'Adios Mama Carlota' Brings Father-Son Closer To History

SAN JOSE, CA -- To say theater director Kinan Valdez is a chip off the old block is an understatement.

Rarely has a son tried to take such care of a father's passion like Valdez has in "Adios Mama Carlota," a play written by his father Luis Valdez and put on April 3-28 by the San Jose Stage Company through the artistic direction of Randall King and overall management of Cathleen King.

The play is indeed more than a family affair but a theatrical work for the ages.

And given its subject matter, it's timely too.

Commissioned through support from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Theatre Commissioning Award, "Adios Mama Carlota" based on actual historical events pivotal to the French occupation of Mexico from 1862 to 1867.

The story centers on the ironic, tragic fate of Maximilian - Archduke of Austria - and his cohort - Marie Charlotte as Carlota, Princess of Belgium - as they disingenuously ascend the throne as Emperor and Empress of Mexico. There's love, death, imperialism, self-doubt and guilt all wrapped up in a masterful woven quilt of theater.

"He's dedicated to making history accessible," the younger Valdez told Patch.

To the accomplished 46-year-old director who started on the coat tails of his father at age 3, the message is complex but clear.

"The forces of a democratically elected president were thrown to the side," Valdez said, as if with a wink and a nod he saw parallels with the tragic farce of today's U.S. political history.

"My dad likes to laugh. It's part of our family tradition. In adversity, if you laugh, you take away the power (of the forces trying to overcome you)," Valdez explained.

The story of Mexico's past "appealed to my father," the son added. From there, the story became a "mirror of sorts" to the strife the United States and Mexico experience now.

When asked what he wanted his audience to take away from the stage experience, he replied: "I want people to draw their own connections - to take a look at their country today and remember the history, so we don't repeat it," he said. "I'm a history buff as much as my father. It's important."

The Valdez insightful view of the world is one that has not gone unnoticed outside of the family as well.

"Luis Valdez is a poet, a playwright and activist,” said King, the San Jose Stage Company's founding artistic director. “His stories inform pieces of unknown history. Thus, a conversation with Luis can be a great history lesson.

Ironically, Mexico abolished slavery in 1831 in ‘the Siege of The Alamo' - over three decades before the Civil War in the United States. The U.S. brother-against-brother conflict was occurring at the same time as the French occupation that serves as the backdrop to "Adios Mama Carlota."

In this case, it seemed the elder Valdez was ahead of his time.

“As an American playwright, my Chicano perspective grants me a unique opportunity to address contemporary strains and fissures in U.S.-Mexico border relations (and) critical issues of race and immigration by examining the intertwined historical roots of both nations," Valdez said. "Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juarez were 19th century contemporaries. As wartime presidents, both fought to preserve the union and sovereignty of their respective republics," he went on. "History may be ‘broken news,’ but today’s breaking news reminds us daily that the struggle to preserve democracy is still vitally alive.

The prideful father of the director and this passionate play prompted a grateful Valdez to commend the cohesive partnership of players and producers like El Teatro Campesino of which he is the founder.

Valdez brings back his work to the San Jose stage after premiering "Valley of the Heart" there and consequently winning the 2016 San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Production Entire Bay Area.

The San Jose Stage Company was one of six recipients to receive a prestigious Theater Commissioning Award from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for Luis Valdez’s new work - "Adios Mama Carlota." The $50,000 grant supports the creation and production of new theater works by playwrights who represent the voice of California today.

San Jose Stage Company’s 2018-2019 season will conclude with the international smash hit the Abba musical "Mamma Mia," with performances beginning on May 29.

Tickets may be purchased through the box office at 408-283-7142 or online at www.thestage.org.

The Obie award-winning theater producer, El Teatro Campesino, was founded by Valdez in 1965 in the heat of the United Farm Workers struggle and the Great Delano Grape Strike in California’s Central Valley. His involvement with Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the early Chicano Movement left an indelible mark that remained embodied in all his work even after he left the UFW in 1967.

Valdez, who is credited for the box office hit film "La Bamba," lives in the rural community of San Juan Bautista. As a testament to his strong roots, the community tucked away in San Benito County remains the longest-running Chicano theater in the United States.

Among his numerous awards, Valdez was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship as one of 50 U.S. artists to receive the honor.