Dorothea Puente Tells All! at Big Idea Theatre

Dorothea Puente was a lifelong con-artist. Her abuse of the welfare system led directly to new federal legislation. She was loved as a pillar of Sacramento's Mexican community though she herself was white and often pretended to be Mexican (think Rachel Dolezal). On November 11, 1988, police discovered 7 bodies buried in Dorothea Puente's yard, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of a humble volunteer social worker. Tonight, this charismatic, often funny con artist has come back from the dead to convince the audience she was wronged. Her tenants all died naturally, she claims, and she secretly buried them as part of a scheme to donate their government benefits to Sacramento’s Mexican community. Like Shakespeare’s Richard III, Dorothea Puente Tells All shows the rise and fall of an engaging and crafty villain who believes the audience is on her side. Mrs. Puente never stopped maintaining her innocence and some never stopped believed her. In unraveling the truth of Dorothea Puente, this play also shows the rest of us something about our own needs and vulnerabilities, and how we can protect ourselves from people who would exploit us.