Los Angeles audiences will have an opportunity to witness art used as a powerful form of activism when Constance Marie and eight other actors take to the stage to read monologues inspired by true stories of families and communities affected by ICE. Malice: Stories of Injustice, a special two-night theatrical event at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.
The monologues are inspired by real stories and written by Vivianne Nacif and Juan Pablo Oubina
Directed by Vivianne Nacif.
Performances will be on March 10 at 8PM (Constance Marie will perform on this day) and March 11 also at 8PM. The performances feature nine monologues inspired by real-life stories of individuals affected by immigration enforcement actions. The fundraising event is designed inform and create community around the topic of immigration, not only as a theatrical experience but as a fundraiser with all proceeds going to help support and aid immigrant detained and/or their families.
Post-show discussions after each day’s performance will give the audience an opportunity to engage with the cast, writers, directors and discussions and learn what and where help will be provided for immigrants navigating the new challenges they face with ICE raids.
In addition to Marie, the actors (and the roles they will play) donating their time and talent to these two day charitable performances include:
Eduardo Enrikez – Francisco (Paletero)
Angelines Santana – Linda (Tamalera)
Alejandro Cardenas – Andry Hernandez (make-up artist)
Iran Daniel – Alma (Home Health aid worker)
Eduardo Enrikez – Marcos (Gardner)
Constance Marie English performance only – Angeles (Agricultural worker)
Vivianne Nacif – Mariana (Jazmin’s mom)
Alex Peña – Antonio (Daca Recepient-uber driver)
Maria Jimena Gastelum -Sofia (US citizen College Student)
All proceeds from the performances will benefit Mar Vista Voice and West Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, grassroots groups working on the front lines to provide legal aid, emergency response alerts, and community support for families impacted by ICE detentions.
The evening brings together actors who will portray the voices of individuals whose lives have been directly affected by immigration enforcement. Rather than statistics or headlines, the monologues present deeply personal narratives that reveal the human impact of policy.
“These monologues are based on are real people,” said Marie. “They’re not numbers or talking points. Many of them have lived in this country for decades and contributed enormously to the communities they live in.”
Marie will perform during the English-language performance on March 10, portraying an agricultural worker whose story reflects the experiences of many essential laborers. The Spanish-language performance will take place March 11, bringing the stories to Spanish-speaking audiences.
Among the characters represented are long-time residents, workers, and even a DACA recipient studying law whose life was disrupted by detention.
Art as Action
For Marie, whose decades-long career includes iconic roles in films like Mi Familia and Selena and starring as Angie Lopez on George Lopez (2002–2007) and Regina Vasquez on Switched at Birth (2011–2017) and most currently in TV showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett’s With Love, working on Malice reflects her belief that storytelling can play a role in social awareness and community engagement.
“The antidote to despair is action,” Marie said. “People can protest, they can donate, they can post online — and this performance is another way to take action. Creative resistance is important right now.”
Audience members are encouraged to attend, bring friends, and engage with the community through the event and enjoy an evening is meant to be both moving and empowering.
For Marie, being part of this creative fundraiser is more than doing a monolough of another persons’ real life experineces with ICE — it is personal. “The hardest part for me is being in a country where I am a citizen but because the color of my skin i’m asked for my papers. I’m indigenous but because i’m brown I have to worry about the racial profiling that’s happening.”
Malice: Stories of Injustice performances will take place at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles with two performances:
- March 10 — English-language performance (featuring Constance Marie)
- March 11 — Spanish-language performance
- Time: 8:00 PM
Tickets and donation information can be accessed through Constance Marie’s Instagram, @GoConstance, where a link and QR code are available for purchasing tickets or contributing to the cause, or at The Odyssey Theater website. Donations can also be made online at the Odyssey Theater Support Page, However, make sure to to indicate your donation is restricted funds to be used only for Malice charities.
Marie leaves us with an ecnouraging thought, “Right now many people feel overwhelmed. But community is the answer. Remembering our humanity and our shared stories are essential.”
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