←Recommendations of Princess Clara of Loisaida

Through every coming-of-age we undergo and every ambition towards which we embark, there are those we leave behind and move away from on the journey. Barbot's moving collision of siblings' deep yearning to escape their circumstances (and each other?) and magical realism is a play unlike any other. It's an absolutely beautiful script, with a pained and reluctant acceptance in it that cuts straights to the heart. God, I'll be thinking about this one for ages.

First thing's first- VIVA LOISAIDA!
So fun and refreshing to see that! She we see the "lower east side," but we don't see LOISAIDA- US- the people, or most importantly the families at the heart of this lovely neighborhood. Now for the play? Humor, love, coming of age, confrontation, world building. I dare you ~DARE YOU~ to find something wrong with this play.
I use this play in my classes to teach about setting, world building, backstory, and stuff. KUDOS!

On my knees, begging to the universe to let me see a production of this play... I really love this play's language and how it flits from grounded, realistic slang of the siblings to the heightened language of Adalandia. As a director, it's exciting to imagine how to stage the monologues in this show. It's a fantastical play, with fairies and medieval video games, but at it's core it's about growing up and wanting to be loved by your family.

Barbot does an excellent job blending genres and blurring lines in this top-notch example of Latinx/magical realism. I feel like I could read this over and over again and keep distilling new meaning from it. On top of that, the language is specific and natural. Don't miss this haunting piece!

A magical adventure based in sibling love! Beautifully done!

This play is a punch in the gut in the best way. Equal parts delightful and heart-wrenching, anyone would be lucky to see it.

I love this play. It skillfully blends the traditions of magical realism and nerd theatre to tell a heart-breaking story of two siblings loving each other to death while pursuing their dreams. It's a play about the meaning of home (mythical/ancestral vs. contested/temporary/"real") and the power of stories.

Such a fun, magical, and deeply touching coming of age story about identity, fantasy, and video games. Grounded by a beautifully-rendered sibling relationship, a strong but unstable bond strained by their diverging approaches to dealing with their difficult reality.

A fun ride with beautifully painful moments and just the right amount of comedy. This is a story that makes you examine your own place in the world.

A strong story about the harshness of reality and the allure of fantasy spearheaded by two fascinating characters. Barbot explores sibling relationships and coming of age in a way that feels fresh. So sad I missed the reading of this play a few weeks ago, but now can't wait till I see it produced.