Steadstyle Chicago
	October 2009 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	The House on Mango Street Each year the Chicago Public Library unveils its selection for the "One Book, One Chicago" program.  The program is designed to have the schoolchildren of Chicago read a book that will have meaning to them.  Steppenwolf Theatre is now featuring the 2009 selection, "The House on Mango Street" written by Sandra Cisneros on its upstairs stage in a stage adaptation written by Tanya Saracho.  What a glorious celebration of a beautiful story this is.  Directed by Hallie Gordon, this is story of a young girl's coming of age in a neighborhood filled with many cultures.  While I am not aware of an actual Mango Street in Chicago, there is a Mango Avenue that runs North/South between Central Avenue and Austin Boulevard, very near to Oak Park, but the name of the street doesn't really matter.  What matters is the life experience of this family and in particular Esperanza Cordero, a dynamic and powerful performance by Sandra Delgado. Her family has moved from one place to another, mostly apartments and now moves into a house in an area that is mixed with many cultures and many new experiences for her and her family.  Cisneros has developed characters who are very real and while in reading a book, we get to imagine the sets and the people, Saracho has transformed them from the written page to the stage.  Under the fine hand of Gordon's direction they are made real.  The actors who portray the myriad of local characters change into many characters with great ease.  7 actors play almost 28 roles (at least as I counted them in this spectacular transformation) and each one to perfection.  Belinda Cerbantes, Gina Cornejo, Liza Fernandez, Ricardo Guitierrez, Christina Nieves, Tony Sancho and Mari Stratton, I applaud you for your skill and talent. There are many emotions in this beautiful story.  We laugh, we cry, we express fear and uncertainty as this young lady makes new friends, learns about  the cultures of others, experiences her first high heels, feels shame and desire and learns that life is not all that it should or could be.  We learn from Esperanza that no matter where you might go in life, the memories of your youth, which for her, was Mango Street, will linger forever.  That our life experiences during our formative years will shape our lives forever, as well as who we are and how we relate to others.  The energy level of this cast makes the play move ever so quickly.  It is roughly an hour and a half in length with no intermission and yet, I wanted more.  I wanted to know what happened to each and every resident of Mango Street as I felt that these were people I cared about. Collette Pollard's set is simple and helps us to see the neighborhood clearly.  Simplicity is the watch word.   J.R. Lederle's lighting is perfect and Tamara Roberts' original music adds to the story and the mood as well as giving the non-Latino audience more of the feeling that is expressed in both the book and the play.  Joel Valentin-Martinez has added some choreography that is true to the expression of the music.  Bravo! Steppenwolf For Young Adults has a unique approach to bringing theater and education together and in partnering with the Library offers students and teachers the opportunity to see literature brought to the stage.  As most of you know, I am of the opinion that live theater is by far the greatest form of entertainment and for those who do not get many opportunities to see plays, what Steppenwolf is offering is that chance. The production will continue through November 8, 2009 at Steppenwolf Theatre, located at 1650 N. Halsted Ave.  Besides the regular performance schedule, schools can arrange for special presentations during the week, Tuesday-Friday at 10 a.m.  What a great field trip!  For info on this call 312-335-1650.  The performance schedule for "Mango" is Friday evening at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.  Stop by the gift shop on the first floor and purchase a copy of the book, in English and Spanish.  This is a very special story for many young girls to read and it is a wonderful experience to watch as well.  Tickets are $20 ($15 for students) and are available at the box office, by calling 312--335-1650 or online at www.steppenwolf.org.   About Alan Bresloff Alan Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra Newspaper and The Epoch Times.  He also writes for ElImparcial and TeleGuia.  His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.  Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a "reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical and more.  "Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad.  Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen.  You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.