“Marisol,” a play written by José Rivera, throws guests into an absurdist and apocalyptic world where men are pregnant, Nazis are burning homeless people and a senile God is dying and taking the universe down with him. 

The Penumbra Theatre’s production of “Marisol,” which opened on Oct. 9 and closed on Nov. 2, makes guests think the moment they enter the theatre. In the hallway leading to the auditorium, a chalkboard hung on the wall.

“What are YOU willing to fight for?” was written on the board. 

And no matter how far-out some scenes of the production felt, there were many connections between the issues the main character, Marisol Perez, faced and the issues Americans face today. Marisol Perez, played by actress Kay Mercedes, is a young Puerto Rican woman living in the Bronx. 

Some guests took the question more lightly. “My right to PARTY!” said one.

But most answered the question more passionately, their responses revealing some of the main concerns Minnesotans and Americans wrestle with. 

“My neighbors (and yours too).”

“My people’s story.”

“Universal human rights.”

The production was produced in partnership with Teatro Del Pueblo and directed by Sarah Bellamy, the President of Penumbra Theatre. 

“I had no idea how reflective of our times this supposedly absurdist play would become,” Bellamy wrote in her “Letter from the President,” in the program.  

When guests walked into the auditorium, the stage contained multiple elements that ominously hinted at what the play would consist of. 

A glass box hung from the ceiling, displaying a crown of thorns that guests would later find out represents God. A projection of spray-painted letters shone on one wall, spelling “WAKE UP.” A painting of the Virgin Mary leaned against the same wall. 

The play demonstrated the boundaries of the human experience, illustrating how far humans are willing to go when they face the end of the world. Its world is rife with paranoia and violence, and nearly everything seems to be turned upside down. The moon has disappeared and apples are extinct. 

The production also predicts what the world might look like when capitalism has fully taken over, and credit card companies are kidnapping and torturing Americans who have exceeded their limit. As homelessness skyrockets, Nazis are roaming the streets and burning homeless New Yorkers alive.

At the start of the play, Marisol is visited by her guardian angel, who tells her that the angels are in a war with God and that she can’t protect Marisol anymore. 

Marisol embarks on a journey that tests the limits of her Catholic faith, who she trusts and everything she thought she knew about the world. 

The last scene comes to a climax when a Nazi sees Marisol and her enemy-turned-friend Lenny, curled up on the ground. The Nazi is disgusted with the pair, who are now both homeless. 

The Nazi launches into a rant about how sick she is of homelessness, of “dark skin,” of compassion. She refers to the homeless as a “parasite,” and implies that it’s the homeless’ fault they are homeless. 

The Nazi attributes the way blessings are distributed to God, saying that he distributes blessings in just the right way. If the homeless would just take care of their family, she complains, then everything would be solved. 

But then Marisol witnesses the gruesome “invisible war” in the heavens. She narrates that when the revolution looked like it was doomed, innocent lives took to the streets and fought against the senile God. 

The revolutionaries win. It’s the beginning of new miracles and a new history, Marisol declares. 

Marisol’s angel reappears in a pure white dress and places the crown of thorns that had been hanging above the stage during the play on Marisol’s head. Marisol takes the crown and sets it at the front of the stage. 

She and the angel sit down on the front of the stage, leaning on each other. The lights black out, and the words displayed before the show, “WAKE UP,” are projected on the wall.   

The production leaves guests with more questions than answers. But it is clear that the production pushes audience members to be vigilant of the political state of the world. It calls on guests to take action and be prepared to fight injustice. The audience is left to reflect on their own actions and contributions to the world’s sources of power, good and bad.

“Right now, this play feels more like a mirror than an omen,” Bellamy said.