The air crackled with the energy of a lively crowd and an enthusiastic cast as The Garage Theatre in Long Beach put on the play “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” on March 21.
Directed by Skylar Alexis, the play follows four teenage girls, Pipe, Squeeze, Zoom and Kit, as they attempt to summon the ghost of the infamous drug lord, Pablo Escobar.
Alexis later talked about the importance of the play’s diverse cast of Latinx, Black and Jewish actors.
“I do think that it was beautiful because the playwright (Alexis Scheer) made it specific in the play that you cannot put the show on unless you get these specific ethnicities and these specific characters with these races,” Alexis said.
This intentionality was a key component in a story that pulled no punches when it came to tackling sensitive subjects like grief and racism, a fact elevated by its 2008 setting.
“I love this show so much because I am, like, a Hispanic teenage girl, and I think there aren’t a lot of shows, obviously, that connect to that. It’s important for us as theater makers to uplift that,” said Annaliese Nendel-Flores, the actress playing Pipe’s little sister.
But it’s not all heavy topics! The dialogue and the performances that sell it give the audience plenty to laugh at, making the serious moments land even harder.
Alexis expressed her goal with her directorial debut, “I would say one of my biggest goals with this is that I just want people to have fun,” Alexis said.
As “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” came to a tumultuous end, the teenage girls chanted, “I will not be good. I will be loud, loud, loud! Have things and not be had. Make the world in my image and that’s what’s mine!”
The audience took to their feet in thunderous appreciation as the 2005 indie hit “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade closed out the show.
An audience member and LBCC student shared her opinion of the show.
“This was incredible, I didn’t know what to expect. But I like how the play talked about so much, like, important stuff while still having funny moments. I’m glad I came to see it,” said Yesenia Gomez.
