ETHICS AND THEATER-MAKING IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA: MAKING AND AVOIDING UNNATURAL DISASTERS

A Thesis Presented to the Honors Tutorial College Ohio University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation from the Honors Tutorial College with the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater

By

Olivia Rocco

April 2020

This thesis has been approved by

The Honors Tutorial College and the School of Theater

Dr. José Delgado Costa Professor, Spanish Thesis Advisor

Mary Rogus Professor, Journalism Thesis Advisor

Dr. Matthew Cornish Director of Studies, Theater

Dr. Donal Skinner Dean, Honors Tutorial College

Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction....................................................................................1 Section 2: Literature Review...........................................................................2

2.1 Colonialism and Nationalism..........................................................2 2.2 Hurricane María..............................................................................9 2.3 Verbatim Theater and Ethical Concerns........................................12

Section 3: Methodology.................................................................................17 3.1 Participants....................................................................................20 3.2 Researcher Positionality................................................................21 3.3 Interviews......................................................................................22 3.4 Workshops.....................................................................................22 3.5 Consent..........................................................................................23 3.6 Data Analysis................................................................................24

Section 4: Research Results..........................................................................25 4.1 Lack of Aid....................................................................................28 4.2 Corruption.....................................................................................30 4.3 Solidarity and Community Action................................................40 4.4 Inequality and Civic Action..........................................................43 4.5 National Identity............................................................................51 4.6 Moving Forward...........................................................................58 4.7 Key Question: Anything else?.......................................................62

Section 5: Analysis of Play Construction......................................................63 5.1 How can theater restate and mobilize history?.............................63 5.2 How can theater represent atrocity?..............................................67 5.3 How can theater open avenues of identification without erasing the specificity of suffering?......................................................74

Section 6: Production Experience.................................................................76 Section 7: Conclusion....................................................................................90 Works Cited Appendix 1 Interview Questions Appendix 2 Workshop Protocol Appendix 3 Consent Documents Appendix 4 Unnatural Disasters Script

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1. Introduction

Americans often imagine themselves as champions of anti-colonial action. The

origin of the country was, after all, a story of the British colonies in the soon-to-be United

States defeating the great British Imperial force in the name of freedom. Unlike what the

story of brave revolutionaries who fought Britain to form a new “land of the free”

implies, the United States of America has not vanquished colonialism once and for all.

On the contrary, the U.S. has become an imperial-colonial power on a global scale.

Challenging citizens in the United States to acknowledge the American empire and

turning to subjugated groups for their perspective can provide insight into the real-world

consequences of these contradicting narratives.

Colonial bias has informed many political decisions in the U.S. empire, which has

resulted in devastating consequences for Puerto Rico, a U.S. colony. This was especially

true when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and the uneasy Commonwealth status proved

insufficient and unsatisfying (Harv. L. Rev. 2017; UN 2006; UN 2018). Constrained by a

history of unjust colonialism, confused by a patched together legal relationship, and

stunned by such instant devastation, Puerto Rico could not act, and the United States

government would not help. That is the narrative that emerges when the people of Puerto

Rico tell their story—one that defines colonialism as an ongoing force, articulates the

challenges of fighting for rights against an empire, reveals the devastating costs of

maintaining the American global power, and asks if Puerto Rico should really have to

answer to the United State of America.

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Through a process of collecting testimony for, writing, and directing a verbatim

play, I explore how a verbatim theater project can provide perspective on colonial

relationships. A verbatim play is constructed from speech found in court documents,

speeches, interviews, personal writings, or other public documents, and has the potential

to raise awareness, inspire justice, and encourage empathy. In an attempt to break the

pattern of silencing and othering that maintains colonial relationship between the U.S.

and Puerto Rico, I examine how verbatim theater can 1) allow creators and audiences

alike to question the deeply held colonial beliefs about Puerto Rico; 2) disrupt the

dominant discourse about a significant event, Hurricane Maria, by giving a voice to the

people who experienced it; and 3) examine how colonial bias can manifest in discussions

of ethics and theater.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Colonialism and Nationalism

After being first colonized by Spain in 1493, Puerto Ricans fought for

independence for nearly 400 years, an effort that culminated in the Charter of Autonomy

in 1897 (Pierce Flores, La Carta Autonómica de Puerto Rico). By 1898, Puerto Ricans

had full Spanish citizenship, voting delegates in the Spanish parliament, and according to

the new Charter of Autonomy, the right to their own legislature, constitution, tariffs,

monetary system, treasury, judiciary, and international borders. (Denis 13; Torruella 65).

This near-sovereign political status was bolstered by a clear sense of national identity,

defined by ancestral diversity including Spanish, indigenous, and African heritage

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merging into a single ethnicity (Dávila 13). Puerto Ricans had only just completed

elections for the new government when United States forces invaded the island in 1898,

recolonizing the archipelago in the name of liberation.

Conquering Puerto Rico satisfied the U.S. mission of manifest destiny that

dominated American foreign policy, but after obtaining new territory, the U.S. had to

decide how to rule. Previously in United States history, territory status was always a part

of the path to statehood (“Northwest Ordinance”), but in his book How to Hide an

Empire, historian Daniel Immerwhar explains that when the demographics of the

obtained territory did not fit the white supremacy model, the law changed (Immerwahr

77). As scholar Laura Briggs says, Puerto Rico is where the United States worked out

feelings about its own expansion (Briggs 2). According to Michael Gonzalez-Cruz, the

United States ensured the transfer of sovereignty with militarization, control over the

means of communication, defense of the privileged classes, repression of political

movements critical of or opposed to the regime, and the establishment of new local

government structures (Gonzalez-Cruz 11).

Throughout the 20th century, the United States shifted its governing style in

Puerto Rico from a U.S. governed, militarized state to a more democratic, locally

operated government, providing more rights to Puerto Ricans (U.S. Congress Organic Act

of 1900; U.S. Congress Merchant Marine Act). Despite these steps toward democracy,

lawmakers in the United States bought into the colonial stereotypes of Puerto Rican

inferiority. Scholars Tisa Wenger and Hilda Lloréns describe how, on the basis of race,

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language, and locality, the U.S. perpetuated the myth that the people of Puerto Rico were

inferior, or otherwise incapable of self-rule (Wenger 86, Lloréns 145). That colonial

rhetoric informed the Insular Cases (1901), a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases that

determined the status of territories obtained in the Spanish-American War. The same

Justices who upheld racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine in the

infamous Plessy v Ferguson (1896) case, determined the future of Puerto Rico in the

Insular Cases. As Juan R. Toruella succinctly describes, “the rules established in the

Insular Cases were simply a more stringent version of the Plessy doctrine. The newly

conquered lands were to be treated not only separately, but also unequally” (Toruella 68).

The Insular Cases establish that the U.S. Constitution does not apply in Puerto Rico,

meaning any and all rights given to Puerto Ricans through these laws are conditional—

the status of Puerto Rico is determined entirely by the United States Congress (Denis 29,

Immerwahr 86). That ruling has been upheld by the Supreme Court as recently as 2016,

in the Court’s ruling in the case of Commonwealth v Valle. Therefore, although Puerto

Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917, the citizenship remains statutory and

conditional. For example, Puerto Ricans cannot vote for president, and as of 2020 there is

not, and never has been, any voting member in Congress representing Puerto Rico.

Although, as scholars Pedro Cabán and Rosa E. Ficek both acknowledge, the U.S.

was touting Puerto Rico as a shining example of the modernization and economic success

of democracy and capitalism under U.S. rule (Cabán 164; Ficek 104), other world powers

saw through the propaganda. At the start of the Cold War, the United Nations still

classified Puerto Rico as a colony, and Russia criticized the inconsistencies between the

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United States’ democratic doctrine and colonial action. The criticism was not misplaced.

In 1948, the U.S. issued a Gag Law that prohibited any nationalist rhetoric (Lebrón,

Pierce Flores 97). In 1950, the U.S. government bombed its own citizens in Puerto Rico

and arrested various nationalists—including Pedro Albizu Campos, the leader of the

nationalist party—to squash an independence movement (Denis 226). Shortly after,

international pressure pushed the United States to pass Public Law 600, which enabled

Puerto Ricans to write their own constitution, a process that resulted in the establishment

of the Commonwealth in 1953.

Despite the limitations of the Commonwealth, the United Nations accepted the

U.S. claim that the Commonwealth provided a full measure of autonomy, and took Puerto

Rico off the list of colonized countries, freeing the U.S. from any obligation to report on

the situation in Puerto Rico (López and Reardon).

In the years since, the status question has molded political parties and concepts of

nationalism in Puerto Rico. Today three predominant ideas exist regarding the political

status of Puerto Rico: pro-commonwealth, pro-statehood, and pro-independence.

Much of the ideological divide is due to the history of exclusivity in the

nationalist movement. Traditional concepts of nationalism—which have emphasized the

Spanish language and Hispanic culture as the hallmarks of Puerto Rican identity —isolate

the Afro-Latino population, immigrants from other Caribbean islands, and the diaspora

(Duany “Nation" 6, Lloréns 141, Dávila 251). By claiming proximity to white Europeans

and minimizing the diversity of Puerto Rico, traditional nationalists draw a clear

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territorial, linguistic, and cultural contrast to the United States, but only by buying into

the doctrine of white supremacy (Duany “Nation” 13).

Beyond the exclusionary nature of traditional nationalism, other factors encourage

continued association with the United States, including the class interests of

entrepreneurs and access to federal public welfare benefits (Duany “Nation” 9). Scholar

Jorge Duany explains that massive circular migration to and from the mainland United

States has undermined conventional national identity based exclusively on territorial,

linguistic, or juridical criteria (Duany 7). Arlene M. Dávila affirms that the very fabric of

the Puerto Rican identity may be connected to this circular migration (Dávila). Today,

more than three million Puerto Ricans live in the mainland United States. Due to this

migration, as well as economic and cultural overlap, a decision to leave the

Commonwealth—what many nationalists would like to do— is not an easy one.

The situation is further complicated because U.S. imperial influence extends to

the rest of the Caribbean, such as the Dominican Republic and Cuba, where residents

cannot benefit from aspects such as U.S. citizenship, but are still affected by the U.S.

empire (Perez). Briggs agrees that it is not a simple task to leave the Commonwealth and

claims that “in the current Caribbean context there is no space external to the United

States hegemony” (Briggs 12). Considering the U.S influence in the Caribbean and the

importance of migration to and from the mainland, some Puerto Ricans think that the

benefits offered by the Commonwealth are too good to give up (Duany “Nation" 16).

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Economically, the United States has benefitted by having a captive market in

Puerto Rico. Initially following colonization, U.S. sugar corporations moved to the island

and made large amounts of money while underpaying Puerto Rican workers (Torruella

82, Gonzalez-Cruz 12, Denis 29). The economic benefits for U.S. companies continued

through Operation Bootstrap in the late 20th century when a promise of cheap labor and

tax evasion brought many mainland companies to Puerto Rico (Cabán 178, Torruella

83-85). Although creating the appearance of economic growth for Puerto Rico, when the

program ended, U.S. corporations walked away with huge profits while Puerto Rico was

left with increased dependency on the United States and massive debt (Gonzalez-Cruz

15). That debt inspired yet more colonial action with the institution of PROMESA in

2016, a law which established a Financial Oversight and Management Board, known as

la junta in Puerto Rico. The committee of seven people appointed by the U.S. president

now have complete control over the finances of Puerto Rico, essentially nullifying the

powers granted to the insular government by the Puerto Rican constitution (Klein 49,

Cabán 179, H.R. 5278).

Colonial exploitation has gone beyond economics. Vieques, a smaller island in

Puerto Rico, was routinely used as a live-weapons training facility for the US military

until local protesters convinced the military to stop the bombing in 1999 (Cabán 164,

Torruella 88). Additionally, U.S. doctors conducted research on birth control without

consent as well as imposing eugenic, forced sterilization on Puerto Rican women for

years (Briggs, Denis 34). These injustices cause some Puerto Ricans to reject the

Commonwealth in favor of either statehood or independence.

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There are several concerns and doubts regarding the path to statehood. In the past,

some American politicians have opposed statehood for Puerto Rico, a perspective

illustrated in this quote from U.S. Senator Bate in 1900, who said that statehood for

Puerto Rico “is objectionable to the people of this country, as it ought to be, and they will

call a halt to it before it is done” (qtd. in Denis 17). Concerns about culture also dissuade

some Puerto Ricans, who worry the way to annexation is paved by Americanization, as in

the case of Hawaii (Bell). On the other hand, those who are pro-independence may be

discouraged by the United States’ violent response to the Nationalist movement of the

1950s and imprisonment of other protesters who spoke out against the empire (Denis 226,

Fiet 248). Furthermore, preferences expressed in formal plebiscites and the Puerto Rican

political parties’ pleas in favor of certain statuses have been, as José Trias Monge writes,

“studiously ignored” by the U.S. (Monge 3).

The strenuous and unsatisfying colonial relationship has not yet been resolved

(Lopéz and Reardon). In 1998, Puerto Rico voted on its political status, and more than

half of the voters supported neither annexation to nor independence from the United

States but voted instead for "none of the above"—and an arguably improved version of

the current Commonwealth status (Duany 6). The 1998 vote demonstrates that the

solution Puerto Rico seeks is not yet on the ballot, and recent legislation and other federal

documents have asserted that even if Puerto Ricans voted clearly for one solution, the

United States government has no responsibility to uphold their decision (Report by the

President’s Task force on Puerto Rico’s Status, 2005; Commonwealth v. Valle, 2016;

Puerto Rico v. Franklin California Tax-Free Trust, 2016).

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2.2 Hurricane María

Hurricane María, which passed through Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, and

the ensuing events made the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United

States more evident. The people on the island felt the effects of the disaster immediately,

asking for aid that did not come and waiting for support that could not be found from the

federal government. As Lloréns explains, photojournalists focused on images of ruination

and powerlessness instead of the efforts of Puerto Ricans to rebuild, which allowed

racialized tropes of Puerto Ricans as “isolated, dependent, lazy, and hence ungovernable”

to emerge and excuse U.S. inaction (Lloréns 137, Lloréns 146). The U.S. also used other

justifications to ignore Puerto Rico’s pleas, and Lloréns provides one simple example: the

distancing of the island. The media depicted Puerto Rico as a far-away, isolated island

despite the short, two-hour plane ride from Miami, Florida to Puerto Rico. This

distancing underscored the belief that Caribbean people are “mysterious, sensual, lazy,

hopelessly dependent on tourism or the North’s charity, and/or ungovernable” (Lloréns

139). That belief contributed to the delay of disaster relief.

In addition to stereotypes, some observers point to environmental injustice as a

contributor to the damage caused by María and the intensified the humanitarian crisis that

followed. Basav Sen, a journalist and climate policy expert for the Institute for Policy

Studies, asks mainland Americans to “stop pretending” that the racial makeup and

economic disadvantages of Puerto Rico were unrelated to the scale of Maria’s disastrous

effects and the inept official response to the hurricane. He traces the root of the problem

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to the storm itself and reminds readers that the intensity and frequency of hurricanes are

increasing are a result of the mainland’s addiction to fossil fuels (Sen). His statement was

affirmed by the U.S. National Climate Assessment in 2018 which listed as a key message

that “increases in greenhouse gases and decreases in air pollution have contributed to

increases in Atlantic hurricane activity since 1970” (USGCRP 74).

Zoe Todd and other scholars agree that poor people and people of color suffer

disproportionately as a result of climate change (Sen, Todd, Binu et. al.). In the case of

Puerto Rico, colonial subjugation, economic hardship, environmental injustice,

infrastructural neglect, and local corruption set up Puerto Rico to fail when faced with the

hurricane (Lloréns 146). When the connections between environmental injustice and

racial and economic oppression are not made, people in power can easily ignore the role

that the United States has played in the Puerto Rican economy and lack of preparation for

Maria. This is evident in one of President Trump’s tweets, issued five days after

Hurricane Maria devastated the island. He writes, “Texas & Florida are doing great but

Puerto Rico which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt is in

deep trouble (Trump)” Victim blaming of this nature demonstrates how failing to

acknowledge American imperialism justifies racialized injustice. To make matters worse,

according to the New York Times, nearly half of Americans do not know that Puerto

Ricans are fellow citizens (Dropp and Nyhan).

Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization called once

again for the General Assembly to review Puerto Rico’s case. Petitioners from Puerto

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Rican advocacy groups and international allies described the situation as one of

“genocide and economic terrorism... facilitated by the United States” and clearly

explained that the United States government has ignored the claims of Puerto Ricans for

years (UN 2018). In fact, looking at a 2006 U.N. report demonstrates that these

conversations are nothing new. That report repeats that the commonwealth is “deeply

flawed,” has “stunted” socio-economic development, and points out the exploitation of

Puerto Rico’s natural resources (UN 2006).The colonial reality of economic oppression,

lack of representation, and environmental injustice came to a head with María. Now the

people of Puerto Rico are calling for justice once again saying that this is a “fight of

survival” and that the tragedy has been “multiplied tenfold by the silence of the United

States government” (UN 2018).

A parallel narrative of natural disaster turned humanitarian crisis appears in the

case of Hurricane Katrina, which revealed the intersection of race, class, and

environmental vulnerability on mainland U.S. shores (Zottarelli). As after María,

reporting on Hurricane Katrina emphasized destruction and increased crime instead of the

altruistic behavior and social solidarity that the affected community displayed (Binu. et.

al 558). And, in both cases, marginalized populations in American society felt abandoned

by the government following a natural disaster, resulting in additional emotional

challenges for minorities affected by the hurricanes (White et. al. 534, Lybarger, Clement

et. al., Peñaloza).

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According to a recent Harvard study, the estimated number of deaths as a result of

Hurricane María totals 4645 (Kishore et. al.). The history and research cited make it clear

that that the voices of the colonized have been oppressed and ignored by the U.S. Even in

an arena meant to give them a voice, the United Nations, their requests have not been met

with action, despite evidence that the colonial relationship contributed to a massive

human rights disaster (Harv. L. Rev. 2017; UN 2006; UN 2018).

2.3 Verbatim Theater and Ethical Concerns

As evidenced by the humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Maria, the legal

relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico is not serving the people;

meanwhile many Americans still do not understand Puerto Rico’s situation (Dropp and

Nyhan). When the American public is uninformed about the colonial situation in Puerto

Rico, and Puerto Ricans have no legal way to speak out against injustices, relying on the

law alone is simply not enough. But theater may be a way to raise awareness and inspire

a more just future.

