First Stage presents: CARMELA FULL OF WISHES

By Mary Boyle

First Stage in Milwaukee has been a leader in theatre for young children across the country but, locally, they have worked hard to make sure Milwaukee's diverse community is represented on the stage.  Alvaro Saar Rios, who is a Playwright in Residence at First Stage and teaches playwrighting at UWM, has been the key to representing Mexican culture through plays with his award-winning LUCHADORA!, UNMUTED, and the World Premier play ON THE WINGS OF MARIPOSA from the 2019-20 season.  This season, Rios returns with a play for very young children built off of a picture book written by Matt de la Peña, the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of six picture books, including Milo Imagines the World and Last Stop on Market Street, called CARMELA FULL OF WISHES.

The really great thing about this story is that it looks as the issue of immigration from the perspective of a young child: the child of an immigrant.  Carmela is celebrating her 7th birthday, which means she is old enough to accompany her reluctant older brother to the laundromat.  On the way, she discovers a dandelion puff and learns that she can make a wish on it but, with so many good things to wish for, how will Carmela choose?  Before making a wish, she imagines each possibility, which then comes to life on the stage.  Should she wish for a soft bed for her hardworking Mami, or the return of her Papi who, because he was an undocumented immigrant, was sent back to Mexico.  Perhaps she could wish for her older brother to be nice to her or, maybe, a vending machine that would give her any treat she wants!  Throughout Carmella's journey, we see the challenges her mother, brother, and her are facing because of the absence of her father.

First Stage favorite Karen Estrada is the guiding force of this production as Mami and other characters, with brief appearances by Parker Munoz as Papi and Senor Lopez.  The young performers are double cast.  The Nieves Cast includes Isabel Scardino  as  Carmela, Stephanie Santoyo-Bustos as Paleta Lady, Helen Paloma Marotta as Flower Girl, Thomas Bastardo as Big Brother, and Marko Van Slyke as Anatoli.  The Paletas Cast includes  Isabella Dixon-Ruiz as Carmela, Tiana Dixon-Ruiz as Paleta Lady; Marilyn De La O as Flower Girl, and Steven Cuevas Ruiz as Big Brother, and Aria Domena as Anatoli. 

Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios, wife of Alvaro and co-founder with him of The Royal Mexican Players, Carmela is a sweet show that will be best appreciated by families with children between the ages of 3 and 10.  While I truly appreciate the topic and representation, I do wish the story, itself, was told better; nonetheless, there is a good bit of magic at the end that will delight audience members of all ages and, with any luck, help to turn the wishes of many children like Carmela into a reality.

CARMELA FULL OF WISHES runs through February 12th at the Todd Wehr Theater, located at 121 E. State Street in downtown Milwaukee (behind the Marcus Center for Performing Arts).  Tickets may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.

Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.  
A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. Sensory accommodations include a quiet area staffed by an experienced educator, lower sound, house lights up and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order online or by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/. 
 
ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. 
This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. To learn more, please visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/ 

About First Stage
Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young people and education initiatives for its schools and community. First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serves.  First Stage produces plays that honor the young person’s point of view, include diverse and traditionally underrepresented voices and inspire meaningful conversations. First Stage has presented more than 70 world premiere productions that address important subject matters relevant to today’s youth. The Theater Academy is one of the nation’s largest high-impact theater training programs for young people (3-18 years old). Through a challenging curriculum taught by professional teaching artists, the Academy nurtures life skills through stage skills and includes the Next Steps Program that tailors Theater Academy classes to the needs of young people on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education Programs cleverly blend theater activities with standard curriculum – allowing more than 10,000 students annually to learn traditional academic subjects through creativity and self-expression.  First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF).