1. SIMPLY MARIA The American Dream By Josefina Lopez

2. MEET JOSIFINA LOPEZ Josifina Lopez was born in 1969 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. She lived in Mexico for five years before her family illegally immigrated to Los Angeles. Lopez received amnesty in 1987 and finally became a citizen in 1995. Lopez continues to write about female empowerment as well as the immigrant experiences she, herself, felt. Josifina continues to support Chicano theatre and to push minority representation in theatre. Lopez was recognition from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s 7th Annual “Women Making History” banquet in 1998 and has received Humanities Prize for Screenwriting and Gabriel Garcia Marquez Award. Josifina currently works at the CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. There, she attempts to teach young Latinas screenwriting and playwriting.

3. SUMMARY Maria’s father and mother elope and soon have Maria. When Maria is young, her father moves her to America and tells her that she can have The American Dream if she studies hard. However, when Maria tells her parents that she wants to go to college, she and her father et into an argument. Maria wants to create a career and better future for herself. However, her father wants her to get married and become the typical Latina housewife. The fight gets heated and Maria storms off to her room. Later that night, Maria has a nightmare that her American and Mexican selves are wrestling. The dream changes and Maria is getting married, however, it is not everything she hope for. Her “wedding ring” is a dog collar and her wedding dress attacks her. She then goes on to have six babies and gets squashed by a humongous tortilla. Maria wakes up from her nightmare and hears her mother crying and asking her father about his affairs. Maria then decides that she must go to college in order to have the life she wants.

4. HISTORICAL CONTEXTS  Lopez writes for young Chicano audiences.  Her target audience are first-generation immigrants who wish to prosper in America.  Lopez’s play focus around illegal immigration and amnesty.  The play is loosely based off of Lopez’s life story and experiences.

5. FEMALE EMPOWERMENT  The play focuses on Maria and her search for something more than the role given to her.  Maria resents the role of a mere housewife and hopes to create a career of her own.  Her father thinks that because she is a woman she will not prosper. He is also afraid that once she becomes educated, she will forget what it means to be Chicano.

6. FEMALE EMPOWERMENT Lopez uses a number of images to create comical play about the want for something more. A few images are: The “wedding ring” that serves as a collar to tie her to her husband. The black clothing her parents wear represents them dressing for her funeral rather than her wedding. Her wedding dress attacking her represents her not wanting to get married. The six kids represent shackles and inability to become what she wants.

7. MEXICAN CULTURE  Although the working woman was already common in American society, it was still practically unseen in Mexican culture.  Maria wants to go against the norms of her culture and create a future that she chooses.  Maria feels like she is struggling with the American and Mexican parts of her.

8. MODERN WOMEN

9. CHARACTERS  Maria: She wants to go to college and live a life she chooses for herself but her father refuses to let her.  Ricardo: Maria’s father. He doesn’t want Maria to go to college because he thinks that she will loose her Mexican identity.  Maria’s mother: She serves as a example of what Maria does not want to become.  Maria’s Dream Husband: He represents all of Maria’s fears and why she resists marriage.

10. DIVERSITY The play focusses on Chicano themes of immigration and identity. The play coincides with Lopez’s most popular play, Real Women Have Curves, and Zoot Suit to create an accurate depiction of Chicano theatre. Simply Maria also has topics that these two plays don’t consider such as marriage and the thoughts of the current young Latino population.

11. NEW FORMS OF DIVERSITY The play touches on topics that are not typically explored in this class: the thoughts of the new generation. The plays read throughout the course are hardly ever set in modern times and often don’t relate to issues we grew up with. Although most plays deal with issues the transcend time and generations, it is very refreshing to read a play about a typical young girl who is trying to find herself.

12. LANGUAGE OF THE PLAY The mood of the play starts off very serious but as the play progresses the mood gets lighter. During Maria’s dream, the play is very comical and light despite the underlying seriousness of the play. Lopez also uses satire to help get her point across. For example, when Maria is getting married and her husband puts a collar around her neck and treats her like a dog. However, as the play ends, the audience learns of another serious issue that helps Maria confirm her resolution. The audience is left with the feeling that Maria will go to college and obtain the life she dreams of.

13. RELATION TO OTHER WORKS Like later plays written by Lopez, Simply Maria takes a comical stance on a very serious issue. Lopez uses satire to create a lighthearted feeling while demeaning women to get her point across. Lopez also focusses on a female lead who wishes to go to college just like later works.

14. WHY I CHOOSE THIS PLAY I initially searched for a play by Josifina Lopez due to the light and comedic nature of Real Women Have Curves. Her plays specifically made to speak to a younger audience who are still in the midst of discovering themselves and the world around them. Lopez’s plays speak more firmly on the issues of the new generation. That combined with the easy flow of the plays creates a following of young immigrants desperate to have their voice heard.

15. THE PLAY IN ACTION There has been many portrayals of the play, however, this one is produced by Lopez, herself.

16. THE PLAY IN ACTION  The play performed here is slightly different from what is written despite the fact that they were both made by Lopez herself. Lopez added visual details as well as slightly rearranging the text to create a new version of her play Simply Maria: The American Dream. One of those aspect that her parents wear black at her wedding. Lopez also condenses the play to only show the dramatic action of the play.