Review: ALMA DE LUNA at HART Theatre

What happens when a family is shattered by the tragic loss of a child? The grief that remains unresolved slowly pulls each member apart, from one another and from themselves. This is the emotional landscape of Alma de Luna. Invisible Friends Productions presents a World Premiere production written by local playwright David Fuks and directed by Humberto Mugnai, now playing at Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART). It is a story that is made even more heartbreaking by the spirit of the lost child herself, who must find a way to help her family release their pain and stop blaming themselves before her soul can be set free.

The ghost of the child reaches out to her younger sister, Alma who witnessed the accident, offering comfort and connection across the veil. But when Luna tries to share these visits from Alma, she is dismissed as troubled and shuffled between a therapist and the family priest throughout her childhood. Seeking relief from both her own grief and her sister, she moves away from the family home. Years later, having channeled her extraordinary childhood into a celebrated career as an author of ghost stories, she returns for a final reckoning, for her parents, for her sister's restless spirit, and for herself.

The result is an engaging, touching, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting theatrical experience. It is a warm and celebratory glimpse into the heart of a Mexican American family, honoring the bonds of family, love, faith, and just a touch of magic.

Camila Loera delivers a masterful performance as the ghost of Luna's sister Alma, making her presence vivid and entirely believable to the audience while remaining poignantly invisible to the grieving family around her. Luna herself is portrayed with authenticity by real-life sisters Mila and Lulu Kashiwabara, whose genuine bond lends the role a natural warmth and depth that is a genuine delight.

Eleanor Amoros brings complexity to María Gómez, the girls' mother, who becomes entrenched in the anger of her grief. As a woman who reached the height of her career only to have tragedy strike, leaving her unable to express the guilt and sadness that consume her. Opposite her, Les Ico portrays Francisco Gómez with quiet tenderness, a devoted husband doing everything in his power to hold what remains of the family together. His solution? Inviting his mother into the home which introduces one of the story’s most warm-hearted characters, Abuelita, Irma Duarte de Gómez, played with grace and spirit by Yolanda Porter, who steps in as a nurturing maternal presence for Luna when María cannot.

Enrique Andrade as Father Ramón and Laurie Monday as therapist Rachel Silver bring a welcome softness, compassion, and touch of well-placed comedic relief to what is otherwise a deeply emotional story. Rounding out the ensemble with impressive range is Diego Sanchez, who takes on the roles of Jaime, Chambelán, Sister Nun, and Angel. Each character distinctly realized and one delivered with a captivating vocal performance that adds texture to the production.