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Playwright Octavio Solis once said that he never wanted to do a Latino family drama. The stereotypes were too easily recognizable and the subjects would be too close to home. But the El Paso-born dramatist, long considered among the most prolific Chicano playwrights, has chosen the Latino home – or “ground zero” as he calls it – as the setting for his latest theatrical success titled “Lydia.”

Gloria Garayua and Elias Escobedo in Octavio Solis’ 'Lydia' at Marin Theater Company.
The play happens in the home of 15 year-old Cecilia Flores, whose is near comatose as a result of a car accident, and the undocumented caretaker who can mysteriously connect with her. Described as a combination of realism and lyricism, “Lydia” is Solis’ most intimate work to date. Already, it is being compared to the work of Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill and has propelled 50 year-old Solis onto the national spotlight.

“Lydia” has been presented in such venues as the Denver Center Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, and the Mark Taper Forum.

Reporter Emily Wilson has this profile.


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