Derecho

JUL – AUG 2024 | Mandell Weiss Forum

By Noelle Viñas

Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg

Some storms you can’t hide from.

A series of intense storms – a “derecho” – is bearing down on an affluent Virginia neighborhood near D.C., where Eugenia Silva is preparing for a crucial meeting. Eugenia is a politician hoping to join the wave of women of color elected to public office. Her sister Mercedes is a struggling musician fighting to find her way on her own terms. As winds rise and thunder cracks — and tensions between the sisters reach boiling point — Eugenia’s political ambitions crash into Mercedes’s need to reconnect her sister with their roots. 

Propulsive and whip-smart, Derecho confronts how traditional Latino values conflict with an ever-changing American definition of success. Will the storm wipe out their relationship and derail Eugenia’s campaign, or will the rains provide a fresh start?

This engrossing drama from Uruguayan-American writer Noelle Viñas harnesses the danger of colliding the personal and political to reach your goals. Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg (The Garden) leads the production to bring the poetic language and powerful imagery to life. Derecho is the 11th show to have its premiere at La Jolla Playhouse after development as part of our DNA New Work Series.