Verbatim theater seeks to deal with real-life events in a direct way. According to

scholars Harry Derbyshire and Loveday Hodson’s definition, a verbatim play is

constructed from speech found in court documents, speeches, interviews, personal

writings, or other public documents (Derbyshire and Hodson). Often, verbatim plays

address failures of the legal system in order to advocate for human rights and call for

justice.

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Theater artist and scholar Stewart Young notes that the genre is known by several

other names, including documentary theater, theater of the real, testimonial theater, and

fact-based theater (Young), and has been praised for its potential to empower those who

share testimony and create greater empathy. Verbatim theater practitioners and scholars

Linden Wilkenson and Karen Jean Martinson and Gennifer Jackson found that verbatim

theater has a unique ability to intervene in social and legal discourse. Wilkenson asserts

that verbatim theater can work towards decolonization by illuminating emotional and

relational undertones that may be difficult to articulate (Wilkenson 7). Martinson and

Jackson agree that through performance, performers and audiences can access the unsaid

portion of an issue, including difficult conversations about race (Martinson and Jackson

276). They also claim that the narratives in verbatim plays help locate current events

historically, speak truth to dominant discourse, and foster a space for healing (Martinson

and Jackson 272).

Derbyshire and Hodson elaborate that because verbatim plays incorporate the

marginalized people’s narratives, disseminate information, raise consciousness, and

arouse compassion, they allow for the reimagining of human rights (Derbyshire and

Hodson). In her research regarding theater as a mode of data-representation, Gail

Crimmins reported that one audience found theater to be “powerfully engaging, emotive

and sensory; and recognized how specific theatrical elements supported their cognitive

and emotional participation in the performed data” (Crimmins 162). Therefore, in the

context of Hurricane María, verbatim theater should be a powerful way to disrupt

dominant discourse and provide a voice to the marginalized.

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Despite the potential for good in verbatim theater, dealing with real people, real

events, and real stories is never a simple task. Theater scholar Carol Martin explains, that

verbatim theater “can make a generative and critical intervention in people’s prejudices

and the limitations of their understanding. [It] can also oversimplify, inflame prejudices,

and support one-sided perspectives” (qtd. in Bean, 190). The potential for this type of

harm occurs each time information is exchanged in verbatim theater: first when the artist-

researcher obtains testimony, and again when they share that testimony with an audience.

When engaging with interviewees, there is also a risk of re-traumatization,

especially if an interviewee has had to tell and retell their stories to officials (Wake 104).

Then, if interviewees are available to be cast, continuing to retell their story in

performance can be re-traumatizing, while the alternative, implying that another can tell

the interviewees’ stories better than they themselves is also potentially harmful (Wake

116). Later, interviewees may experience feelings of betrayal if they feel their story is

misrepresented or omitted from a final script (Young 26-28).

Once the stories are in the artist’s hands, the artist shapes the play, inevitably

exerting influence and perspective onto the information and collected testimony.

Dramaturg Christine Bean writes that, “activist documentary theater is still theater that

tells a story, and that story is constructed even when it comes from a place of truth” (Bean

193). Young asserts that the individual who writes the script exerts “authoritative,

singular control over the narrative” (Young 33). The influence of the artist can be lost on

an audience, who may believe in the authenticity of the script because of its factual or

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testimonial origins. Artists who minimize their role in obtaining and shaping testimony,

oversimplify the complex realities of the situation, or create the false impression of

objectivity and singular “truth” may cause more harm than good (Young 30-31, Wake

112).

Playwrights can also be mistaken in their presentation of the truth. For example,

in the case of The Exonerated, playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen began with the

goal of dramatizing the circumstances facing the wrongfully convicted (Bean 187). While

working as a dramaturg on the play, Bean’s research revealed the well-evidenced

reincarceration of one of the featured exonerees, for a murder that predated the crime

referenced in the play (Bean 188). Bean describes the murders as having “eerie

similarities” and describes the difficulties that emerge when current events contrast the

play’s version of the truth (Bean 188). Bean acknowledges that this information came to

light after the first production, and she does not believe that the playwrights intentionally

shaped the exonerees’ testimony to fit their narrative (Bean 189). Regardless, the factual

nature of the script was called into question by the new evidence, and the belief that the

play’s truth reflected a single truth was now in question. Ultimately, Bean’s team decided

not to highlight the discrepancies between the play’s narrative and the recent conviction

for the audience (Bean 192). This supports the idea that, once written, verbatim plays

present a story that, while based in real events, is not necessarily “true” through time, and

that the truth of the play may be valuable on its own as long as it is not presented as a

purely authentic documentation of truth.

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Young acknowledges that creating fact-based theater is intrinsically flawed, and

cites Jonathan Holmes, who suggests that “instead of truth [artists] might take as their

guide…a sense of ethical responsibility to their sources” (qtd. in Young 39). Erwin

Piscator, a 20th century German theater artist, emphasized the theatricality of

performance (Arjomand 67). Theatricality includes both dramatic conventions of

representation as well as non-textual elements such as lighting, sound, and gestures of the

body. Minou Arjomand explains that while directing post-war plays about the persecution

of Jews in Europe, Piscator utilized a variety of theatrical modes of representation to

encourage the audience to recognize and fight injustice (Arjomand 53).

The Wooster Group, a theater company that originated in 1975 and continues to

work today, also challenges the ideals of truth and authenticity. Although they do not

make documentary theater, The Wooster Group uses existing text and autobiographical

information to create new work. Lib Taylor explains that the Wooster Group’s process of

replication “exposes performativity and the inauthentic in the act of performance”

realizing that in place of replicating the original, which is out of reach, “authenticity lies

in the integrity of a performance that reveals the artificiality of theater” (Taylor 369). By

emphasizing theatricality, the artist-researcher can avoid making an inaccurate claim to

authenticity, and perhaps, as Amanda Stuart-Fisher encourages, facilitate an “excavation

of the truth as a process” (Stuart-Fisher 251). Stuart-Fisher’s truth-as-process encouraged

me as a playwright to develop and change the play in response to new testimony and

current events, rather than looking for testimony that functioned as evidence for a

particular truth or narrative. An application of Stuart-Fisher’s theory also allows for

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audience engagement and dramaturgical activity that historicizes or challenges the truth,

even if it counters the narrative of the play.

Verbatim theater practitioners can also choose to center other goals in their

production and performance process. Practitioners Black and Jenson emphasize empathy

as a goal of their theater projects (qtd Bean 191), while scholar Sinan GUL and

practitioner Caroline Wake focus on civil action as a goal of verbatim theater (Sinan GUL

103, Wake 118), and Bethany Nelson’s theater practice emphasizes both empathy and

civic action (Nelson 28-29). Embracing theatricality, deepening empathy, and inspiring

action are all strategies that these artist-scholars prefer to a pursuit of singular truth in

verbatim theater.

3. Methodology

The methodology in this verbatim theater project is inspired by decolonizing

theater practices including Mary Overlie and Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints and a variation

on Augusto Boal’s Image Theater (Overlie 2016; Bogart and Landau 2004; Boal 2002).

The viewpoints practice, as described by Overlie, is an exercise in particalization,

giving all of the materials—space, shape, time, emotion, movement, and story—equal

importance (Overlie 67). She suggests that by listening to and observing what already

exists instead of trying to forcibly create a product that “looks like” theater, artists could

reorganize their priorities. Instead of focusing on words in a play, Overlie invites artists to

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challenge traditional ideas about what is most important on the stage and look to smaller,

often overlooked parts of performance such as the shape of the room (Overlie 3). She

calls this nonhierarchical process the Horizontal—where hierarchies can be deconstructed

and reimagined (Overlie 81).

By breaking down the world in this way, a Viewpoints practitioner can reorganize

subconscious hierarchies. For example, we may assume that the dialogue of a play is the

most important thing, but if we challenge that assumption about the performance, we can

also challenge assumptions about who in the room holds the power, such as the director

or the playwright. Just as we give equal attention to the shape of our stance or the texture

of a wall, we begin to equally value all collaborators, all voices, slowly decolonizing the

theatrical space in multiple ways. Anne Bogart later expanded Overlie’s six viewpoints

into nine and adapted Overlie’s exercises into rehearsal techniques that more obviously

translate to staging theater (Bogart and Landau, 5). Bogart’s theories and practices also

inform the research process for this project, specifically regarding her viewpoint Gesture

(Bogart and Landau 49).

Augusto Boal developed his political theater out of the practices of Paulo Freire

and Bertolt Brecht and created methodologies that engage with the distance between

actor and spectator. Boal acknowledged that all people have the capacity to take action or

intervene in a situation, and not simply be a passive observer; therefore, a participant is a

“spect-actor” (Boal 25). By engaging in theater as a spect-actor, oppressed people gain

agency by role-playing social situations in a dramatic setting. Doris Sommer, who has

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collaborated with Boal, claims that he “guides frustration and despair into creative

intervention and then into legislative and civic intervention” (Gewertz). The translation of

creative exercises into real-world change is a key part of Boal’s work.

In his book Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Boal provides various practical

exercises for applying Theater of the Oppressed. Much like Overlie’s particalizing, Boal’s

work offers new perspectives through which to see the world. In Image Theater, multiple

participants can view the same image, but will see different realities expressed in that

image. Boal describes how “this multiple reflection will reveal to the person who made

the image its hidden aspects” (Boal 175). These multiple reflections demonstrate how

both the sender and receiver are a part of the message translated through this image, and

Boal cautions against interpreting the image, or subscribing a single meaning to the

image (Boal 175). Instead, he invites participants to indulge in the multiplicity of

meaning. Utilizing Boal’s Image Theater prevents a one-way relationship with those who

share testimony, a performer does not just speak to the audience, but with them. By

emphasizing the multiplicity of meaning and the reciprocity between sender and receiver

of a message—the data collection will be a conversation, in which the participants can

both shape the content and the conversation of the workshops.

In an essay on storytelling and Boal, Jan Cohen-Cruz emphasizes the importance

of story circles in workshopping and play-building (Cohen-Cruz 104). She explains that

by publicly sharing a personal story, an individual can be in relationship with others and

find potential allies in the fight against oppression. (Cohen-Cruz 104). Cohen-Cruz goes

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on to explain that telling a story is only half of the equation—being heard is just as

important. Witnesses and facilitators in a workshop can translate a personal story into

different mediums in order to narrate the teller’s story back to them and demonstrate their

active listening. One example that Cohen-Cruz shares is a variation of Image Theater in

which a facilitator identifies thematic words that come up in a participant’s personal

story. Then, groups construct silent embodied sculptures that imagistically narrate the

story back to the teller. Finally, the facilitator thanks the teller for sharing their story and

acknowledges their strength (Cohen-Cruz 106). This strategy can be particularly useful in

traumatic or emotional situations, when a literal representation of the events could be

triggering for the teller.

This project applies Viewpoints theory to the variation on Image Theater

described by Cohen-Cruz to create a workshop structure, described in detail in the

Workshop Protocol document in the appendix section A.2.

3.1 Participants

Various Puerto Rican professors at Ohio University helped establish connections

with several artists living and working in Puerto Rico. The artists then helped to arrange

theater workshops in the locations where they live and work; the San Juan area, Aibonito,

Aguadilla, and Vieques. In each location I found participants using snowball sampling in

which the artists provided connections to other community members who they believed

would be interested in taking part in the research. Following the research in Puerto Rico,

21

I utilized the same snowball sampling technique to connect with the diaspora in Miami,

Florida. All participants were U.S. citizens older than 18, but there were no other

restrictions on who could participate. I conducted 17 individual interviews and 3

workshops, with a total of 27 workshop participants.

Demographic information was not collected from participants but based on

observations and the information provided throughout interviews, 10 of interviewees

used female pronouns, and 7 used male pronouns. Two workshops were attended

predominantly by university students, while the workshop in Caguas had a wider variety

of ages, with most participants being between 35 and 55. Of the workshop participants,

10 used male pronouns, and 17 used female pronouns. Interviews and workshops were

held during the day in the month of June, which favored people who are retired,

unemployed, work night shifts, or who work for or attend a school or university.

Regarding race, there were at least four afro-Puerto Rican participants, and all others did

not specify race other than identifying as Puerto Rican.

3.2 Researcher Positionality

I conducted all of the interviews and workshops in Spanish, without the aid of a

translator. Although many participants were bilingual, when asked, they preferred to use

Spanish in the research activities. There was only one instance in a workshop in which a

bilingual participant needed to clarify a statement for the group. Being a mainland

American who is not Puerto Rican nor a native Spanish speaker, my presence as an

outside observer can result in staged performance, self-censorship, or other “observer-

22

effects” which impact, but do not invalidate the testimony collected (Mohan and Fisher

371).

3.3 Interviews

In order to obtain testimony for the play, one-on-one interviews were conducted

with community members about concept of identity, nation and language, myths or

stories about the islands and the mainland, and their personal experiences with Hurricane

María. The interviews took place at a comfortable location for the participants: in homes,

rooms in a public library, their offices, rehearsal room in a theater, etc. Each interview

lasted approximately one hour. No personal identifiers were collected during the

interviews, and each interview was audio recorded and transcribed. Additionally, to

ensure that the interests of the participants were being heard, at the end of each interview

I asked participants to talk about anything else they would like to discuss. A copy of the

interview questions can be found in Appendix 1.

3.4 Workshops

Three devising workshops were held: one in Aguadilla, another in Caguas, and a

third in Miami, Florida. The goal of the workshops was to create a physical vocabulary

for the play. Each workshop lasted between three and four hours, and was held in a public

gathering place, so that anyone could freely participate. Interviewees and artists were

invited to participate and encouraged to bring others. Word of mouth as well as posters

advertised the event.

23

Each workshop began with acting games to make people more comfortable with

one another, the space in which we were working, and the use of body and voice as a

form of discussion. Games included a ball toss, a group breathing exercise, and a game of

Start and Stop—which encourages participants to break traditional ways of thinking by

challenging associations between words and actions. During the main portion of the

workshops, each participant was invited to share a personal story based on prompts about

identity or Hurricane María. Based on Cohen-Cruz’s variation on Image Theater, I, as the

facilitator, identified themes from these personal narratives, and the other participants

created group body sculptures to narrate the story back to the teller, embodying those

themes or events. Participants explored variations on those sculptures, bringing focus to

different Viewpoints including Shape and Gesture.

Finally, based on Overlie’s exploration of Story, participants were invited to create

new narratives by piecing together selections from text that I brought in from books,

poems, legal documents, etc. and share those new stories with the group. After sharing

these final stories participants came together for a closing activity, in which they were

thanked for their participation and willingness to share and had a final opportunity to

express themselves through embodied sculptures. The complete workshop protocol is

included in Appendix 2. Field notes were taken throughout the entire workshop.

3.5 Consent

The consent process occurred just before each interview at the location of that

interview. Each participant was given an oral explanation of all relevant details about the

24

study and read the information on the consent document, which can be found in

Appendix 3. Each participant had the opportunity to read the document themselves, ask

any questions, and have all questions answered. No information about the study was

withheld from the participants for any reason. To avoid coercion or undue influence,

participation occurred without a gift or incentive. Participants were told participation in

one part of the research (interviews or workshops) did not necessitate participation in the

other. Participants were able to stop the interviews at any time, skip any questions that

made them uncomfortable, “pass” on an activity or use a safe word to pause during

workshops, and had no ongoing commitment to the project after the time of the interview

or workshop.

3.6 Data Analysis

The individual interviews were transcribed, organized by question asked, then

analyzed and organized by theme. Most of the data analysis was done with ATLAS.ti

software, which allowed for the identification of key quotations in the interviews. The

ATLAS.ti outputs function organized those quotes and presented them in a single

document and then I coded them by theme. Each theme was then analyzed to note sub-

themes and identify shared perspectives among interviewees. Finally, I created word

clouds to visually represent the major themes that emerged in the interviews.

25

4. Research Results

When asked how life had changed after María, interviewees touched on a few

central themes. The first is the change in mentality. Many participants noted the

emotional effects of the hurricane and the accompanying PTSD. Several said that they

remain constantly prepared for natural disaster, while others described heightened anxiety

when they lose power, even if for just a short time. Some described how losing family

members has caused long-lasting trauma.

During a sculpture-creation exercise at one of the workshops, the prompt was to

create a human sculpture that embodies hopelessness following Maria. The participants

took a variety of shapes. One participant was on her knees, eyes trained on her hands,

stuck in her lap in a prayer position. A second participant mimed checking her phone,

waiting to hear anything from loved ones. A third participant, who had been eagerly

participating, turned to me and said there was no way, even in a sculpture, to depict the

feeling of helplessness following the storm. He described listening to a crank radio,

which was being used as an emergency communication system for many. He said that he

listened to people sobbing, watching their loved ones die in their arms, while calling over

the radio for anyone to bring them aid, and he could do nothing but sit and listen.

Experiences like that no doubt contributed to the sense of exhaustion that one

interviewee observed. Interviewee 22 talked about what she saw in her community in the

aftermath of Maria:

26

“La recuperación nos va a tomar más tiempo de lo que nosotros suponíamos. Yo lo que veo es un cansancio extremo, lo veo en mis estudiantes universitarios, lo veo en la gente en la calle, estamos bien cansados. Yo creo que eso es un poquito de PTSD. Como uno durante el momento de supervivencia tuvo que no dormir, comer, buscar, hacer, ayudar al otro, tanto, ahora que poco a poco supuestamente se está normalizando la situación, te sale ese cansancio de hace siglos porque ha bajado la adrenalina. Este semestre yo me estaba preocupando porque mis estudiantes estaban inclusive mostrando— Hablando mucho de suicidio. La gente está bien cansada.”

Recovery is going to take more time than we thought. I see extreme exhaustion, I see it in my college students, I see it in people on the street, we are really tired. I think it’s a little bit of PTSD. Like during the survival moment you had to go without sleeping, eating, looking, doing, helping each other, so much, now that little by little the situation is normalizing, supposedly, centuries of exhaustion come out because we’ve lost adrenaline. This semester I was worried because my students were even showing—talking a lot about suicide. The people are really tired.”

Others described how the pain of María and its disastrous effects was heightened by

feelings of shame regarding the corrupt Puerto Rican government, the disregard from the

U.S. government, and the ongoing micro-aggressions from those in power.

All of these elements contributed to a heightened awareness of corruption and

colonialism on the island. Interviewees said that more people pay attention to economics

now, and others noted that acknowledging that Puerto Rico is a colony is more common

now than before. Interviewees explained that the lack of aid caused a disenchantment

with the Commonwealth and with the government.

