Many years ago, my friend Christina invited me to see her perform in this little play at the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts . She told me the play was about a family and tamales. I was in. The Bilingual Foundation for the Arts was in an old, former city jail (I loved going into old Los Angeles. buildings any chance I got), I loved tamales, and I enjoyed watching Christina perform. This was the trifecta as invitations go.
Looking back, it was probably one of the first performances of the this now annual Los Angeles holiday favorite adapted from,"Too Many Tamales," by Gary Soto.
All these years later I still remember the groaning and laughter from the audience when Maria, the story's protagonist, arrives at what she thinks is the only solution to her predicament: eat through the dozens, and dozens and dozens of tamales to retrieve her mother's wedding ring, a ring she did not have permission to wear, which she must have lost in the tamale masa while kneading it. Oh, the tension!
"Too Many Tamales" is a wonderful story that tackles big family issues in a fun and celebratory way. Issues like growing up, blending cultures as a family grows, resistance to family traditions and values, how through time they change yet, thankfully, in the end manage to hold onto what matters.
This is a play the entire family can watch together. Who knows, maybe this can be the start of a new family tradition: watch the play before the big family Christmas Tamalada. Of course, tamales play a central role in this family drama, as is true this time of year for many families around the holiday tamalada . This is in the nature of tamales:bring people together to accomplish a single delicious goal and watch what tales and dramas unfold.
If you live in Los Angeles, or if you'll be in Los Angeles in December, this play is definitely something to add to your To Do list.
Like my abuelita Ramona used to say 'A family that tamales together, stays together.' Okay, so I just made that up, but, you'll swear it's true after you've seen the play and danced in the aisle with your children.
Visit the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, and buy your tickets, or read a little more in the Los Angeles Times article, then go see it.
There's still time.
!Buen Provecho!
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