'26 Miles' by Teatro Vista: A mother-daughter bond forms on the open road
THEATER REVIEW: "26 Miles" ★★★½ Through Nov. 21 by Teatro Vista at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.; Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes; Tickets: $15-25 at 773-334-7728
Sometimes you stare back at a Chicago actor you've been watching for years and think to yourself that, finally, she has the role for which she has been waiting. So it goes at "26 Miles" with the remarkable Sandra Marquez.
Marquez long has been a mainstay of the Chicago theater, anchoring shows at Teatro Vista (which is producing this relatively new play at the intimate Chicago Dramatists in collaboration with the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), the Goodman Theatre, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and many, many others. But there is something about the way she connects with this role -- a Cuban-American mother who is trying to navigate the remains of a long-broken, interracial marriage and get back in touch with her teenage daughter -- that you just won't have seen before.
As directed with a delightfully light and caring touch by Tara Mallen, Marquez offers up a formidably honest and deeply moving performance that captures both the fullness of a maternal bond and, richer yet, the messiness of life.
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