27

The interviewees also talked about the devastation that still affects their lives—

homes lost that have not yet been rebuilt, streets that remain inaccessible, and the

barrenness of the land just after the storm. Finally, some interviewees mentioned

emigration, the abandonment of homes in their neighborhoods, and the gentrification they

see throughout the island, especially in Viejo San Juan.

Image 1 depicts the central themes that emerged in the interviews, most

prominently the lack of aid following the hurricane, corruption, thoughts about status,

and solidarity, especially through community organization. The following analysis

discusses the link between these central themes, which culminated in the sense of change

described above.

Image 1

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4.1 Lack of Aid

The lack of aid following Hurricane María was the most discussed topic in the

interview process. The delay and ineffectiveness of aid was so salient during the

interviews and workshops not only because of the physical and emotional toll that the

humanitarian crisis caused, but also because the embodied act of community members

helping one another recover contrasted so starkly with the inaction of the government.

The lack of disaster relief highlighted both the dependence on the United States and the

power of community and local efforts that create independence from the government.

The physical suffering caused by the lack of resources was intense. The scarcity

of food and water caused one interviewee, who runs a grocery store, to ration food in the

community. He said the ration system was an effort to prevent corrupt buying and

reselling of resources at higher prices and to ensure that those clearing debris or taking

food to bedridden family members had access to enough resources to fuel their work.

Another participant said that for days his family ate only meat, because that was

the first to spoil, and without any ice or electricity, there was no way to preserve food in

tropical heat. The concern for ice was not limited to food, however. Several interviewees

mentioned that medicine requiring refrigeration went bad, especially insulin, causing

those who needed medication to become ill, and even die. Compounding the problem,

with no electricity, there was no way to refrigerate the bodies. Interviewee 17 described

the situation in Vieques:

29

"Aquí en Vieques se robaron la planta de la morgue al otro día del huracán. Las personas que fallecieron hubo que enterrarlas inmediatamente, porque una persona se robó la planta que daba luz a la morgue. Eso fue bien triste, para las familias que perdieron a sus familiares, tener que enterrarlos así de inmediato, porque no había cómo mantenerlos ahí.”

Here in Vieques they robbed the morgue’s power plant the day after the hurricane. People that died had to be buried immediately, because one person robbed the plant that gave electricity to the morgue.That was very sad, for the families that lost loved ones, needing to bury them right away, because there was no way to keep them there.

Another community activist described how, after losing her mother in the storm,

she wanted to make sure that other elderly people in need of oxygen tanks could get solar

panels. The solar energy, she explained, could keep medical machines running even when

electrical systems were down.

Lack of electricity and the resulting inability to communicate with family

members caused distress, because there was no way to know if loved ones were doing

well or even if they had survived. Two interviewees described pulling over on the side of

the road, hoping to find a signal. This experience was echoed in the workshops, when one

woman told the story about her efforts to communicate with her family. She explained

that after spending weeks cleaning debris from roads and waiting in line to fill the car

with gasoline, she and her father began a long journey across the island, looking for a

relatively high-altitude place where it was rumored you could get a cell phone signal. She

described driving precariously over debris until they reached the top of a hill, where they

saw hundreds of people, cars parked on the side of the road and phones in the air,

30

desperately reaching for signal. That participant was finally able to reach her brother and

described crying tears of joy at hearing a loved one’s voice. Researchers Binu et. al.

affirm that, “separation from loved ones and familiars is generally a greater stressor than

physical danger itself” (Binu et. al 563), so the prolonged lack of communication was

indeed a damaging result of the hurricane. Interviewees’ experiences ranged from as little

as one week without electricity to up to eight months in the dark.

4.2 Corruption

When speaking about corruption, interviewees said that debates between Puerto

Rico and the United States, as a result of the colonial relationship, delayed aid. Others

emphasized the bad administration on the part of the insular government or that American

corporations were given priority over Puerto Rican efforts, specifically in the case of the

electric company.

In order to repair the electric system, a U.S. senator convinced Congress to hire

two mainland companies, Whitefish and Cobra,. But the process was time-consuming,

and the companies were self-serving at best, resulting in the following, according to

Interviewee 13:

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“Terminaron haciéndolo los obreros puertorriqueños sin cobrar un centavo, mientras los obreros de esa compañía fantasma se llevaron todo el capital, Whitefish, Cobra […] Aquí los empleados de la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de aquí pudieron haber hecho ese trabajo muchas veces mejor y sin necesidad de haber gastado tanto dinero que se pudo haber utilizado para otra cosa.”

The Puerto Rican workers ended up doing it without making a cent, while the workers from that imaginary company took all the money, Whitefish, Cobra [...] Here the employees of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority could have done the job much better without needing to spend so much money that could have been used for other things.

This example illustrates the feeling that U.S. prioritized profit over people, and

interviews and workshop participants alike said that the colonial system was a challenge

to disaster relief.

Another law that delayed aid was the Jones Act, which prevents any non-

American ship from bringing cargo to the island. During peaceful times, this is

challenging because it dramatically increases costs and ensures Puerto Rico’s dependency

on the United States (Cabán 171, Torruella 86). The U.S. maintaining a captive market in

Puerto Rico during an emergency, however, was more dramatic. One participant

described boats with aid packages, food, and water circling the island, unable to deliver

the aid sent from abroad because of the U.S. law.

Once aid did arrive, the bureaucracy of the relief efforts frustrated Puerto Ricans

who had already watched the United States debate over aid while the people were left

waiting. Others explained that food and water spoiled in the heat, waiting to be

32

distributed, and many people talked about waiting in line for hours, only to be denied aid

from FEMA.

Interviewee 6 said:

“El proceso un poco tedioso, porque el primer día que ellos vinieron, creo que fue a San Luis, a la cancha. Yo llegue como a las 5:00AM, digo antes 3:00AM creo que nosotros estuvimos ahí. Cuando nos atendieron, cuando llegamos al frente, dijeron que no iban a atender a nadie porque había que hacer otro proceso distinto…Hay que llamar preguntar, no te creen a veces lo que tú le estás diciendo, te tratan como si uno estuviera mintiendo, hay muchos trucos, pero a mí me negaron la ayuda dos veces.”

The process was a bit tedious, because the first day that they came, I think it was at San Luis, at the stadium. I arrived at like 5am, I’d say earlier, 3am I think we were there. When they got to us, when we made it to the front, they said they weren’t going to help anyone because you had to do another different process first...You have to go, call, ask, they don’t believe sometimes what you’re saying, they treat you as if you were lying. There were a lot of tricks, but they denied my assistance twice.

The process itself was ineffective for other reasons, one participant commented that

FEMA brought English-speaking volunteers with no translators. So in many cases, Puerto

Ricans could not effectively communicate what had happened with the organization.

Language bias was potentially a problem in other instances as well. One community

organizer, Interviewee 10, described how she worked with a community member who

had been denied aid several times:

33

“Le dicen, “Vamos a llenarle los papeles otra vez, pero vamos a llenárselos de otra forma, vamos a hacerle una narrativa diferente, vamos a hacer algo diferente, vamos a dar todo a ver si con esto le dan” con eso fue que le dieron y porque le hicieron toda esa narrativa en inglés. Toda esa narrativa, toda esa solicitud se la llenaron en inglés.”

They said to him, “We are going to fill out the forms again, but we are gong to fill them out another way, we are going to write a different narrative, we are going to do something different, we are going to give our all and see if with this they give you something” and with that they gave him aid because they wrote the whole story in English. That whole narrative, that whole application they filled out in English.

Nearly every participant said that the aid simply was not there. Even when aid

was delivered, most participants agreed, it was badly administrated. First, they said,

outright corruption and greed from the insular government frustrated many people. Some

people suspected that Unidos por Puerto Rico, an organization created by the First Lady

of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, was hoarding aid (Crabapple). And, at the time of the

interviews, news had just come out that the FBI was investigating several Puerto Rican

politicians, many of whom were ultimately arrested for corruption (Mazzei; Sosa Pascua

and Valentín Ortiz).

These accusations reinforced what Puerto Ricans already knew, that many of their

political leaders sought to take public funds for themselves, or at least utilize government

assistance strategically to support voters who could help ensure the politician's reelection.

Many emphasized a feeling of being stolen from and said that a public servant should not

be robbing the people of funds in this way. Rising poverty and unemployment in Puerto

34

Rico intensified this feeling of betrayal, because with no income and no government aid,

many found it difficult to recover on their own.

Interviewee 7 said:

“Puerto Rico es un país sumamente pobre, lo que pasa es que la pobreza aquí no tiene el mismo rostro [...] Somos más de 40 años, tenemos doctorados, maestrías, bachilleratos, bachelor degree, pero estamos bajo la línea de la pobreza, así que eso nos define como país.”

Puerto Rico is an extremely poor country, what happens is that the poverty here doesn’t have the same face [...] We are over 40, we have doctorates, master’s degrees, bachelor degrees, but we are below the poverty line, so that defines us as a country.

35

Interviewee 14 said:

“Ahora mismo en lo personal llevo mucho tiempo desempleada. Ha sido bien fuerte porque yo tengo un hijo estudiando en los Estados Unidos, tiene que pagar hospedaje, alimento. Es bien fuerte porque, tu tratas cada día que te levantas pensando, ¿de dónde voy a sacar qué? para ayudar a mis hijos a salir hacia adelante. Cuando tienes una limitación de poder conseguir los alimentos, de tener tu casa al día bien en unas buenas condiciones y ver tanta gente que está buscando trabajo donde supuestamente el gobierno te dice hay tantas plazas disponibles, pero muchas veces cuestas sobre cualificado o lo que te pagan es el mínimo que son 7,25 a gente que está bien preparada a nivel de educación y eso es bien fuerte. Porque tú, llevas años estudiando y tienes una meta de trabajar y cuando vienes a ver lo que consigues es una porquería de empleo, y ha sido bien cuesta arriba. Cuando tú miras los informes económicos de Puerto Rico—Por algo tenemos una junta contra el fiscal, por la corrupción que hay, pero ellos son más corruptos que nosotros y aparte de todo tú vas ver los informes, que los debes ver.”

Right now, personally, I’ve been unemployed for a long time. It has been really hard because I have a son studying in the United States, he needs to pay room and board. It’s hard because, you try to get up each day thinking, “where am I going to find something to help my kids keep going?” When you have limited access to food, your house nice and organized, and seeing so many people that are looking for work and they say, supposedly the government has so many openings, but a lot of times it’s hard to get qualified and they pay you very little, it’s $7.25 to people who are really prepared and have higher education and that is hard. Because you, you spend years studying and you have want to work and when you realize that what you get is a crap job, it’s an uphill battle. When you see the economic reports of Puerto Rico —at least we have this Financial Oversight Board, to deal with the corruption, but they are more corrupt than we are and aside from everything you’ll see the reports, you should look at those.

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The situation was intensified by the colonial context, because even if the insular

government did support the people, the United States government can and does overrule

Puerto Rico. The undemocratic nature of PROMESA, the U.S. law which instituted the

Financial Oversight Board, caused those I spoke with to feel less engaged in their own

political system. The sentiment expressed was that a government that they cannot vote for

ultimately makes decisions for Puerto Rico, and, as a result, elected officials use the

colonial system to serve themselves, rather than advocating for the people.

Interviewee 14 commented on the inequality regarding aid:

“Aunque llegaba mucha ayuda a nuestro pueblo, mucha de ella fue mal administrada, como pasó en el gobierno. Aquí teníamos a los jefes de agencia y todo situado en el Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico con mucho aire acondicionado, con buenas comidas mientras el país estaba pasando necesidad.”

Although a lot of aid came to our town, a lot of it was badly administered, that’s how it happened in the government. Here we had secretaries of agencies and everything situated in the Convention Center of Puerto Rico with a lot of air conditioning, with good food while the country was in need.

Considering the deaths following the hurricane, the homes that still had blue tarps

serving as roofs after two years, and the generally inconsiderate treatment from

government agencies, seeing the pleasant conditions in San Juan's government buildings

was a difficult experience for many.

37

Interviewee 7 shared her experience:

“Mi casa estaba destruida, no tenía agua, ni luz, eso te lo complica. Yo me bañe en ríos, me bañé con cubos. Yo no tengo ningún problema, pero era muy difícil esa parte también. Venir a San Juan, donde ya la gente acicalaba, se vestían bien, y uno con paño, bañándose, todo eso fue muy dificultoso, pero se tomó una decisión de hacer resistencia.”

My house was destroyed, there was no water, no electricity, that becomes complicated. I bathed in rivers, I bathed with buckets. I don’t have any problem with that, but it was pretty hard that part. To come to San Juan where the people washed up, got dressed up and I’m with a rag, bathing myself, it was really hard, but you had to make a decision to put up a fight.

The feeling that the government failed to respond adequately to the disaster was

intensified because the president minimized the damage by comparing María to Katrina

and all levels of government misreported or undercounted how many had died as a result

of the storm (Collins; Kiely et al.). Dismissal of Puerto Ricans’ suffering by the colonial

government was a special point of contention for participants.

One example of this came up during a workshop, when a group was reenacting

the incident in which Trump tossed paper towel rolls into a crowd of Puerto Rican people

as if tossing t-shirts at a basketball game (TIME). Many felt that this action was

disrespectful to the suffering that people were experiencing on the island and was an

illustration of the oversimplification by the U.S. government of Puerto Rico’s challenges.

While reenacting the scene, one man mimed shooting President Trump, which earned

applause and cheers from the other participants.

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Trump repeatedly accused Puerto Rico of being corrupt, without acknowledging

the United States’ role in Puerto Rico’s situation. The perpetual assertion of difference

was continually used to restrict or delay aid. One example of this is Trump's tweet:

“The people of Puerto Rico are GREAT, but the politicians are incompetent or corrupt. Puerto Rico got far more money than Texas & Florida combined, yet their government can’t do anything right, the place is a mess—nothing works. FEMA & the Military worked emergency miracles, but politicians like the crazed and incompetent Mayor of San Juan have done such a poor job of bringing the Island back to health. 91 Billion Dollars to Puerto Rico, and now the Dems want to give them more, taking dollars away from our Farmers and so many others. Disgraceful!” (Trump).

In response, participants asserted that, as United States citizens, they have the

right to receive aid from the government, and although some aid did arrive, they should

not be obligated to express additional gratitude or be pit against other U.S. citizens

regarding aid. Interviewee 19 summarized this point:

“Yo creo que hay mucha gente que sí agradece mucho ese tipo de ayudo, pero no creo que—Si venimos a ver, somos ciudadanos americanos. No es que nos esté haciendo una ayuda a un país extranjero técnicamente. Si está ayudando a poner a los agricultores en Estados Unidos, también directamente nos está ayudando a nosotros. No se supone que haya competencia en ese sentido.”

I think there are a lot of people that yes really appreciate that type of aid, but I don’t think that— if you look at it, we are American citizens. It’s not that you are helping a foreign country, technically. If you are giving aid to farmers in the United States, then you are directly helping us. There shouldn’t be competition in that sense.

The gratitude that Interviewee 19 mentioned did appear in the interviews. Despite

resentment for the government, participants noted that aid from the Red Cross, churches

39

or other NGOs was received and appreciated. There was a sense of solidarity with the

mainland people who came to help, in contrast to the strong rejection of the United States

government.

Interviewee 22 explained this position:

“Montones de gente que yo en mi vida había visto, corriendo para acá a ayudar, ayudar en lo que sea. Estudiantes, profesores, médicos, abogados, gente, maestras, gente, la sociedad de empresarios judíos; ellos movieron cielo y tierra porque había otra gente que ayuda. Por lo tanto, hay que dividir, el Estado, que son los cabrones versus la gente que está hecha de otra manera.”

A ton of people who I have seen in my life, running here to help, to help in whatever they could. Students, professors, doctors, lawyers, people, teachers, people, the Jewish business society; they moved heaven and earth because there were other people in need. At least, you have to divide, the State, who are the assholes, versus the people that are made of something else.

Participants maintained that neither the U.S. nor the Puerto Rican government was the

primary agent for change. When asked about the insular government’s campaign Puerto

Rico se levanta (Rise Up), Interviewee 28 commented:

“Puerto Rico se levanta es como palabra, digo sí no levantan, pero nos estamos levantado, pero más por esfuerzo de muchos de los mismos puertorriqueños que han metido mano y qué sé yo, pero el gobierno y las ayudas no han estado…no hubo la ayuda, porque si murieron muchas personas fue porque no hubo la ayuda, no la hubo.”

Puerto Rico Rise Up is just words, I’d say they didn’t rise, but we are lifting ourselves up, but because of many Puerto Ricans’ effort who pitched in or whatever, but the government and the aid was not there...there wasn’t aid, look if a lot of people died it was because there wasn’t aid, it wasn’t there.

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One example of insufficient aid and individual action was illustrated in my

conversation with Interviewee 6. When we spoke, he was taking a break from fixing up

his home. He works third shift at a warehouse and rebuilds the half of his home that was

destroyed in the storm during the day. After being denied aid several times, he received a

modest loan from FEMA. Although the loan (which he must repay with interest) helped

him obtain materials, he cannot afford to pay laborers to rebuild his home, so he does it

himself. In the meantime, his child’s bed is sandwiched in the one bedroom remaining in

the home. The only other rooms left standing are a small living room and a bathroom.

That story is only one of many testimonies that reinforce that even people who did

receive aid did a lot of work for themselves, which is a counter-narrative to the welfare-

reliant images of Puerto Rico that are often portrayed.

4.3 Solidarity and Community Action

The collective effort of Puerto Ricans during recovery was a much-celebrated

topic for those I talked with. Participants affirmed what Binu et. al. explain, that natural

disasters often encourage community and altruism (Binu et al. 558). Several individuals

commented that a community-focused nature is part of being Puerto Rican. Many others

expressed the sense of solidarity among their own communities and families following

the storm. Interviewee 3 said:

41

“Así la gente se conoció, que casi ni se conocía. Así la gente habló, unos trajeron café, otros esto y se hizo una comunidad que hasta el día de hoy es mucho más amigable, pero eso sucedió en todos los lugares de Puerto Rico. La gente empezó a aprender nuevamente la importancia del otro, del vecino. Además de yo, eres tú, es otro. Cómo nos necesitamos unos a otros para sobrevivir.”

So the people met each other, people they barely knew. They talked, some brought coffee, others did this and made a community that to this day is a lot more friendly, but that happened all over Puerto Rico. People started to remember the importance of the other, their neighbor. It’s not just me, it’s you, it’s them. How we need each another to survive.

