←Recommendations of La Sirena

Loved this play. The motif of water was so powerful. Need to see this fully produced.

La Sirena is a theatrical, hopeful play that shows the range in which abusers may respond when held accountable for their behavior. The redemptive aspects in the story feel especially rare in theatre at a time when it's desperately needed. Trinidad shows what it looks like to fail and succeed at being an ally and gives us an example of repentance that feels truthful and could serve as a model for people called out for doing harm in our industry (and in any industry).

Trinidad’s play revolves around the close friendship of Thelxi and Chim, and the diner where they work. The place is lorded over by two white men, the owner, Tanner, and the busboy/waiter Wyatt. It is also about art, and sexual assault, about workplace harrassment, and the uses of a sincere apology. It holds a powerful lesson and one I highly recommend.

This haunting play, in which Eteya Trinidad takes more than a few well-aimed and well-deserved hammer blows to toxic masculinity, is a moving, artfully atmospheric testament to the power of friendship, even when the friends in question are at odds with each other. Thelxi and Chim, the two beautifully written central characters, offer so many opportunities for two actresses to explore; I’d love to watch them come to life in performance, and I’d love to see them take on the next chapter in their lives.

There is a parable-like quality to this piece that emerges from the heightened moments of theatricality. Because of them, "La Sirena" straddles an intriguing line between well-rendered, intimate human story and a larger and more expansive allegory/tale about sexual assault, trauma, queer friendship, identity, and the ability (or lack of ability) for perpetrators of assault to recognize their actions and meaningfully change. It's easy to root for both Thelxi and Chim. In Wyatt and Tanner we see two different but parallel forms of destructive masculinity and male identity. I'm eager to follow this play's trajectory!

Themes of friendship, queerness, power, environment, toxic masculinity, and art blend like watercolor in this magically simple and heartwarming play.