Last Wednesday night in McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon hosted "The Maria Chronicles" by Teatro Luna, Chicago's first Latina theater ensemble. The show is based on the true story of struggling Latina actresses trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Coordinated by Emily Half, associate dean of student affairs, the show was one of several events sponsored by Carnegie Mellon and the Spanish and Latin Student Association (SALSA) to promote Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15.

Coya Paz and Tanya Saracho founded Teatro Luna in 2000, and it has expanded since then. "The Maria Chronicles" is the third production by Teatro Luna. Their previous productions are "Generic Latina," which highlights the many different types of Latin women that exist, and "Let Me Count Her," a dialogue about how the term "Hispanic" is too limiting and discounts some Latin women from the U.S census.

The show is a compilation of short scenes that depict different Latina stereotypes. The scenes are tied together with a series of "auditions" for different characters on an upcoming TV show called High School Undercover. The producers of High School Undercover are looking for actresses that fit the typical inner-city Latina or African-American stereotype, but the diverse cast shows them how they don't fit the stereotypical mold.

Paz explained how "The Maria Chronicles" came about:

"When we first started Teatro Luna we got together as Latina women. What does Latina mean? We all come from different backgrounds. One of the things we have in common is a shared stereotype. Casting agents would say 'You're not Latina enough' or 'Be spicier'. For our third show we wanted to show how the media constructs Latina women to fit the stereotypes that people want to see and how we, as actresses, have to deal with it."

Teatro Luna addressed the Latina body image, Latina skin tones and Latina hair that can range from ultra curly to silky and straight. Every scene took a different take on what is typically thought of Latinas and then gave a Latina perspective on those same stereotypes.

There were scenes that only minorities could really relate to; which limited Teatro Luna's audience. Sometimes the cast spoke in Spanish in parts of the show, which left some audience members perplexed. Overall, though, the show featured some extremely funny scenes that engaged everyone, as well as some bits of dialogue that made the audience cry or at least hide a tear or two. The show had many elements of both drama and comedy. It was honest, refreshing, and compelling because the cast didn't mind adding some shocking, sharp points to keep the audience attentive.

The cast included six Latinas from different backgrounds: Dana Cruz, Miranda Gonzalez, Diane Herrera, Suzette Mayobre, Coya Paz, and Tanya Saracho.  The show begins with an energetic scene called "Breakdown," in which the girls recite and act out a laundry list of typical Latina roles, such as the young, pregnant, gun-carrying gang member and the old Latina maid. "Breakdown" was a loud, poignant scene that presented society's views about minority images on TV while also forcing the audience topay attention to the cast and think about the overall message of the show.

The production featured an entire scene devoted to the influence of Jennifer Lopez on the stereotypes of Latinas in the entertainment industry. Teatro Luna pointed out that Lopez plays an Italian woman in many of her movies and that her fleeting love life has not helped the Latina image. During this scene, Mayobre stood up on a chair and proclaimed her love for Lopez, while Paz and Herrera yelled at her from below, urging her to see how Jennifer Lopez has made it hard for other Latina actresses to break through. This sceneshowed the disagreement within the Latin community as to whether Lopez is a good or bad influence.

At one point the cast encouraged audience members to join them on the stage to show how Latinas dance in rap and hip-hop music videos. Gonzalez urged the group to dance suggestively to show how girls are encouraged to objectify themselves for the music industry. Gonzales entertained the audience by playing a fitness instructor, encouraging the girls on stage to "get that J. Lo booty." and other subtle statements about how women are urged to show off their curves in a negative light.

Gonzalez, who is African American and Mexican, is the only cast member of biracial descent.

"I was told until I was 21 that I was Puerto Rican," she said. 

In one scene, Gonzalez expresses her frustration over her mixed heritage. She recites a poem about her hair being much curlier than the rest of all of her family member's hair. Her Mexican mother, frustrated by her hair, tries to straighten it with chemicals and a hot comb, but with no success. She recalls being much darker than her cousins and classmates and being reminded of it everyday. This scene shed some light on a very real issue today. There are many biracial Americans that don't know where they fit in with their peers. Gonzalez was truthful and brave for showing how she felt when she was younger, and how many biracial children feel about their place in society.

The motto of the show was "Truth is stranger than fiction." Watching the show, it seemed almost unbelievable that a casting agent in the real world would have the courage to say some of the things that the cast portrayed. The show is very educational for someone that doesn't know much about what happens before a commercial, movie or TV show goes into production. It was also informative for people who didn't know what an ethnic actor or actress must go through to get a desired role when they do not quite fit into the stereotypical mold. Teatro Luna's goal was to educate their audience and with The Maria Chronicles, they achieved just that.