Many people shared stories of clearing debris together, carrying water to the

elderly or bedridden in their communities, or buying enough bread to distribute to their

neighbors. Stories about clearing debris were the most common, possibly because of the

amount of time and energy it took to get it done. One participant talked about waking up

each day and spending hours with a machete, cutting trees by hand and carrying them off

the road. Meanwhile, she said, there was a pile of corpses accumulating nearby. She said

there was simply no place to put them, so while people worked, they were surrounded by

the stench of death.

Feelings of solidarity were affirmed in the workshop in Miami, when a participant

who had been living in Puerto Rico during the storm talked about people coming together

in the evenings for gatherings and parties. He described coming together to talk, to dance,

to relax after long days of often difficult physical and emotional labor, as a central part of

the recovery process. In another workshop, in Aguadilla, a participant shared the story of

playing card games and telling jokes while waiting for the flood waters to subside after

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the storm. An interviewee in Aibonito echoed the same sentiment, remembering that

children came outside to play games in the streets between homes, reconnecting and

staying busy partly because there was no electricity to keep them busy indoors.

Interviewee 7 comments on solidarity:

"Era bonito porque cada vez que necesitábamos algo—yo vivo en el campo—aparecía. No teníamos agua, y de momento alguien nos dejaba una caja de botellas de agua—un milagro, ¿entiendes? No teníamos compra, y de momento aparecía alguien. “Mira, les traje esta compra.” Pasó eso mucho, como milagros casuales, pero muchas. Que yo decía, “Pero, ¿qué es esto?” Parecían milagros.”

It was beautiful because each time that we needed something—and I live in the country—it appeared. We had no water, and then suddenly someone left us a case of water—a miracle, you know? We didn’t have groceries, and then someone appeared, “Look, I brought you these supplies.” All the time, coincidental miracles, but a lot of them. I said, “But, what is this?” Seemed like miracles.

Other hopeful messages included trust in faith, gratitude that despite losing homes they

were alive, and hope for a better future for Puerto Rico.

Interviewee 14 said:

“Puedo agradecer a Dios que perdí la vivienda, pero no perdí la vida.”

I can thank God that I lost my home, but I didn’t lose my life.

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Interviewee 24 said:

“Yo por lo menos tengo techo. Que las paredes por dentro se mojaron y están enchabadas, un día de estos. Los muebles yo tuve que botarlos, todo, por más que yo traté de lavarlos y limpiarlos, pero es que no había forma de recuperarlos, pero eso es material, lo importante es la vida, gracias a Dios que estamos vivos.”

At least I have a roof. Sure, the walls inside are wet and ruined, but that’s a problem for another day. I had to throw away the furniture, all of it, I really tried to wash and clean them, but there was no way to recover them, but that’s material, what’s important is your life, thank God that we are alive.

Interviewee 6 said:

“El espacio de la casa es reducido ahora, pero de verdad que yo no me quejo de nada de lo que me pasa, porque yo he pasado otras cosas peores que esto, no perdí familiares, uno no sabe y veo gente peor que yo, como que no, ha cambiado, pero a mí no me conoce. Yo tengo trabajo, hay gente que ha perdido trabajo, no tengo problema. Un poco más pequeña la casa es lo más que yo puedo decir, pero no he perdido más.”

My house is smaller now, but honestly I can’t complain, because worse things have happened, I didn’t lose family members, you never know and I see people worse off than me, it’s like, life has changed, but I don’t know. I have a job, some people lost their jobs. I don’t have a problem. My house is a little smaller, that’s all I can say, I haven’t lost more.

4.4 Inequality and Civic Action

Interviewees and workshop participants talked about the unity following the storm

inspiring action, not only with immediate aid, but also with civic participation and an

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active interest in fighting for their rights. Interviewee 14 and Interviewee 8 drew these

connections:

Interviewee 14:

“Yo creo que la experiencia del Huracán nos ayudó a muchos a organizarse como comunidad, a luchar por sus derechos y de vez en cuando poner en seco a los que lideran a este país.”

I think the experience with Maria really helped us to organize ourselves as a community, to fight for our rights and every now and then call out the leaders of this country.

Interviewee 8:

“En Puerto Rico, la lucha social por la transformación social y el rescate del país sigue, está muy fuerte. Seguro que la condición colonial junto con un huracán devastador como María, nos golpeó pero a nosotros no se nos quitan las ganas, no se nos quitan las ganas, no hay que salir en el periódico. La lucha cada día se diversifica y yo invito a todos los sectores a que nos unamos porque la lucha es la que une. No es la idea de la unidad, sino el caminar juntos y juntas en diferentes issues sociales que surgen es lo que va a lograr la unidad puertorriqueña para terminar rescatando este país.”

In Puerto Rico, the fight for the social transformation and salvation of the country continues, it’s very strong. Surely the colonial condition along with a devastating hurricane like Maria, hit us but it didn’t take away our enthusiasm, it hasn’t taken our enthusiasm, you don’t have to see it in the news. The fight gets more diverse each day and I invite everyone to come together because the fight for change is what unites us. It’s not the idea of unity, but the walk together, through different social issues that come up we are going to achieve Puerto Rican unity and end up saving the country.

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The spirit of protest came up in several contexts throughout the interviews. As

discussed, the lack of aid following the hurricane made the strength of the colonial

influence more evident. This ignited conversations about inequalities regarding voting

rights, preferences given to American companies, gentrification for tourism, an increasing

number of charter schools, and PROMESA.

The workshop participants also expressed frustration over voting inequality. One

participant in Miami explained that while she attends school in Florida, her parents still

live on the island. During a conversation about voter registration, she asked the group, “I

can’t decide where I should register to vote, here at school, or at home. If I want to give

the most help to Puerto Rico, should I vote in PR for the governor, or should I register

here and vote for president?” Without missing a beat, everyone in the room told her,

“vote for president.” Frustration about voting rights, participants explained, causes many

supporters of independence to boycott elections, and adds to the doubt about whether

voting is worthwhile at all.

Gentrification following the hurricane was a problem for many, especially people

living in high-tourism areas like San Juan.

Interviewee 19 discussed gentrification:

“Bueno yo pienso que esta tierra es nuestra, esta tierra es nuestra y te voy a decir porque. Porque nosotros la trabajamos, la tierra es de quien la trabaja, no es de quién la compra, es de quien la trabaja.”

Well I think this land is ours, this land is ours and I'll tell you why. Because we work the land, the land belongs to the person who works it, not the one who buys it, it’s the person who works it.

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Interviewee 19 went on to explain that the colonial powers have the ability to steal

land from those who own it, beginning with the Spanish stealing from the indigenous

people, and continuing through today. Others agreed, explaining that the United States

can profit from both tourism in Puerto Rico and tax breaks given to mainland U.S.

companies. They believe all of this drives prices up and pushes Puerto Ricans out of the

neighborhoods and communities they know and want to stay in. Furthermore, by keeping

Puerto Rico at a disadvantage both politically and economically, the U.S. encourages

migration to the mainland. Interviewee 9 and 13 identified this practice as population

reduction.

Interviewee 13 said:

“Se enteró de que esto se estaba convirtiendo en la utopía de los millonarios, las playas más hermosas, la gente más servicial...Va a ser el paraíso de esos millonarios pero ahora mismo hay demasiada gente para eso, vamos a ver cómo los sacamos.”

We realized they were turning it into a millionaire’s utopia, the best beaches, the best servants. It’ll be a millionaire’s paradise but right now there are too many people and we’re going to see how we can get rid of them.

Interviewee 9 added that the Puerto Rican government is complicit in this plan,

and others speculated that the corrupt insular government benefits by promoting U.S.

industry and encouraging or allowing gentrification to occur. Interviewee 27 explained

that U.S. companies can donate to Puerto Rican political campaigns, giving them even

more influence over local government decisions. Despite the perceived efforts to relocate

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Puerto Ricans, many people expressed a strong desire to stay in Puerto Rico and protect

the land.

Interviewee 24 echoed that sentiment:

“Puerto Rico es amor, Puerto Rico es divino, no es perfecto, pero yo amo a mi tierra y yo—de aquí me sacan, que me cremen y me tiren toda la ceniza donde están mis plantas, porque yo no me voy.”

Puerto Rico is love, Puerto Rico is divine, it’s not perfect, but I love my country and I—if they take me from here, cremate me and throw all my ashes here where my plants are, because I’m not leaving.

Unfortunately, the struggles of Hurricane María pushed out even those who

desperately wanted to stay on the island. With devastated homes, limited job

opportunities, slow disaster relief, and more, interviewees told me, the option to leave the

island was tempting for many, especially those with young children.

Mass migration to the mainland after María exacerbated another problem in

Puerto Rico, school closings. Schools in Puerto Rico have been closing for several

reasons, and participants acknowledged that there are fewer children now than before, so

some schools needed to close. However, when many more families chose to leave the

island, the situation became worse. So, interviewees said, in addition to U.S. companies

buying many beachside properties, doors have opened for U.S. charter schools to take

over Puerto Rico’s education system.

There is a history in Puerto Rico of the U.S. utilizing school systems to

Americanize the Puerto Rican population, specifically using language (Pousada).

Interviewees expressed concerns that the U.S. will force Americanization and keep

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Puerto Ricans ignorant of their own history. Interviewee 27 noted that the Ponce

Massacre and the Puerto Rican Nationalist Revolution are already omitted from their

history classes.

He observed:

“El gobierno no le quería dar información, así que estamos hablando de que hace, ¿cuánto? 30 años atrás, no le querían dar información a un investigador sobre el tema de la masacre de Ponce así que, ¿te das cuenta la magnitud de la persecución que hubo? De esto no se hablaba.”

The government doesn’t want to give that information, so what we are talking about, how many years ago? 30 years ago, they didn’t want to give information to an investigator looking into the Ponce Massacre so, do you realize the magnitude of persecution there was? They weren't talking about that.

Many interviewees agreed that education is a powerful tool to learn history, to

question narratives that Puerto Ricans are taught about themselves, and to become critical

of their own situation. Others said that the U.S. has consistently taught Puerto Ricans that

they are less.

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Interviewee 23 shared the following story:

“No sé si has tenido la experiencia, pero yo recuerdo cuando me criaba cuando niño, por ejemplo, las guayabas, las frutas que tenemos aquí también, las más grandes eran americanas, las pequeñas eran puertorriqueñas. Las avispas, ¿tú sabes lo que es una avispa? Las grandes eran americanas, las pequeñitas eran de aquí de Puerto Rico e inclusive, el pavimento, las carreteras, el que era bien lisesito, bien suavescito, ese era americano, el otro que era roñoso más, era—es una cuestión de que nos fueron educando de que lo nuestro no servía y que lo que servía era lo que venía de los Estados Unidos era lo mejor....Así fue como crecimos y siempre vamos a pensar que todo lo mejor está allá, de que sí hay personas que se creen más americanos que puertorriqueños sí las hay, yo no los culpo.”

I don’t know if you’ve had this experience, but I remember when I grew up as a kid, for example, the guavas, the fruit that we have here, the biggest ones were American, the little ones were Puerto Rican. The wasps; the big ones were American, the little ones were Puerto Rican and even the sidewalk, the roads, the smoothest ones, the even ones, those were American, the other that was dirtier was—it’s that we were taught that what was ours was useless and the useful things came from the United States, that was the best...That was how we grew up, and we will always think that the best is there, so yeah there are people that believe they are more American than Puerto Rican, yes there are, I don’t blame them.

This narrative about U.S. superiority demonstrates the impact of colonialism on

an individual’s self-perception. Participants asserted that education and awareness are key

ways to overcome that colonial myth.

That education is becoming increasingly difficult to access, however, especially

considering recent action by the Financial Oversight Board. Several participants said that

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by raising prices for the University of Puerto Rico while otherwise imposing austerity

measures, low-income families no longer have access to higher education. The Financial

Oversight Board dramatically cut funding to the university without the consent of the

Puerto Rican people (Velázquez et al.; Cabán 179). This caused Interviewee 27 to

question the motives of the U.S. He said:

“Así que destrozar el sistema educativo de Puerto Rico desde su base hasta la escuela superior, en mi opinión, es parte de un plan para desestablizar la educación en el país, menos gente sabe, más fácil moldear eso. En ese sentido, tú tienes la oportunidad de moldear una gente para tus necesidades. Ese es el problem que tiene la educación aquí y es grava”

So destroying the education system of Puerto Rico from its base through higher education, in my opinion, is part of a plan to destabilize education in the country, the less the people know, the easier it is to mold them.That way, you have the opportunity to mold people for your purposes. That’s the problem with education here and it’s serious.

Losing access to education worried Interviewee 22, who explained that without

the tools of education, the population may be pushed to violence. Fighting for rights is

becoming a part of daily life for many Puerto Ricans, and, although one interviewee said

that poverty often prevents people from participating in active protests, the idea of

fighting for one’s rights is strong in the history of Puerto Rico.

A number of past revolutions came up during the workshops and interviews,

including La Rogativa en el Viejo San Juan, Agüeybaná, el Grito de Lares, and Pedro

Albizu Campos and the Nationalist Party in the 50s.

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Interviewee 27, after describing the details of the Ponce Massacre, said:

“aquí nosotros estamos peleando por nuestra identidad y por nuestro territorio desde tiempo, hay mucha gente, luchen muchos o luchen pocos siempre ha habido gente dispuesta a defendernos, y si de toda esta hora y media que hemos estado hablando aquí tú no te recordaras de nada, yo quisiera que lo único que tú te recuerdes es que siempre ha habido puertorriqueños que han estado dispuestos a luchar, siempre. Desde las épocas de los indios hasta el día de hoy, de luchar por su identidad, España no nos pudo hacer españoles, ni Estados Unidos ha podido hacernos americanos.”

Here we have been fighting for our identity and for our territory for a long time, there are a lot of people, fighting more or fighting less there have always been people willing to defend us, and if in all this hour and half that we have been talking here you don’t remember anything, I hope the one thing you remember is that there have always been Puerto Ricans willing to fight, always. From the age of the natives to today, fight for their identity. Spain couldn’t make us Spaniards, and the United States hasn’t made us Americans.

Interviewee 7 said:

“en la actualidad define la sociedad puertorriqueña en lucha”

Right now I define Puerto Rican society as the struggle.

Defining Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican in this context, as Interviewee 7 has here, is

no simple task in this colonial context.

4.5 National Identity

I began each interview by asking What is Puerto Rico? and What does it mean to

be Puerto Rican? The responses to these initial questions reveal nuances about how

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Puerto Ricans understand and articulate their own place within the greater thematic

systems discussed previously. Additionally, these were always the first questions asked,

so examining these responses provides information about participants’ thinking and

feelings before being influenced by other interview questions. A word cloud representing

the response to the question: What is Puerto Rico? is seen in Image 2.

Interviewees approached the question in different ways, and Image 2 shows that

some interviewees referenced the culture and community of Puerto Rico, including the

diaspora and diverse cultural history. The interviewees who used descriptive words called

Image 2

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Puerto Rico beautiful and a place they love, which was affirmed in answers to the next

question, when many interviewees said that being Puerto Rican was an honor, and that

they were proud to be Puerto Rican.

You can also see in the image the variation in the way that interviewees’ literally defined

Puerto Rico as an island, or politically as a colony, nation, or country. When talking about

status, two respondents used the same phrasing:

“Somos un Estado Libre Asociado que no es ni estado, ni libre, ni asociado.”

We are a free-associated state that is not free, not associated, and not a state.

And Interviewee 22 highlighted the unique case of Puerto Rico:

“Por lo tanto Puerto Rico legalmente es eso, es un lugar indefinido, somos territorio, somos colonia, somos un estado, pero que no tiene representación, somos un país sin nación—una nación sin estado, somos todas esas cosas.”

Therefore, legally, Puerto Rico is just that, an undefined place, we are a territory, we are a colony, we are a state, but without representation, we are a country without a nation—a nation without a state, we are all those things.

Similarly to the first question, interviewees responding to the question: What does

it mean to be Puerto Rican? seemed divided between the pride that connects the diaspora

across boundaries, and the complexity that the legal status of Puerto Rico brings to their

identity. A word cloud representing these responses is seen in Image 3.

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Interviewee 19 said that being Puerto Rican is a contradiction:

“Significa ser un poco contradictoria, porque está este gusto por lo hispanoamericano, pero también hay una cierta conveniencia de lo norteamericano, que uno también se beneficia de ello, aunque no quiera. Así es que ser puertorriqueño implica ser una especie de contradicción. A veces no estás muy seguro de lo que se quiere y de lo que se es.”

It means being a bit contradictory, because there is this appreciation for the Hispanic American, but also there’s a certain convenience of the North American, you also benefit from that, even if you don’t want to. So being Puerto Rican implies being a species of contradiction. Sometimes you aren’t very sure what it is that you want and what it is that is.

The feeling of contradiction was affirmed when discussing specific thoughts

about the Commonwealth status. Nearly half of all participants commenting on status

Image 3

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were clear about the colonial nature of the relationship, many as direct as the following

examples:

Interviewee 16:

“Esto sigue siendo una colonia o territorio no incorporado, técnicamente. El congreso de los Estados Unidos determina cualquier cosa que va a pasar en Puerto Rico.”

This continues to be a colony, or unincorporated territory, technically. The U.S. Congress determines whatever happens in Puerto Rico.

Interviewee 7:

“En términos políticos nosotros somos una colonia, somos la colonia más antigua del mundo, nosotros no parecemos una colonia, nosotros somos una colonia.”

In political terms we are a colony, we are the oldest colony in the world, we don’t seem like a colony, we are a colony.

Awareness of colonialism was evident in the well-informed responses from

interviewees. Many of the participants mentioned the legality of the Commonwealth,

citing specific Supreme Court Cases, accurately describing the role of Congress in

determining policy in Puerto Rico, and discussing PROMESA and the Financial

Oversight Board. Seven interviewees also mentioned the sense of dependence on the U.S.

and inability to act on their own, while more than a dozen described the United States as

a negative force in Puerto Rico. As discussed in the previous section, the participants

detailed these forces, claiming that the United States is corrupt, gives tax breaks to

wealthy Americans at the expense of Puerto Ricans, and controls Puerto Rico through

legal action while limiting Puerto Ricans’ participation. Participants said that inequalities,

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including the inability to vote in U.S. elections, are directly related to the lack of respect

because of the Commonwealth status, and the disregard for Puerto Ricans’ citizenship

status.

