production of the fantastic piece of theatre.

A divine work move forward by fantastic prose. Raker has created a play that demands attention, digs deep into crucial moments in womanhood, and bathe them in myths. This is the kind of work only a courageous playwright dares to do and only a good one makes it great.

This is one of those plays that is so much more than it "is". Cecelia creates a hugely successful theme-driven piece that flirts with infinity as it touches on the universality of a myth and its many permutations, demonstrating that the real multi-headed, hundred language-speaking demon is oppression itself.

By the way Cecelia writes, it's impossible not to be drawn in by this cross-cultural folklore tale set in the South West of three young women at a crucial moment in their lives. I was captivated by the lyrical nature of the text and it's myths and strong dramatic scenes between the young women. I was intrigued by the structure of the play and how we return to the pearly gates and each time La Llorona interaction with the Gatekeeper has changed. If you are looking for a powerful female-driven play with a bit of magic, this is it!

A bold, poetic look at the fear and fascination of being a teenage girl. The characters are vibrant and beautifully realized, great parts for young women. I was particularly struck by the expansive mythology and the changing faces of La Llorona as our protagonists face their own demons.

So much to love in this play, but here are my top two: 1) Huge, colorful characters from folklore taking up the stage in all their terrifying glory; 2) An honest and intricate representation of young women, figuring out themselves and their relationship to each other, fighting back against expectations and stereotypes, and just generally bumbling around in their humaness. Altogether, an exciting, visually stunning work blending the "real" world and the mythical.

From the first time I read this play in 2015 to when I saw the Boston Playwrights production in May 2017, I was impressed by Raker's re-imagining of this Southwestern myth. It questions how young women are raised, their image of body and self, and relationship with the world. Will these three young women get turned away by St. Peter at the gate, like La Llorona? This piece, like water, flows organically through important feminist questions in a relatable, funny, irreverent way.