Sep. 15 marked the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month and a theater company in Malvern, Chester County just debuted its first-ever bilingual production.Eisa Davis is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Mare of Easttown cast member.
Her original work is on stage now at People's Light in Malvern. She says the story intertwines culture, immigration, and the art of growing and harvesting mushrooms, in both English and Spanish. "There are all of these workers and stories who are in the shadows who we don't see, and yet who we are dependent upon," Davis says. "I think that this play is really about the way that we all are taking care of one another or maybe, you know, not taking enough care of one another. It's about seeing how we might grow toward a more compassionate existence."
Davis' play was translated by Mexican playwright Georgina Escobar. If you don't speak Spanish, the dialogue is translated on a screen. "You don't necessarily have to depend on on the language on the screens, but it's there and it feels more like a dance or witnessing a symphony, rather than feeling like you're going to miss something if you don't read it," Escobar says. "I think our designers have done a beautiful job at mixing that into the world."