Interviewee 7 gives her perception of the mentality of mainland Americans:

“Creo que los norteamericanos, aún los más progresistas por los muchos años en que su país se ha conformado como un imperio, la nación más importante, todavía nos ven como menos, pero yo creo que eso ya está incrustado en las mentes. Es muy difícil liberarse de eso, aún en las personas más progresistas.”

I think that North Americans, although very progressive, because their country has been creating an empire for years, the most important nation, they still see us as less, but I think that is stuck in their minds. It’s very difficult to free yourself from that, even the most progressive people.

Interviewees and workshop participants said not only do Americans imagine Puerto

Ricans as less, but they simply do not understand the context of Puerto Rico.

Interviewee 10 described a conversation with a mainland American:

“Sentimos que a pesar de que somos parte de Estados Unidos, en Estados Unidos no nos conocen. Tú dices, “Puerto Rico,” y te dicen “¿De dónde tú eres?” “De Puerto Rico” “Tú eres parte de Estados Unidos?” “Sí” “¿Cómo?” Cuando tú dices, “Estado Libre Asociado” “¿Qué es eso? Un Estado Libre Asociado. Explícame.” Ni nosotros mismo los puertorriqueños sabemos explicarlo”

We feel like even though we are part of the United States, in the U.S. they don’t know us. You say, “Puerto Rico," and they say, “Where are you from?” “From Puerto Rico.” “Are you part of the United States?” “Yes.” “What?” When you say, “Commonwealth” "What is that? A Commonwealth. Explain that to me.” Not even us Puerto Ricans know how to explain it.

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This represents the burden that Puerto Ricans feel—they must attempt to explain the

complicated political system that they are in, and not only in casual conversation, but in

order to obtain their own rights. For example, the same interviewee said:

“Ellos nos tratan así, dices, “puertorriqueño,” tienes que enseñar un montón de identificaciones y tienes que sacar todo. No eres americano hasta que nos enseñas el pasaporte.”

They treat us that way, when you say “Puerto Rican,” you have to show them a ton of identification and you have to take out everything. You aren’t American until you show them your passport.

The efforts to overcome ignorance and the dismissal of U.S. citizenship status

amounts to more than an inconvenience. One protest effort was thwarted when Puerto

Ricans were barred from entering Trinidad for the 2009 Summit of the Americas, despite

free passage entitled to U.S. citizens (Fiet 248). Americans deny Puerto Ricans’ rights

because of lack of awareness, Interviewee 13 said, and although mainland Americans

may recognize Wounded Knee or Sitting Bull, he continued, they do not know El Grito

de Lares or other Puerto Rican revolutions.

Interviewee 21 agreed that whether due to ignorance or apathy, many Americans

are simply unconcerned with what happens with Puerto Rico, leaving the islands

vulnerable to the whims of the U.S. government. Some participants emphasized that lack

of knowledge about Puerto Rico results in discrimination that they experience both

during travel and while living in the mainland. Interviewee 10 explained:

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“En Estados Unidos no nos conocen. Cuando decimos que somos puertorriqueños nos tratan como al mexicano y nos rechazan. Hay mucho rechazo, mucho discrimen. Si viven un puertorriqueño al lado tuyo, “Yo no voy a comprar esa casa.”

In the United States they don’t know us. When we say we are Puerto Rican they treat us like Mexicans and reject us. There’s a lot of rejection, a lot of discrimination. If a Puerto Rican lives next to you, “I’m not going to buy that house."

Interviewee 24 agreed and explained that racism and bias against the Spanish language

made her time living in New York difficult.

4.6 Moving Forward

Despite the clear dissatisfaction with the U.S. empire and Commonwealth status,

a clear preference for a different status did not emerge from my research. Interviewees

expressed feeling caught in the middle, with multiple participants commenting on the

feeling of being caught between two options, two realities. Two quotes are exemplars of

this sentiment. Interview 26:

“Yo creo en la independencia, pero también creo en ser parte de alguien también, todo depende del momento histórico donde estemos, cuánto impacto en ese momento estarían las personas dispuestas a sufrir eso, eso es otra verdad, como se dice, eso sería una decisión que tenemos que tomar todos, considerándonos a todos. En otras palabras, yo soy anexionista pero también creo en la independencia.”

I believe in independence, but I believe in being a part of something, too, it all depends on the current moment in history, how much it impacts the people who would be likely to suffer, that’s another reality, like they say, it will be a decision that we all have to make, considering everyone. In other words, I’m pro-state but I also believe in independence.

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Interviewee 23:

“Cada cual tiene derecho a pensar y creer lo que quiera, el hecho de que yo sea puertorriqueño y quiera estar anexado, por ejemplo, a los Estados Unidos, no entra para mi en ningún tipo de conflicto. Hay mucho hispano en Estados Unidos, que vive en Estados Unidos, que no piensan irse de Estados Unidos, que son hispano y se sienten hispano, no tienen ningún problema con eso.”

Each person has the right to think and believe what they want, the truth is that I can be Puerto Rican and want to be a state, for example, in the United States, there’s no conflict for me. There are a lot of Hispanics in the United States, that live in the United States, that don’t think of leaving the United States, that are Hispanic and feel Hispanic, they don’t have any problem with that.

Although there was not a clear preference for one option—statehood or independence—

participants across the board expressed that choosing either of those options would be

better than the Commonwealth.

Interviewee 28 put it concisely:

“No creo, no creo en el Estado Libre Asociado. Porque no sé, como que es—que tienes y no tienes, perteneces y no perteneces. No creo.”

I don’t believe in it, I don’t believe in the Commonwealth. Because I don’t know, it’s like—like you have it and don’t have it, you belong and don’t belong, I don’t believe in it.

Regardless of the unclear preference for one status option, the clear take-away is

that Hurricane Maria reignited conversations around status and the sense of urgency

regarding decolonization has increased. While many comments focused on decolonizing

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and liberating Puerto Rico, faith that the government can help make that change is

limited.

When asked specifically about the future of Puerto Rico, many people believe that

Puerto Rico will eventually shift away from Commonwealth status. One interviewee

suspects that the U.S. will cut ties with Puerto Rico if the island cannot overcome its

debt, while another thinks that globalization will change the relationship. Others are more

active in their rejection of the Commonwealth and believe that revolution will be required

to make that change.

Interviewee 7 said:

“Va a ser un poco difícil, pero yo creo que ya todos los sectores político partidistas están de acuerdo con que el sistema colonial explotó. Así que los movimientos en contra de eso, sea para separarnos de Estados Unidos o para unirnos a los Estados unidos van a tomar más fuerza en los próximos 10 años.

It’s going to be a bit difficult, but I think that all the different political parties agree that the colonial system is exploitative. So the movements against it, whether to separate from the United States or join the United States, are going to get stronger in the next 10 years.

Interviewee 23 imagined a future relationship with an independent Puerto Rico:

“Va a ser una relación de estrecha colaboración y de amistad con los Estados Unidos, pero no como un estado, sino totalmente independiente. Así es como yo lo veo.”

It’s going to be a relationship of close collaboration and friendship with the United States, but not as a state, totally independent. That’s how I see it.

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Other responses regarding the future of Puerto Rico were varied. Many expressed

concern about the future—poverty, lack of jobs, the dropout rate and education

challenges, corruption, and other challenges. One interviewee doubts that the people of

Puerto Rico are motivated to make things better.

However, many others were very hopeful about the future. They expressed hope

for less corruption, more unity and harmony among the people, better education, true

recovery from disaster, and they believe that the youth can create that future.

One hopeful interviewee, Interviewee 21, said:

“Yo me lo podría imaginar donde la gente trabaje, donde no las redes sociales dominen la opinión pública, donde cada cual busque por sí mismo, donde el arte, que eso a mí me encanta, me encante el arte, me encanta los vinos, la apreciación, a mí me encanta. Me encanta la buena película donde todo ese tipo de actividad se pueda dar en armonía, donde aún difiriendo, podamos coexistir.”

I could imagine where the people work, where social media doesn’t dominate public opinion, where each person looks after themselves, where art, which I love, I love art, I love wine, appreciation, I love it. I love a good movie—where all these sorts of things can happen in harmony, where although we are different we can coexist.

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Another, Interviewee 19:

“Obviamente yo quisiera que en el futuro de Puerto Rico hubiese muchos pajaritos volando por ahí, que uno caminara, siempre estuviese bonito y no lloviera. Inmediatamente va a ser difícil. No sé si es que en el fondo soy optimista, tiene que mejorar….Así que en el futuro yo espero que quizás no seamos una isla prospera, multimillonaria, pero que todo el mundo tenga derecho a la educación, derecho a la salud.”

Obviously I would want the future of Puerto Rico filled with a lot of birds flying around, you could go for walks, it would always be beautiful and never rain. Immediately that’s going to be difficult. I don’t know if it’s that in my heart I’m an optimist, it has to get better. So in the future I hope that maybe we aren’t a rich island, multi-millionaire, but that everyone would have the right to an education, the right to health.

4.7 Key Question: Anything else?

At the end of each interview, I invited participants to share any other thoughts

they had, anything more that they would like to say. When looking at all of the responses

to this question, three main themes emerged: finding unity as Puerto Rico progresses and

the people fight for their rights, the role of artists to help process trauma and raise

awareness about situations like María, and promoting self-sufficiency instead of relying

on aid from the United States moving forward. Other responses included concern about

climate change, expressing pride about being Puerto Rican, and commenting on the

hurricane, whether noting to prepare better, expressing concern for those still suffering, or

hoping that another disaster like María does not come for some time. Two other responses

expressed gratitude for the interview and wished me well in Puerto Rico.

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In summary, the responses to this question do not indicate that my research

questions missed any central themes, rather the responses to this question tended to

reiterate themes that emerged during the interview or to support the arts as a means of

communication, which is a central function of this project.

5. Analysis of Play Construction

Verbatim theater practitioner Erwin Piscator considered three central questions

during his work: How can theater restate and mobilize history? How can theater represent

atrocity? And, how can theater open avenues of identification without erasing the

specificity of suffering? (Arjomand 50). Looking at these questions provides insight into

the playwriting section of this project.

5.1 How can theater restate and mobilize history?

In this theater play, there are two histories colliding—the immediate history of

Hurricane María and the aftermath, which is expressed directly in the testimony

collected, and the longer history of the United States colonial occupation of Puerto Rico,

which provides the context for the current testimony. A faithful representation of the

testimony collected is an important part of the play construction process, as

misrepresentation has the potential to cause further harm (Young 26). The extensive

nature of the interviews gave me strong impressions of how Puerto Ricans whom I spoke

to felt about colonization, and response to and recovery from María. As I was reading

through transcripts, certain quotes seemed to articulate the sense of the interviews. When

organizing the testimony, I set aside my preconceived notions as much as possible in an

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attempt to truly witness to the stories that I had heard. The resulting qualitative data

analysis, especially the word clouds, provided information about which elements to

emphasize, where to spend time, and what types of divergent perspectives existed in the

group who participated in research. And, by grouping the testimony by theme, I could

find moments of intersection where participants seemed to be in dialogue with one

another.

Editing the organized testimony into a 90-minute script was the next step in the

process. This is no easy task, and in this play the voices of 46 distinct people are

synthesized into a chorus of six. Early drafts of the play contained testimony from every

interviewee, each quoted at length, as well as several moments from each workshop.

Including such long quotes initially allowed Professor Delgado, who consulted during the

editing, to share which parts of the quotes stuck out to him as a Puerto Rican, which

served as a check-and-balance on my own preferences as an outsider-observer.

The central goal of editing was to accurately reflect the message of the interviews

and workshops while minimizing unnecessary repetition. Scholar Caroline Wake

discusses the ethical concern that when a playwright omits someone’s story from the final

play altogether, this results in “double silencing,” when an artist obtains testimony from a

silenced subject only to silence them once again (Wake 104). When deciding which line

to include between a set of repetitive lines, I considered not only the clarity and

intelligibility of the line, but also tried to balance how often the words and ideas of each

interviewee and workshop group appear in the play. Several of the theatrical devices in

the play were crafted to maximize the variety of voices included in the final script.

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Inspired by plays such as Caridad Svich’s An Acorn and This Thing of Ours, the

dialogue sometimes operates like a mosaic, in which characters each contribute a piece to

help the audience tie together the larger narrative. As a member of the chorus, each

character can share thoughts from a variety of individuals who participated in the

research. In addition to these composite characters, theatrical use of technology helps

include a variety of testimony. In the play all the members of the Puerto Rican Chorus are

living on the island, but throughout the story, especially during the scene in which María

happens, the voices of the diaspora are shared via Facebook messages or texts that can be

presented on stage as projections or prerecorded audio.

Furthermore, the characters in the play do not follow strict realism. From the first

moments on stage, we see the performers for what they are—play actors who illustrate a

story to us. We watch the performers take on various roles throughout the play, which

breaks the strict sense of realism that many verbatim theater plays employ. The members

of the Puerto Rican Chorus regularly interrupt the current timeline—of María and the

aftermath—to provide the audience with historical context, and to expose the cyclical

nature of history with examples that parallel the current timeline. Many of these historical

events were referenced during interviews and workshops, which provided language that

characters in the play can use to reference these events. One example of this is when the

character Sebastian narrates the story of the Ponce Massacre. As he tells the story of the

government’s actions against the Nationalist Party, other members of the chorus reenact

the scene, and one person embodies Pedro Albizu Campos, an iconic nationalist party

leader. Another example occurs early on in the play, when Amanda and another chorus

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member jump back into history to read the Charter of Autonomy, play-acting as Spanish

officials from the time. The scene reads like so:

SEBASTIAN: Mediante los años, desde que nos descubrieron—Cuando dice, “Descubrieron,” es 1493—Desde ese momento hemos sido colonia y hemos tratado de, en términos sociales, definirnos. Throughout the years, since they discovered us—When you say “discovered” that’s 1493. Since that moment we have been a colony and we’ve tried to define ourselves, socially.

Joseph appears at a distance, as if observing the island from afar. JOSEPH: It is a charming winter resort…a commanding position between two continents… an island well worth having.

SEBASTIAN: Desde las épocas de los indios hasta el día de hoy, de luchar por su identidad, España no nos pudo hacer españoles. From the age of the Taínos until today, fighting for our identity, Spain could not make us Spaniards.

EDGUARDO: In 1898, Spain gave some degree of autonomous government to Puerto Rico.

SEBASTIAN, AMANDA y THE SPANIARD: La Carta Autonómica de 1897 de Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rican Charter of Autonomy of 1897 Declaratory, proud to read the new law.

EDGUARDO: With the promise of that being the first step toward independence.

As they read, we see Puerto Ricans hang flags and vote, preparing for their new self-rule.

THE SPANIARD: Real Decreto: De acuerdo con el parecer de Mi Consejo de Ministros;

En nombre de Mi Augusto Hijo el Rey Don Alfonso XIII, y como Reina Regente del Reino,

Vengo en decretar lo siguiente:

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Royal Decree:

In accordance with the judgment of the Council of Ministers;

In the name of my Dignified Son: King Don Alfonso XIII, and Queen Regent of the Kingdom

I hereby decree the following:

Inclusion of historical characters from the mainland, like Joseph who speaks in

the quote above, is part of an attempt to centralize the voices of the Puerto Rican Chorus.

Especially considering the polarized nature of contemporary American politics, if Donald

Trump (who appears later in the play) is the face of the United States, both sides of the

political spectrum are likely to dismiss his actions as a quality unique to Trump, and not a

continuation of the legacy of colonial action that the U.S. has taken against Puerto Rico.

To further this goal of minimizing Trump’s role in the story, the U.S. is

represented by a Greek chorus as well. Instead of a faithful impersonation of Trump, the

play suggests that any person could enact this violence, if sitting in the seat of power.

Additionally, the U.S. Chorus is guided by a woman named María who looks like Lady

Liberty. She is a symbol of the empire, and more specifically of the freedom that is so

contrary to the lived experience in Puerto Rico. Her constant presence and her recitation

of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution contrasts the testimony of the Puerto Rican

Chorus, which highlights the inequity they describe.

5.2 How can theater represent atrocity? The atrocities in this play are twofold as well; there is both the actual hurricane,

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and perhaps more importantly, the corruption that contributed to the subsequent

humanitarian crisis. The testimony collected during this research teases out the

interconnectedness of corruption, natural disaster, and colonialism. To embody these

connections, the Lady Liberty character is also an embodiment of Hurricane María. The

placement of the hurricane on stage introduces magic realism, and the U.S. Chorus

becomes a chorus of winds, who follow the Lady Liberty character’s command.

Conflating the roles of empire and natural disaster illustrates to the audience the power

that the U.S. government had to control the outcome of both history and the storm. One

example occurs when the Puerto Rican Chorus is explaining the Commonwealth status,

and María/Lady Liberty controls the history with stylized movements. The scene reads

like this:

IRENE: Todo comienza con Muñoz Marín.

It all started with Muñoz Marín.

We see Muñoz Marín leading a campaign,

he is wearing a straw jíbaro hat and a sign or button that says

“candidate for independence” or “independentista”.

He chants:

MUÑOZ MARÍN: ¡Pan, Tierra, Libertad!

¡Bread, Land, Liberty!

IRENE: De ese principio que comienza, él comenzó como independentista,

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From the start, he was pro-independence,

As he yells, votes flood in, or people join him in chanting.

We see him gain popularity.

We see Muñoz Marín win the vote and take his seat in the senate.

IRENE: Este señor se vio en la disyuntiva de, “¿Qué hago? ¿O me uno a Estados Unidos o nos vamos solos?”

He had a dilemma, “What do I do? Do I join the United States or do we go on our own?”

SENATOR: Monday, March 5, 1945. United States Senate, Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs. The committee will be in order. This is a hearing on [the Tydings bill], a bill to provide for the withdrawal of sovereignty of the United States over the island of Puerto Rico and for the recognition of its independence.

PR Chorus: ¡Pan, Tierra, Libertad!

¡Bread, Land, Liberty!

The PR Chorus turns to look at Muñoz Marín.

He goes to speak, but then we enter a flashback

María stands over Muñoz-Marín as we hear:

FBI MAN: Federal Bureau of Investigation: Case Title: José Luis Muñoz Marín, et al.

Synopsis of Facts: José Luis Muñoz Marín, president of Puerto Rican Senate. Described by reliable informants to be intellectual with bad case of “Puerto Rican

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inferiority complex,” which results in anti-American tendencies. He is not considered dangerous to point of acts against the United States. Is known to be personally completely irresponsible;

one of Muñoz-Marín’s arms are pulled behind his back,

as if he was María’s puppet

reported by reliable informants to be heavy drinker

the other hand is tied behind his back

and narcotics addict.

he is forced to sit, head down, hands tied .

