It is only fitting that the opening night of The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon on May 3rd at the Latino Theater Company landed on World Press Freedom Day because this extraordinary and devastating work of art written by Rebeca Alemán (who also plays the main character) is an unforgettable tribute to journalism and to all the journalists who have lost their lives telling the truth.
“A taut psychological drama, The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon is set in 2019 somewhere in Latin America. Somewhere in a country immersed in violence and corruption, a world where cruelty is habit, impunity is routine, liberty is utopian and revealing the truth poses the greatest danger of all. Alemán stars as Paulina, a human rights journalist and advocate for victims of femicide and indigenous communities. After surviving a vicious attack that left her in a coma, Paulina struggles to regain her memory. With fellow journalist Rodrigo (Eric K. Roberts) at her side, she must painstakingly piece together the truth in order to demand justice. Based on true events, this powerful and poetically stirring drama addresses the relentless violation of human rights against journalists who strive to report the truth.”
In association with the Water People Theater, The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon is an astounding two-hander that captures your attention from the very first second and refuses to let you go until its bittersweet end. This is made entirely possible by Rebeca Alemán and Eric K. Roberts who are so compelling and so endearing as Paulina and Rodrigo respectively. The first ten minutes is silent acting at its finest as the physical elements and emotions conveyed were utterly heartbreaking without a single word even needed to be said out loud. Once these two characters do speak, we are right there with Paulina as she tries to piece together her memories and remember what happened that resulted in her severe brain injury and we are there with Rodrigo who harbors a tragic secret that drives him to constantly be there for Paulina.
I’ve never been so moved and broken by a play script in such a long time and while majority of that credit obviously goes to…
