NOWHERE ON THE BORDER by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

The Road on Magnolia is presenting a newly revised and re-written version of a play, Nowhere On The Border by Carlos Lacamara, directed by Stewart J. Zully.  The subject is extremely relevant today as it is a retrospect of the dramas that people endured in order to cross the borders into the United States and still do.

           

Roberto (Jonathan Nichols) is waiting around in a desert area to meet his daughter Pilar (Natalie Llerena) near the border in Arizona.  He found out that she had paid someone to get her across to Arizona where her husband has been for three years.  Gary (Chet Grissom) happens to be patrolling the area, and upon seeing Roberto, is very suspicious of him.  Gary doesn’t believe him when he tells him why he is hanging around in the area and calls for the Border Patrol               

            

Pilar had met with Don Rey (Thom Rivera) and paid him to make arrangements for her to travel to Arizona with a fellow traveler, Jesus (Leandro Cano), and the leader, extremely inadequate Montoya (Diana Delacruz).  Meanwhile, during the wait for the Border Patrol to arrive, the scenes are interspersed between Gary and Roberto and the three travelers on their hazardous trip.

            

With the passing of time, Gary and Roberto discover that they have both lived through similar situations during their lives.  The more Gary gets to know more about Roberto, the more he realizes he likes him.  In each segment with them, the two men find they have a lot in common and gradually become friendly with one another.  When the play reverts to the segments with the travelers, their situation becomes more and more challenging, and it is questionable when and if they will make it to their destination.  Guitarist Mackenzie Redvers Bryce performs soothing melodic music between the scenes.

            

Much of the time, I felt breathless through some of the scenes as I watched this production, not the easiest, but worth every minute of it.  I left the theatre with so much feeling for the marvelous performances by the entire cast.  The set design by Paul Dufresne, constructed by Red Colegrove, and the lighting design by Derrick McDonald added to its strength.

           

Nowhere on the Border plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM, at The Road on Magnolia, located at 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood.  Tickets are available online at www.roadtheatre.org, or by phone at (818) 761-8838.

           

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