IRENE: Pero él vio que ahí no iba a llegar a ningún lado, la gente iba a morir de hambre.

He could see that it just wouldn’t work, the people would die of hunger.

PR Chorus: ¡Pan, Tierra—

¡Bread, Land—

the PR Chorus is cut off when Muñoz-Marín says,

MUÑOZ-MARÍN: Neither Muñoz-Marín nor the Popular Democratic Party will in any way speak in favor of any type of final political status.

The sign around his neck changes. Now it reads: PPD: Pan, Tierra, America

As Irene narrates her understanding of the story, the other members of the Puerto

Rican Chorus embody the history, and the U.S. Chorus joins in with the Senator and FBI

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Man, who oppose the pro-independent efforts. As they playact the story, María performs

a highly stylized action to change Muñoz Marín’s actions. That action is paralleled later

in the play when she embodies the Jones Act and prevents ships with aid from reaching

Puerto Rico—reminiscent of the movements she uses to control her chorus of winds

when embodying Hurricane María. These highly stylized movements and the fluid

identity of the U.S. Chorus members invite the audience set aside preconceived notions

about politics and see the impact of the political action on the Puerto Rican Chorus

without focusing on previously held beliefs about party or policy.

Regarding the actual depiction of the hurricane, the script seeks to create a sense

of chaos; there is prerecorded audio of newscasters reporting on the storm while

Facebook comments flood in offering prayers and good wishes to Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Chorus transforms into the hurricane winds—reciting a list of words

in a partial whisper, the sound of their voice merging with the created soundscape to

evoke the feeling of a storm. An excerpt from this scene reads like so:

MARIA’S Chorus: dolls, flowerpot, tablecloths, tables, chairs, armchairs, inhalers, oxygen tanks, beds, sheets, toothbrushes, flip-flops, pillows, mirrors, books, paintings…

PR Chorus:

En estos momentos no se puede estar afuera, por favor. Olvide lo material, proteja su vida.

Right now you cannot be outside, please. Forget your things, protect your life.

Esto es un desastre.

This is a disaster.

Esto parece un tornado. Nunca en la vida había vivido algo así, está súper feo.

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It’s like a tornado. I’ve never been through anything like this in my life, super rough.

ADA: Aún cuando usted sienta que todo se destruya alrededor suyo—usted tiene que buscar cómo sobrevivir. Esto es vida o muerte. Escúcheme bien—esto es vida o muerte. Así que por favor usted métese en un lugar donde proteja su vida. Y llevase a las mascotas, proteja los niños, proteja a los ancianos—y por favor, oren. Oren. Oren continuamente.

Even though you feel that everything around you is being destroyed—you have to look for a way to survive. This is life or death. Listen closely—this is life or death. So please get in a place that will keep you safe. And bring your pets, protect your children, protect the elderly—and please, pray. Pray. Pray continuously.

More importantly than the chaos evoked during the storm is the frame that

surrounds the event. When writing about a traumatic event, it can be easy to depict the

victims as just that—victims and nothing more, but the structure of the play tries to frame

that moment of victimhood with representation of the Puerto Rican people’s agency and

personhood.

There are essentially three main parts of the play. First, is the introduction; this is

where the Puerto Rican Chorus explains a bit of the history of Puerto Rico and the United

States, begins describing the Commonwealth, and gets to know the audience. Before they

are hurricane victims, we see the characters as storytellers, scholars, and jokesters.

Second, we have the development of María and immediate recovery following the

hurricane. Importantly, during this section, there is no U.S. presence. Once the hurricane

winds rip through the stage, the U.S. Chorus disappears until the Puerto Rican Chorus

takes us into section three, which focuses on corruption. During the period of absence

from the U.S. government, testimony from the Puerto Rican Chorus takes the audience

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through the experience of helplessness seeing the devastation of the storm, and the

hopefulness as the community came together to recover. In the third section, focusing on

corruption, the play shows both the Puerto Rican and United States government

continuing to do more harm than good, while the Puerto Rican Chorus responds,

increasingly frustrated by the lack of aid.

After remembering some historical events surrounding the Nationalist Party in the

1950s, the Puerto Rican Chorus takes us to 2019, two years after María. In this portion of

the play, the Puerto Rican Chorus criticizes the broken Commonwealth system more

directly and begins to challenge the government. The growing revolutionary spirit is what

drives to the final event of the play, which is the protest against the governor of Puerto

Rico, Ricardo Rosselló.

The #RickyRenuncia protest occurred at the end of the research period for the

play. I was able to witness firsthand the build-up to the protests, as well as attend a night

of protest in front of La Fortaleza, the governor’s home. Although the amount of

testimony about #RickyRenuncia was limited compared to other themes, the event was

important to include for several reasons. First, it is an example in which Puerto Rican

people were victorious in a dispute with the government. Second, it provides an example

to the audience of what they can do to take action. As scholar Alinsky said, “if people feel

they don’t have the power to change a bad situation, then they do not think about it’” (qtd

in Nelson 28). Omitting the protest from the story may leave people feeling informed,

but unsure about how to proceed. By ending with the protest, the audience has witnessed

civic action and will perhaps be moved to action themselves. Again, this provides an

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opportunity to juxtapose the cruel actions of the government, both the lack of aid and the

governor’s vulgar texts that were exposed just before the protests, with the agency and

power of the people who were affected. In the play, each act of atrocity is followed by

two responses, first the suffering, and then the empowering act of resistance or recovery.

These images demonstrate the resilience and actionable steps taken by the Puerto Rican

people following the storm, which discourages victim-blaming and counters the colonial

depiction of Puerto Ricans as helpless and dependent.

5.3 How can theater open avenues of identification without erasing the specificity of

suffering?

Humor also plays a role in the play. The use of humor is something that appeared

in all of the workshops. At the workshop in Caguas, a woman showed me a “tourist

video” that she had shared on her Facebook feed. In the video, a cheery travel agent sells

Puerto Rico to the mainland, glossing over the issues of poverty and gentrification as if

they were minor inconveniences, and encourages her audience—with heavy sarcasm—to

focus on the beauty of the beaches. This sentiment was shared during the role-play

sections of the workshops as well. In the workshop in Aguadilla, a group performed an

elaborate and sarcastic news presentation of María, which is adapted into the play. And in

the workshop in Miami, participants broke out into an over-the-top club-style dance

during the creation of sculptures about Puerto Rican identity. The same style of humor

appears in other Puerto Rican media, including Paco Vazquez’s documentary, The Culture

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of Ignorance, in which every so often a man in drag suddenly appears to loudly demand

more information about a certain topic.

The use of humor in the play highlights this self-awareness through the Puerto

Rican Chorus. Even as they share their difficult situation, they can find moments to do so

with clever humor and a sense of ease. The characters in the play do not pity themselves

—so the audience is not as likely to pity them.

As activist Saul D. Alinksy says, “by presenting difficult realities directly and

powerfully using the medium of theatre, audience members are visibly upset and moved.

They are morally challenged to work towards greater equity by the gross levels of

inequity presented in the plays” (qtd. in Nelson 32). This play not only depicts the

inequity of the current colonial situation in Puerto Rico, but also seeks to implicate the

audience, specifically the English-speaking mainland audience using language. After a

short prologue, the beginning of the play is performed entirely in Spanish. This continues

until the U.S. invades the island, when an English line spoken, “It is a charming resort... a

commanding position between two continents… an island well worth having.” This line,

like many others, clearly shows how the U.S. has treated Puerto Rico, and throughout the

play lines from the U.S. become more explicit and cruel. As a result of the language

difference, English-speaking audiences will experience a sense of familiarity when they

hear the most violent lines of the play, which reveals their own position in the American

empire, and calls into question their complicity.

Meanwhile, the wide variety of human moments shared by the Puerto Rican

Chorus—playing card games to pass time without electricity, fighting mosquitos, and

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getting frustrated on Twitter—invite the audience to step into the Puerto Rican characters’

shoes. With humor, kindness, and intelligence, the Puerto Rican Chorus reaches out to an

English-speaking mainland chorus, inviting them into their worldview. Meanwhile, the

U.S. Chorus does not address the audience specifically, does not maintain relationships

with one another throughout the show, but rather acts as a unified force. A mainland

audience will not forget their own personhood, but by stepping into the world of the play,

where the U.S. is distant, cold, and cruel, they may begin to see that they have more in

common with Puerto Ricans than the U.S. government’s position—despite the language

and cultural differences.

6. Production Experience

Asking the question “How can theater open avenues of identification without

erasing the specificity of suffering?” also leads to a discussion of casting. Unnatural

Disasters calls for two choruses, one made up of mainland Americans, and one sharing

the testimony of Puerto Ricans. The nature of a chorus is flexible, each chorus could be

filled with a different number of performers, and that flexibility became important when I

ran into challenges casting this performance.

At Ohio University, the theater community is overwhelmingly white and

predominantly English-speaking. There are very few Puerto Rican actors in our

community, which meant that many of the standard American casting practices were not

available to me as a director of this play. In the American theater community, the

preference tends towards naturalism, which trains spectators to expect a neat match

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between who the performer is and the character the performer represents (Schechner 6).

When this convention is broken it is usually in order to create more opportunities for

performers of marginalized groups. Especially because so much of the American theater

canon is centered on Euro-western male literature, allowing and encouraging acting

across ethnic and gender lines has been imperative. However, acting across ethnic lines

tends to be a one-way shift; while performers of color can play white roles, the consensus

in American theater is against casting whites in non-white roles (Sun 88). Racial tensions

are high in the United States, and performers and audiences alike are sensitive to issues of

race and ethnicity and the way that identities are represented onstage.

Theater scholar and playwright William Sun writes that casting across ethnic lines

should be examined from at least three perspectives: anthropological in relation to

education; aesthetics in relation to professional theater; and political in relation to

unemployment (Sun 88). Sun notes that the political perspective often leads to strict rules

preventing whites from playing non-white roles, and cites August Wilson’s highly

publicized debate with Robert Brustein, in which Wilson strongly opposes casting across

ethnic lines in any direction, including those that increased employment opportunities by

allowing ethnic minority actors to play traditionally white roles, as an example of such

strictness (Sun 88). In the professional world, when there is both a sizable budget and a

wide casting pool, casting an ethnically analogous actor may be the ethical choice.

However, the world is not entirely professional, and when considering education and

aesthetics, other types of decisions can be made. Sun notes that even Wilson made an

exception to his well-known casting policy (Sun 89). And, regarding their musical In the

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Heights, both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes have emphasized the

distinction between educational and professional theater, claiming that the former allows

for much more flexibility in terms of casting (Herrera 25).

While writing about performing ethnography, a style of theater not unlike

verbatim theater, ethnographer and theater practitioner Dwight Conquergood aspires

toward what he calls ‘dialogical performance’ which he describes as “a way of having

intimate conversation with other people and cultures” (Conquergood 10). Conquergood’s

theory outlines one approach to flexible casting when dealing with material that is not

entirely fictional but includes the testimony and experiences of real people. An ethical

performance of this material occurs when a performer balances and celebrates the

paradox of “how the deeply different can be deeply known without becoming any less

different” (Conquergood 10). In order to do so, Conquergood explains, a performer must

avoid several ethical pitfalls, which theater scholar Jodi Kantner neatly synthesizes,

“Through [errors of detachment] the performer detaches herself from engagement with the other represented in the text, in the first case through a bald refusal to participate and in the second through a superficial engagement, mining the text for ‘‘good material.’’ Through [errors of identification] the performer commits to the other reductively, in the first case by celebrating similarities and erasing differences, in the second by putting difference on exoticizing display” (Kantner 405).

Kantner explains that in her own experience in a predominantly white university

setting, students were more likely to make errors of identification, believing that the other

is “just like them” or exoticizing the other through a love of difference (Kantner 406). In

dialogue with her students, she suggests a variety of ways to investigate the space

between a performer and the character, most of which involve heightening the

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theatricality of the performance or highlighting the difference between the performer and

character (Kantner 411).

In producing Unnatural Disasters, I found quite the opposite of what Kantner

encountered, and was met with an overwhelming hesitancy from white, mainland

American actors to take on roles of the Puerto Rican Chorus. Within the theater

community, many performers were unwilling to read the role of a Puerto Rican and

encouraged our creative team to reach out to Latinx performers. This response reflects the

professional industry standard of Pan-Latino casting in which, theater scholar Brian

Eugenio Herrera explains, “a particular actor’s actual or perceived Latinx heritage

authenticates their portrayal of a Latinx character...whether or not the Latinx actor’s

particular ethnicity alights with that scripted for the character” (Herrera 27). Pan-Latino

casting is—like other culturally analogous casting—an effort to avoid white-washing,

but, as Herrera explains, is based on the presumption that the Latinx actor will have the

cultural competency to portray a role that may be remote to their lived experience or

distinct from their actual heritage (Herrera 30). These presumptions can result in

overburdening Latinx actors who are expected to have or obtain a certain cultural

competency simply on the basis of their ethnicity.

In my experience casting Unnatural Disasters, several Puerto Rican and Latinx

actors and non-actors alike expressed interest in the project but were ultimately unable to

accept a role. Many Puerto Ricans who I spoke to said they were already overwhelmed

with university work, and the time commitment to work on Unnatural Disasters was too

much for them at the time. Some contributed to the project in other ways, by providing

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feedback on the script, offering to assist as a dialect coach, or helping to market the

performance to their communities. Other Latinx actors and actors of color expressed

concern that they would not be able to learn the amount of Spanish in the play during our

time frame. Finally, many actors of color were cast in other plays that overlapped with

our rehearsal process, making it impossible for them to participate. If political

considerations were the sole factor, these realities would mean that Unnatural Disasters

cannot and should not be told in this community. The default to industry standard

assumes that the obligation to perform the Puerto Rican story falls to performers of color,

and that white performers cannot or should not share this story, even if they are the only

people available.

Erwin Piscator encountered a related ethical challenge when casting a play about

the Holocaust. According to Minou Arjomand, Piscator intended to cast more Jewish

actors, but the physical and psychological burden of telling the story was too much for

many potential Jewish actors (Arjomand 65). Ultimately, the production was cast with

other actors, reflecting the belief that telling a story is more important than upholding the

conventions of ethnically analogous casting.

Performers who are hesitant to play a role that is cast across ethnic lines likely

have good intentions, but embracing ethnically analogous casting without flexibility can

pigeon-hole actors of color, limit a community’s exposure to diverse stories, or, in

verbatim theater, re-silence people who share testimony. Regarding this project, the belief

that it is impossible for a white American actor to play a Puerto Rican, but any Latinx

actor is inherently capable is especially problematic in light of the colonial history

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between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. A central pillar of U.S. colonial rhetoric has been the

insistence that Puerto Ricans are fundamentally different than mainland Americans

because they are a non-white, Spanish-speaking race (Torruella 71; Ficek 103;

Immerhwahr 79; Moynihan qtd. in Zentella 163) . The magnification of these differences

has resulted in systemic oppression, and in this instance pushed the responsibility to

obtain cultural competency and educate audiences about Puerto Rico onto the Latinx

members of our community, effectively absolving white, mainland performers of their

responsibility to learn about and understand cultures other than their own.

Assuming that Pan-Latino was the only acceptable casting decision for Unnatural

Disasters not only limits the performers’ ability to learn, but also the audience’s

opportunity to confront bias. Many mainland U.S. citizens have a homogenous view of

Latin Americans, which often fuels discrimination and misunderstanding, and

interviewees who contributed to Unnatural Disasters commented on that very

discrimination. To embrace and replicate that homogenization on stage by relying solely

on Pan-Latino casting creates the ethical problem of allowing mainland American

audience members’ homogenous view of Puerto Rico, and Latin America, to go

unchallenged.

What’s more, if you insist that Latinx or Latino-passing performers play Puerto

Rican characters, the diversity of Puerto Rico can be sidelined. The Afro-Puerto Rican

community has been marginalized on both the island and the mainland, and applying

mainland American conceptions of Latinx identity can cause the wide-ranging racial

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diversity of Puerto Rico to become homogenous on stage. In my experience in Puerto

Rico, many people emphasized that Puerto Ricans can look like anything.

Jorge Duany’s research shows that popular Puerto Rican concepts of race do not

fit neatly into U.S. racial codes, and many Puerto Ricans self-select “white” on a census

(Duany “Neither White nor Black” 28). So whose frame of race counts? The mainland’s?

Puerto Ricans’? Duany asserts that all racial classification systems are “historically and

culturally grounded in racist projects originating in colonialism and slavery” (Duany

“Neither White nor Black” 27). By systematically agreeing that a white mainland

American cannot read for a Puerto Rican on the basis of race, we affirm the colonial

belief that Puerto Ricans are “other” and uphold the idea that racial and ethnic identities

fit into neatly defined boxes.

To underscore this point, one of the actors in this cast, who is in fact Latino, is

also a white man. In our first conversation about casting him in the play, we spoke about

his ethnicity and he said to me that because he is white, people often say that he is not

what they thought a Nicaraguan man would look like. He asked me, “What the **** am I

supposed to look like?” Another Latino actor in the play, when asked in a survey if it’s

okay for a white actor to play a Latinx character simply said, “Yes. I know A LOT of

white Latinx people” (Rocco).

When we decide who can and cannot play a role based on the principle of

approximating authenticity, we determine whose conception of “real” or “authentic”

counts. For many theater groups in predominantly white communities, an effort to be

more ethical may result in, once again, the assertion that the standard white, American

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conception of race and culture is absolute truth. As Herrera warns, “the hunger for

authenticity—often rooted in some combination of fear and fantasy—can risk

fetishization as readily as it promises the reward of cultural validation” (Herrera 33). The

false perception of authenticity is not a solution, but in fact another challenge to an

ethical production.

For example, in Ron Horin’s 2004 production of Through the Wire, a verbatim

play about detained refugees in Australia, actors who played asylum seekers were

described in the program according to ethnicity or refugee status, and there were no

theatrical devices used to prevent the spectator from identifying the actors with their

characters (Wake 111). Furthermore, one character was cast as himself in Through the

Wire, collapsing altogether the distance between theater and reality. These efforts to blur

the lines between theater and reality resulted in confusion, and some audience members

left believing that every actor was actually their character, especially those playing

asylum seekers (Wake 111). Slippages that revealed the conflation between actors and

characters exposed a more general cultural blind spot, the inability of Australian

spectators to distinguish between ethnicities. As Wake notes, “anyone outside the Anglo-

Australian norm was both utterly other and utterly interchangeable” (Wake 112). Wake’s

analysis demonstrates that even casting interviewees as themselves can be ethically

problematic.

When assessing the ethical goal of this production of Unnatural Disasters, I

found myself striving to faithfully communicate the participants’ testimony to the

audience in a way that would resonate with Puerto Ricans themselves, and educate and

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inspire mainland Americans. In a way, I wanted to invite the audience into the process of

active listening that I engaged in while obtaining testimony. In order to accomplish this

goal, I considered both William Sun and Brian Eugenio Herrera’s reflections on flexible

casting in educational settings.

Sun asks why students of any given ethnicity can learn about other ethnicities’

experience through reading, listening, and watching, but never acting. He emphasizes that

there are “far greater needs” for whites to experience other cultures than non-whites to

experience the dominant culture by playing whites (Sun 90). He ultimately goes so far as

to say that “in cases where aesthetics and education weigh more heavily than politics,

acting across ethnic lines not only should be done but can be done successfully with

ethnic makeup in realistic plays” (Sun 94). Sun also maintains that having an advisor

from the subject culture is “imperative” for this kind of acting (Sun 90).

Herrera seems to agree that, particularly in educational and university settings,

acting across ethnic lines can be ethical and beneficial. He advocates for what

performance historian Patricia Ybarra calls coalitional casting, which he explains;

“coalitional casting does not assign a role because a particular performer might ‘read as’ an ethnicity other than their own, nor does it do so because, through whatever tricks of makeup, voice, or posture, a particular performer might ‘pass’ as a different ethnicity. A coalitional approach instead insists on a principle of ‘ally-ship’ to guide the work of the performance, leveraging privilege to amplify awareness of racial and ethnic inequity rather than efface it” (Herrera 32).

This type of casting imposes additional responsibility and accountability on the

performer, and Herrera says that “the extra labor of such a creative coalition must be

embraced from the outset as both opportunity and obligation” (Herrera 32). Herrera

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suggests examining what a script requires in the way of linguistic fluency, cultural

competence, and creative coalition, rather than simply authentic ethnic representation in

the pool of actors (Herrera 33). He also suggests that a rigorous dramaturgy can help a

creative community achieve the fluency and competence required to ethically produce a

Latinx play (Herrera 30).

Although Herrera writes about Latinx plays generally, and Sun about all plays, their

casting theories can be applied to verbatim theater. Unlike realism, in which a performer

seeks to blur the lines between performer and character as much as possible, in verbatim

theater the audience can and should remember that the voices of the performers are not

entirely their own. Verbatim theater director Christine Bacon says that acting in a

verbatim play is a way to “witness for a somebody who cannot be there themselves” (qtd.

in Paget 183). By leaning into the idea of witnessing, instead of becoming, we open doors

for other performers to play characters that differ from their own ethnic identity.

Also, verbatim theater is an especially forgiving genre for untrained actors,

particularly because a staged reading is often an effective way to present the material.

Practically, performers (regardless of training) benefit by carrying a script, which allows

for more time to be spent obtaining cultural or linguistic competency instead of

memorizing lines. Aesthetically, the script-in-hand serves as a distancing tool for the

audience by reminding them that they are watching a play and listening to people witness

for Puerto Rico. This can achieve Brecht’s V-effect and encourage more critical viewing

of the material (Brecht 156).

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There is no reason that a pilot or mathematician cannot be an actor as well; in

fact, performers studying just those subjects were a great benefit to our production. Each

untrained actor brought a unique specialty into the room, and the various skills they

brought—knowledge of the Spanish language, experience with the subject culture, a

brutal honesty that knocked down the director-actor hierarchy—supported our process

tremendously. Also, the theater-making process is often just as rewarding and informative

as the final product. Sometimes the best performances are for ourselves in rehearsal, and

the deepest forms of learning can happen during rehearsals while discussing dramaturgy,

exploring character psychology, gesture, and more. During a rehearsal process, a diverse

cast will get to know each other and the subject culture better. That unifying process

establishes connections that expand the community of allies for the Puerto Rican

community as well as providing opportunities for diverse people to work together and

appreciate one another’s humanity and creativity. By including untrained actors and

performers of various cultural backgrounds in our cast, we invited members of all parts of

our community together to work towards a common goal of justice and education. In this

production of Unnatural Disasters, opting for a staged reading rather than a fully staged

production not only allowed for untrained actors to participate, but also made possible a

bilingual production in a location where Spanish is not commonly spoken.

While members of the theater community seemed to be primarily concerned with

issues of race or ethnicity, outside of the theater community the central concern was

linguistic fluency. In this particular cast, two members of the Puerto Rican Chorus were

native speakers, and the other four were students of the language, with various levels of

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experience speaking Spanish. Perhaps because learning a language does not carry the

same ethical concerns as obtaining cultural competency, discussions around language

were often excited and inspired. One member of the cast enthusiastically used phonetic

analysis to explore the Puerto Rican dialect, and as a creative team we viewed YouTube

videos and audio recordings of the interviewees to better learn the Puerto Rican dialect

and the specific voices of the interviewees and participants who contributed to the script.

The willingness to learn Puerto Rican Spanish is, in some ways, a political act.

The United States has historically imposed English onto Puerto Rico (Pousada 38), so by

learning the common spoken language of Puerto Rico, U.S. citizens begin to pick up the

burden of communication. And even among Spanish-speaking communities, Puerto

Rican Spanish can be stigmatized (Prosper-Sánchez 185), so a willingness of native-

speakers from other countries to learn the dialect helps combat that bias as well. The

tremendous efforts by the cast to learn and speak the Puerto Rican dialect well is just one

example of how this cast enthusiastically accepted Herrera’s challenge to undertake extra

labor as both opportunity and obligation.

Finally, the verbatim theater process necessitates rigorous dramaturgy in a

particular way. The sense of responsibility to a group of real, living people can be

particularly inspiring for a creative team, motivating performers to engage with the

dramaturgical aspects of the process. In the case of Unnatural Disasters, we had access to

audio recordings of first-hand accounts, recent and accurate photographs of the areas we

were speaking about, a collection of historical and cultural content to share, and—most

importantly—an advisor from the subject culture who helped advise the construction of

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the play and was available for consultation throughout rehearsal. These elements

supported the actors so that, although none of them were Puerto Rican, they could

achieve the fluency and competence required ethically perform the play.

Ultimately, I believe we achieved an ethical performance. Based on responses

during talkbacks immediately after performances and communication with me

individually after the performances, Puerto Rican audience members seemed to resonate

with the piece. Many commented on moments of testimony that reflected their own

experience, and several expressed gratitude to the actors for telling the story well. One

audience member said that a lot of people “just don’t get it” when he talks about his

family in Puerto Rico and the complexity of the situation (Audience). He seemed

appreciative that the cast had done the work to familiarize themselves with the history

and context of Puerto Rico. One Latinx activist in our community said the play was “in

line” with the work he was doing in our community, and praised the cast for a job well

done (Audience). Many audience members were impressed with the cast speaking Puerto

Rican Spanish.

In terms of education for mainland Americans, several audience members said

they left knowing more about Puerto Rico than when they came in, and cast members

responded positively during talkbacks and in post-show surveys. One white mainland

American actress who played a member of the Puerto Rican Chorus said that although

she had learned about Hurricane María in school, it wasn’t until taking this role that she

really began to humanize the people of Puerto Rico, and appreciate their strength.

Another white, mainland actress wrote in a survey response that the experience was “full

89

of learning” and not only did she improve her Spanish skills, but she was able to teach

people close to her about Puerto Rico. She said that it was “a rewarding experience and

one that [she] is proud of” (Rocco). A Latino actor in the cast agreed that “it felt really

good to get that message across” regarding the natural disasters and government

corruption that occurred in Puerto Rico, which he said he related to as a Latino man

(Rocco). Another Latino actor said that he, too, related to how Puerto Rico was treated by

the U.S. and was “honored” to portray Pedro Albizu Campos, a historical Puerto Rican

revolutionary figure and share his story with the audience (Audience and Cast). Also, the

program included a list of ways that the audience could continue learning about and

advocating for Puerto Rico as well as the names of places they could donate to support

recovery efforts.

Finally, regarding the casting choices, I believe that our production is an example

of a successful application of coalitional casting. One Puerto Rican actor, who had

considered acting in the show originally, wrote an e-mail to me and said of our cast that

he “was not necessary in your play. You got the right people, they were the ones, and they

were perfect” (Martinez). In terms of linguistic fluency, the cast agreed that preserving

the original Spanish was important, and the audience response affirmed that sentiment. In

post-show survey responses, one actress commented, “If the purpose of the show is to

educate people about the tragedies Puerto Ricans experienced and are continuing to

experience, then I would say it is better to have a white actor than no actor at all, or an

actor who is Puerto Rican but cannot read the lines in the original language” (Rocco).

Another actor affirmed the importance of cultural competence, saying that “anyone who

90

understands what these people went through” can play the role of a Puerto Rican

(Rocco). One actress said concisely, “sometimes it’s better to perform something that is

close to the truth than to not perform it at all” (Rocco).

By setting aside the desire for the “authentic” throughout the process, we were

able to reframe our ethical question. Instead of worrying if our community was incapable

of telling this story, we decided to practice active listening, embody allyship, and be

intentional witnesses for the Puerto Rican community. Expanding our coalition allowed

us to bridge the gap between the actors we think we have and the work we sought to do.

In doing so we brought diverse community members together and performed the

testimony of the interviewees and workshop participants in this project to an audience

that seemed to walk away with a bit more empathy and understanding.

7. Conclusion

This project has been a long investigation of my own position as a theater artist

and ally. Gathering humans together on stage to tell stories is never easy and performing

Unnatural Disasters in southeastern Ohio offered additional challenges. Throughout the

process the play was rejected from various venues on the basis of subject matter, I was

discouraged from producing a bilingual performance, and countless other barriers came

about. As I was navigating these challenges, I often found myself discouraged, and

wondered how much extra emotional labor it would have required to defend the

importance of this project if I was in fact a survivor of Hurricane Maria, or had close

91

family members suffering through the earthquakes shaking Puerto Rico as we began

production.

After one of the workshops in Puerto Rico, a participant asked me if I was Puerto

Rican, when I said no, they asked why I was doing this project. My answer was that I did

not want to be a colonizer anymore. I did not want to unconsciously make errors that my

ancestors have made, to reproduce violence that was taught to me as norms and customs.

Instead, I wanted to leverage the privileges I had as a theater student at a university, with

resources and a strong support system behind my project to tell a story bigger than my

own.

Although this performance of Unnatural Disasters was a step in that direction, the

work is not done. Moving forward, I plan to return to Puerto Rico and perform and

workshop the play with and for the original interviewees and participants. There, the goal

will be to gain insight from people who provided testimony and understand how they

react to the play, likely allowing the play to develop further in response to their thoughts.

Additionally, in future productions I hope to give over more control to others,

allowing another director or creative team to lead a production independent of my

influence. In this rendition, I certainly felt the authoritarian-like power that verbatim

theater artists have, and desperately wanted to share the creative process with more

collaborators. If I could begin again, I would start with a partner or small team from the

beginning, and utilize more group devising techniques during the playwriting process. If

possible, I would take more time during each step of the process and spend much longer

in community with the people giving personal testimony.

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In conclusion, I felt in my community a fear of missteps— a limited sense of what

was possible on the stage, haunted by memories of the United States’ long history of

injustice and misrepresentation. I, too, carried worries of telling a white-washed story,

acting unintentionally as a white savior, or playing a role that really belonged to someone

else. That caution can be of service, but I am glad that I learned to hold concern in

balance with curiosity during this verbatim theater process. In researching, writing, and

directing Unnatural Disasters I found that although verbatim theater-making can be an

ethically challenging process, there are opportunities to practice both good ally-ship and

good artistry. If the response from the audience and feedback from the performers is any

indication, then this play has had the desired impact; Puerto Rican members of the

community felt heard, mainland Americans were able to reexamine their conceptions of

Puerto Rico and Hurricane María, and we sparked conversation about reimagining our

limitations regarding what type of theater was possible for the community.

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--- “The Democrats today killed a bill” April 1, 2019. Tweet.

--- “.…are GREAT, but the politicians are incompetent or corrupt.” April 1, 2019. Tweet.

--- “….the crazed and incompetent Mayor of San Juan” April 1, 2019. Tweet.

United States, Congress. Organic Act of 1900. United States Statutes at Large, 56th Congress, Session I, Chapter. 191, p. 77-86. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/ statutes-at-large/56th-congress/session-1/c56s1ch191.pdf.

United States, Congress. United States Code: Merchant Marine Act, 1920, 46 U.S.C. §§ 861-889 (1958). https://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/uscode/uscode1958-00904/ uscode1958-009046024/uscode1958-009046024.pdf.

USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/ NCA4.2018

UN Special Committee on Decolonization Approves Text Calling on United States to Expedite Puerto Rican Self-Determination Process, 8th and 9th Meetings, UN Doc GA/COL/3138/ REV.1. (12 June 2006). <https://www.un.org/press/en/2006/ gacol3138.doc.htm> accessed 5 May 2019.

UN Special Committee on Decolonization Refers to Post-Hurricane Plight of Puerto Ricans as It Approves Annual Self-Determination Text, 2018 Sess, 5th and 6th Mtg, UN Doc GA/ COL/3324. (18 June 2018). <https://www.un.org/press/en/ 2018/gacol3324.doc.htm> accessed 5 May 2019.

Velázquez, Nydia M., Robert Menendez, Raúl M. Grijalva, and Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez. “To: Mr. José B. Carrión III.” 8 August 2019. https://velazquez.house.gov/ sites/velazquez.house.gov/files/LetterFOMBFinalScan080819.pdf. Accessed March 30, 2020.

Wake, Caroline. “To Witness Mimesis: The politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics of Testimonial Theatre in Through the Wire.” Modern Drama vol. 56 no. 1 pp. 102-125Spring 2013. doi:10.3138/md.2012-0465

Wenger, Tisa. Religious Freedom. University of North Carolina Press, 2017.

White, Ismail K., Tasha S. Philpot, Kristin Wylie and Ernest McGowen. “Feeling the Pain of My People: Hurricane Katrina, Racial Inequality, and the Psyche of Black America.” Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 37, No. 4, Katrina: Race, Class, and Poverty (Mar., 2007), pp. 523-538 Sage Publications, Inc. https://www.jstor.org/ stable/40034321

Wilkinson, Linden. “Open to Suggestion: Locating New Understandings through Performance in Decolonizing Research.” Applied Theatre Research, vol. 4, no. 1, 2016, pp. 7–19., doi: 10.1386/atr.4.1.7_1.

Young, Stewart. “The Ethics of the Representation of the Real People and Their Stories in Verbatim Theatre” Ethical Exchanges in Translation, Adaptation and Dramaturgy, by Emer O'Toole et al., Koninklijke Brill NV, 2017, pp. 21–42.

Zentella, Ana Celia. “Language Policy/Planning and U.S. Colonialism: The Puerto Rican Thorn in English-Only’s Side.” Sociopolitical Perspectives on Language Policy and Planning in the USA Edited by Them Huebner and Kathryn A. Davis. 15 November 1999 pp. 155-171. https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.16.12zen

Zottarelli, Lisa K. “Post-Hurricane Katrina Employment Recovery: The Interaction of Race and Place.” Social Science Quarterly, vol. 89, no. 3. September 2008, pp. 592-607. Wiley https://www.jstor.org/stable/42956505 accessed January 8, 2020.

Appendix 1

Interview Questions/ Workshop Prompts— English and Spanish Language Version

The following questions will be asked during in-person interviews, and used as prompts during theater workshops.

What is Puerto Rico? / How do you describe Puerto Rico?

¿Qué es Puerto Rico? ¿Cómo describes Puerto Rico?

What does it mean to be Puerto Rican?

¿Qué significa ser puertorriqueño?

Are there any legends or stories about the island that you’d like to share?

¿Conoces leyendas o historias de la isla que quieres compartir?

Is language a fundamental part of national identity?

¿Es la lengua una parte fundamental de la identidad nacional?

Is language a fundamental part of Puerto Rican identity?

¿Es la lengua una parte fundamental de la identidad puertorriqueña?

Is it important that Puerto Ricans speak Spanish?

¿Es importante que los puertorriqueños hablan español?

Tell me about your experience with Hurricane Maria.

Háblame de sus experiencias con el huracán María.

How has life in Puerto Rico changed since Hurricane Maria?

¿Cómo ha cambiado la vida en Puerto Rico desde María?

What is the United States? / How do you describe the United States?

¿Qué es los Estados Unidos? ¿Cómo describes los Estados Unidos?

What does it mean to be American?

¿Qué significa ser estadounidense?

Is language a fundamental part of American identity?

¿Es la lengua una parte fundamental de la identidad estadounidense?

Are there any legends or stories about the mainland that you’d like to share?

¿Conoces leyendas o historias del continente que quieres compartir?

Have you ever been to the mainland? Have you ever been to Puerto Rico?

¿Has ido al continente? ¿Has ido a Puerto Rico?

What did the USA do while/after Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria?

¿Qué hizo los Estados Unidos mientras que / justo después que Puerto Rico fue golpeada por el huracán María?

How have relationships between the island and the mainland changed since Hurricane Maria?

¿Cómo cambió la relación entre el continente y la isla desde María?

How has life in the United States changed since Hurricane Maria?

¿Cómo ha cambiado la vida en Puerto Rico desde María?

Is Puerto Rico a part of the United States?

¿Puerto Rico es una parte de los Estados Unidos?

What makes Puerto Rico different from the continental United States?

¿Cuáles son las diferencias entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos continentales?

How do you imagine the future of the United States?

¿Cómo imaginas el futuro de los Estados Unidos?

How do you imagine the future of Puerto Rico?

¿Cómo imaginas el futuro de Puerto Rico?

In [public record document], it is written, “ QUOTE”. How do you feel about that? / What do you think about that?

En [documento] se dice, “CITA” ¿Qué piensas de eso? ¿Cómo te hace sentir?

Some examples of this format are below:

In the Supreme Court Case Commonwealth v Valle, it is written, “The ultimate source of a [Native American] tribe’s power...lies in its “primeval” or, at any rate, pre-existing sovereignty” What do you think about that?

En el juicio del Tribunal Supremo se llama Commonwealth v Valle, se dice, “The ultimate source of a [Native American] tribe’s power...lies in its “primeval” or, at any rate, pre-existing sovereignty” ¿Qué piensas de eso?

In the Supreme Court Case Commonwealth v Valle, it is written, “Back of the Puerto Rican people and their Constitution, the ultimate source of prosecutorial power remains in the U.S. Congress, just as back of a city’s charter lies a state government” How do you feel about that?

En el juicio del Tribunal Supremo se llama Commonwealth v Valle, se escribe, “Back of the Puerto Rican people and their Constitution, the ultimate source of prosecutorial power remains in the U.S. Congress, just as back of a city’s charter lies a state government” ¿Cómo te hace sentir la cita?

In the 2018 letter from FEMA’s Administrator to US Senator Warren it is written, “ [US] federal partners continue to work tirelessly to support Puerto Rico in its response and recovery from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Maria.” What do you think about that?

En 2018, el administrador de FEMA le escribió una carta a la senadora Warren. Allí se lee, “ [US] federal partners continue to work tirelessly to support Puerto Rico in its response and recovery from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Maria.” ¿Qué piensas de eso?

In the 2018 letter from FEMA’s Administrator to US Senator Warren it is written, “FEMA is not responsible for determining a fatality count and is not in a position to judge how many people died from Hurricane Maria.” What do you think about that?

En 2018, el administrador de FEMA le escribió una carta a la senadora Warren. Allí se lee, “FEMA is not responsible for determining a fatality count and is not in a position to judge how many people died from Hurricane Maria.” ¿Qué piensas de eso?

In the 2007 report by the President Task Force on Puerto Rico, it is written, “while the commonwealth of Puerto Rico enjoys significant political autonomy, it is important to recognize that, as long as Puerto Rico remains a territory, its system is subject to revision by congress.” How do you feel about that?

El informe de 2007 por el Grupo Presidencial de Trabajo, escribe de Puerto Rico que, “while the commonwealth of Puerto Rico enjoys significant political autonomy, it is important to recognize that, as long as Puerto Rico remains a territory, its system is subject to revision by congress.” ¿Cómo te hace sentir?

On April 2, 2019 President Trump tweeted that Puerto Rican politicians “are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from the USA.” How do you feel about that?

El 2 de abril de 2019, el presidente Trump tweeteó que los políticos de Puerto Rico, “are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from the USA.” ¿Cómo te hace sentir la oración?

On April 2, President Trump tweeted that the US Government “Cannot continue to hurt our Farmers and States with these massive payments [to Puerto Rico], and so little appreciation!” What do you think about that?

El 2 de abril de 2019, el presidente Trump tweeteó que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos “Cannot continue to hurt our Farmers and States with these massive payments [to Puerto Rico], and so little appreciation!” ¿Qué piensas de eso?

Antonio Camacho of the Latin-X Law Student Association said in a meeting of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization on June 18, 2018 that, “economic terrorism had seen Puerto Rican schools forced to close, taxes raised and the local Government intimidated and manipulated into becoming an instrument of the United States.” What do you think about that?

El 18 de junio, 2018, Antonio Camacho de la Asociación Nacional de Estudiantes Latinos dijó durante un reunión del Comité especial de Descolonización de las Naciones Unidas que, “economic terrorism had seen Puerto Rican schools forced to close, taxes raised and the local Government intimidated and manipulated into becoming an instrument of the United States.” ¿Qué piensas de eso?

Appendix 2

Workshop Protocol

Storytelling

Introduction/ First Image

After the warm up, the storytelling part of the workshops began. The first prompt

asked participants to create an embodied sculpture to express how they felt about the

workshop so far. There was no expectation of virtuosity, rather I invited participants to

trust their body’s knowledge and not over-intellectualize their sculpture creation. The

participants had a minute or so to develop their sculpture, then presented them

simultaneously and held the postures long enough to notice other people in the room and

how their sculptures affect us (Boal 177). There were no comments on the sculptures, just

creation, observation, and a thank you for their willingness to share.

Part One—Variation on Image Theater with emphasis on Shape

Next, participants were given the following two prompts: “Tell me about your

experience with Hurricane Maria”; and “What does it mean to be Puerto Rican?” Each

participant was asked to choose one and answer it telling a story. After listening to a

story, two or three words that came up in the story as central themes were identified by

the researcher, for example: family, excitement, or water. Then other participants in the

group created silent body sculptures representing those words. This process imagistically

narrates the story back to the teller (Cohen-Cruz 106).

Part Two—Variation on Image Theater with emphasis on Gesture

At the end of the storytelling, the workshop participants chose one image (for

example, family) that came up during the exercise. Then, the small group who originally

embodied the image recreated the sculpture, and each member, from within the sculpture,

spoke the thoughts of the character they represent in the still image. First, the participants

spoke in a monologue, then they were invited to converse with other characters in the still

image. Next, each small group member in the image expressed their thoughts through a

gesture. Finally, the remaining workshop participants, who were outside the image, could

intervene with the image—taking the place of one of the group members and playing the

role differently, offering a new way to interact with the situation depicted in the sculpture

(Boal 139, Boal 184).

Part Three—Viewpoints exploration of Story

Participants were then asked to form small groups with people whose stories or

way of storytelling moved them or they related to. Each group was provided with a

selection of materials including parts of legal documents, poems, and books related to

workshop themes. The participants could cut up, reorganize, and layer the materials

together in any way that chose to create a new narrative. Then, each group presented their

newly created story, either by reading the piece aloud or acting it out.

Closing

Final Image

For the last activity, each participant made a body sculpture to express their

feelings in the moment using the same process of quick development and simultaneous

presentation to the group that was used in the First Image portion of the workshop. After

taking a moment to appreciate one another’s final sculptures, the participants were

thanked for participating and invited to give feedback to the researcher about the

workshop experience and topics discussed.

Appendix 3 Consent Documents

Ohio University Adult Consent Form Without Signature

Title of Research: Effects of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico Researchers: Olivia Rocco IRB number: 19-X-115

You are being asked by an Ohio University researcher to participate in research. For you to be able to decide whether you want to participate in this project, you should understand what the project is about, as well as the possible risks and benefits in order to make an informed decision. This process is known as informed consent. This form describes the purpose, procedures, possible benefits, and risks of the research project. It also explains how your personal information will be used and protected. Once you have read this form and your questions about the study are answered, you will be asked to participate in this study. You should receive a copy of this document to take with you.

Summary of Study

In this study, the researcher will create a script for a new play using the words and ideas that you share in interviews. This play will then be performed and possibly published. Also, words and ideas you share in your interviews will be used to discuss the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, particularly after Hurricane Maria.

The words you say in the interview will be shared with artists who will help the researcher develop the play and may become the dialogue in the final script. The final script may be performed or published after the completion of this research project.

Explanation of Study

This study is being done because the researcher wants to understand how Hurricane Maria affected the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, and wants to create a platform for the Puerto Rican perspective to shape the story.

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to answer questions about Puerto Rico, the United States, Hurricane Maria, myths and stories about Puerto Rico and the mainland, and national identity. At any point during the interview you can decide to skip a question that you do not want to answer or stop the interview entirely. You will not be asked any questions about personal identification information. These interviews will be audio recorded.

Transcriptions of your interviews may be used freely during the play development and research process. This includes but is not limited to the use of your words in theater workshops and in the dialogue final script.

You should not participate in this study if you are uncomfortable speaking about Puerto Rico, the United States, or Hurricane Maria, if you are younger than 18, or if you do not want your words and ideas to appear in a play.

Your participation in the study will last about one hour.

Risks and Discomforts

Risks or discomforts that you might experience are stress or emotional vulnerability when talking about Maria or other interview topics. If this occurs, you can skip the question or change the topic of conversation.

Benefits

This study is important to society because the Commonwealth relationship failed to address the needs of Puerto Rico during and after Hurricane Maria, and looking to the Puerto Rican experience of the event will allow creators and audiences alike to question the deeply held colonial beliefs about Puerto Rico and disrupt dominant discourse about Maria by giving a voice to the people who experienced the event.

Individually, you may benefit from this study by experiencing positive emotions as a result sharing your story.

Confidentiality and Records

Your information will be kept confidential by securing all audio files in a lock box that only the researcher will have access to, and destroying the recordings of your interview once the study has been completed. All recordings will be destroyed by June, 2020.

The transcriptions of these interviews, because they will not contain any personal identifiers, will not be kept confidential but may be used freely during the play development and research process.

Additionally, while every effort will be made to keep the recordings confidential, there may be circumstances where this information must be shared with:

* Federal agencies, for example the Office of Human Research Protections, whose responsibility is to protect human subjects in research;

* Representatives of Ohio University (OU), including the Institutional Review Board, a committee that oversees the research at OU;

* A professional transcription company, whose purpose is to de-identify and transcribe audio-recorded interviews.

Future Use Statement

None of your personal identifiers will be collected during the interviews. The transcriptions of your interviews, which will also contain no personal identifiers, may be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without additional informed consent from you or your legally authorized representative.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this study, please contact the investigator Olivia Rocco at or957715@ohio.edu or c# 330-858-6368 or the advisor Jose Delgado at delgadoj@ohio.edu or #740-707-8766.

If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact Dr. Chris Hayhow, Director of Research Compliance, Ohio University, (740)593-0664 or hayhow@ohio.edu.

By signing below, you are agreeing that:

• you have read this consent form (or it has been read to you) and have been given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered;

• you have been informed of potential risks and they have been explained to your satisfaction;

• you understand Ohio University has no funds set aside for any injuries you might receive as a result of participating in this study;

• you are 18 years of age or older; • your participation in this research is completely voluntary; • you may leave the study at any time; if you decide to stop participating in the

study, there will be no penalty to you and you will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

Signature_________________________________ Date _____________________ Printed Name _____________________________________________

Version Date May 7, 2019

Ohio University: formulario de consentimiento, sin firma, para adultos

Título de la investigación: El impacto del huracán María en Puerto Rico Investigadora: Olivia Rocco Número de IRB: 19-X-115

Una investigadora de Ohio University te invita a participar en una investigación. Para decidir si quieres ser parte de este proyecto, debes entender su propósito, además de sus riesgos y beneficios a fin de tomar una decisión informada. Este proceso se llama el consentimiento informado [Informed Consent]. Este formulario describe el propósito, los métodos y los posibles beneficios y riesgos de la investigación. También explica cómo tu información personal será utilizada y protegida. Una vez hayas leído este formulario y hayan sido contestadas las preguntas que tengas sobre la investigación, se te pedirá participar en la investigación. Debes recibir una copia de este documento para llevar contigo.

Resumen de la investigación

Para esta investigación, la investigadora creará un guión para una nueva obra teatral en base de las palabras e ideas que compartas en la entrevista. Se hará un montaje de la obra y posiblemente se publicará. Asimismo, las palabras e ideas que compartas en tu entrevista se utilizarán para discutir la relación entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos, en específico, después del huracán María.

Lo que expreses en la entrevista será compartido con artistas quienes ayudarán a la investigadora a desarrollar la obra, por lo que algunas de tus palabras podrán convertirse en el diálogo del guión final. El guión podrá llevarse a las tablas o ser publicado al concluir esta investigación.

Explicación de la investigación

Se hace esta investigación porque la investigadora quiere entender cómo el huracán María impactó la relación entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos y quiere crear una plataforma en la que la perspectiva puertorriqueña moldee el texto dramático.

Si decides participar, la investigadora te preguntará sobre Puerto Rico, los Estados Unidos, el huracán María, mitos e historias de Puerto Rico y el continente y la identidad nacional. En cualquier momento durante la entrevista puedes omitir una pregunta que no desees contestar, como puedes dar por terminada la entrevista. No se te harán preguntas que resulten en información personal que termine identificándote. Las entrevistas se grabarán.

Las transcripciones de las entrevistas pueden ser utilizadas libremente durante el proceso de la investigación y el desarrollo de la obra de teatro. Esto incluye, pero no se limita, al uso de tus palabras en un taller de teatro, así como en el diálogo del guión final.

No debes participar en la investigación si te molesta hablar sobre Puerto Rico, los Estados Unidos o el huracán María, si tienes menos de 18 años o si no quieres que tus palabras aparezcan en una obra de teatro.

La participación en la investigación toma aproximadamente una hora.

Riesgos y molestias

Riesgos o molestias que podrías experimentar incluyen el estrés o la vulnerabilidad emocional cuando hablas de María u otros temas de la entrevista. Si eso pasa, puedes omitir la pregunta o cambiar el tema de la conversación.

Beneficios

Esta investigación es importante a la sociedad porque la relación entre Washington y el Estado Libre Asociado no abordó las necesidades de Puerto Rico durante y después del huracán María. Así también, prestarle atención a la experiencia puertorriqueña del evento aclarará la realidad del huracán y ofrecerá futuras ideas preventivas.

Al nivel individual, podrías beneficiarte de la investigación experimentando emociones positivas por compartir tu historia.

Como también es posible que no te beneficies si participas en la investigación.

Confidencialidad y archivos

Tu información será confidencial ya que se asegurarán todas las grabaciones en una caja de seguridad a la que solo la investigadora tendrá acceso. De igual modo, las grabaciones de las entrevistas serán destruidas al finalizar la investigación. Todas las grabaciónes serán destruidas para junio de 2020.

Al no contener ningún identificador personal, las transcripciones de las entrevistas, mantendrán su confidencialidad, y podrán ser utilizadas libremente durante el desarrollo de la obra de teatro y el proceso investigativo.

Además, aunque se hará todo lo posible por mantener las grabaciones confidenciales, hay ciertas circunstancias donde la información necesitará compartirse:

* Agencias federales. Por ejemplo, la Oficina para la Protección de la Investigación Humana, organismo responsable de proteger a los seres humanos en las investigaciones;

* Representantes de Ohio University (OU). Por ejemplo, El Consejo de Revisión Institucional (IRB), un comité que supervisa toda investigación en Ohio University;

* Una compañía profesional de transcripción, quien tiene el propósito de remover los identificadores y hacer transcripciones de las entrevistas grabadas.

Posible uso futuro

Ninguno de tus identificadores personales serán colectados durante la entrevista. Las transcripciones de las entrevistas, que tampoco contendrán ninguno de tus identificadores personales, pueden ser utilizadas para investigaciones en el futuro ser distribuidas a otros investigadores para futuras investigaciones sin previo consentimiento legal, informándote a ti o tu representante legal.

Contactos

Si tienes preguntas sobre esta investigación, favor de contactar a la investigadora Olivia Rocco al correo electrónico or957715@ohio.edu o c# 330-858-6368 o al consejero Jose Delgado al correo electrónico delgadoj@ohio.edu o #740-707-8766.

Si tienes preguntas sobre tus derechos como participante de la investigación, favor de contactar al Dr. Chris Hayhow, Director of Research Compliance, Ohio University, (740)593-0664 o al correo hayhow@ohio.edu.

Al firmar abajo, aceptas que:

• has leído este formulario de consentimiento (o se te ha sido leído) y has tenido la oportunidad preguntar y obtener respuestas a tus preguntas;

• has sido informado de los posibles riesgos y estos han sido explicados a tu satisfacción;

• entiendes que Ohio University no tiene fondos reservados para cubrir cualquier herida que puedas recibir como resultado de esta investigación;

• tienes más de 18 años; • la participación en esta investigación es completamente voluntaria; • puedes abandonar la investigación en cualquier momento; si decides terminar tu

participación en la investigación, ni hay penalidades ni renuncias a ningún beneficio al cual, de otro modo, tienes derecho.

Firma_________________________________ Fecha _____________________ Nombre escrito _____________________________________________

Version Date May 7, 2019

Ohio University Adult Consent Form With Signature

Title of Research: Effects of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico Researchers: Olivia Rocco IRB number: 19-X-115

You are being asked by an Ohio University researcher to participate in research. For you to be able to decide whether you want to participate in this project, you should understand what the project is about, as well as the possible risks and benefits in order to make an informed decision. This process is known as informed consent. This form describes the purpose, procedures, possible benefits, and risks of the research project. It also explains how your personal information will be used and protected. Once you have read this form and your questions about the study are answered, you will be asked to participate in this study. You should receive a copy of this document to take with you.

Summary of Study

In this study, the researcher will create a script for a new play using the words and ideas that you share in the workshop. This play will then be performed and possibly published. Also, ideas you share in your interviews may be used to discuss the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, particularly after Hurricane Maria.

Your participation in the workshop will remain confidential. The researcher will take notes on your participation in the workshop.

Explanation of Study

This study is being done because the researcher wants to understand how Hurricane Maria affected the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, and wants to create a platform for the Puerto Rican perspective to shape the story. All participants must agree to maintain the confidentiality of the workshop.

If you agree to participate, you will be led through a variety of acting games. Then you will be asked to share a personal story about Puerto Rico, the United States, Hurricane Maria, myths and stories about Puerto Rico and the mainland, or national identity. Then, you will be invited to participate in physical explorations of these themes. This will include creating still image “sculptures” with your body and improvising short scenes that bring these sculptures to life.

At any point during the workshop you can decide to skip an activity that you are uncomfortable with or stop participating entirely. You will not be asked any questions about personal identification information.

Notes taken on your actions and responses to the workshop may be used freely during the play development and research process. This includes but is not limited to the use of your words in theater workshops and in the dialogue final script.

You should not participate in this study if you are uncomfortable speaking about Puerto Rico, the United States, or Hurricane Maria, if you are younger than 18, or if you do not want your words and ideas to appear in a play or research paper.

Your participation in the study will last between three and four hours.

Risks and Discomforts

Risks or discomforts that you might experience are stress or emotional vulnerability when discussing Maria or other workshop topics. During the workshop, we will establish a safe word. If you become uncomfortable or experience emotional vulnerability, you can say the safe word and we will pause the activity, take time to reset with a breathing exercise or game, then decide how to proceed as a group.

Benefits

This study is important to society because the Commonwealth relationship failed to address the needs of Puerto Rico during and after Hurricane Maria, and looking to the Puerto Rican experience of the event will allow creators and audiences alike to question the deeply held colonial beliefs about Puerto Rico and disrupt dominant discourse about Maria by giving a voice to the people who experienced the event.

Individually, you may benefit from this study by experiencing positive emotions as a result sharing your story.

Confidentiality and Records

No personal identifying information will be collected during your participation in this workshop. Notes that the researcher takes about your participation in the workshop, because they will not contain any personal identifiers, will not be connected to your identity and may be used freely during the play development and research process.

Future Use Statement

None of your personal identifiers will be collected during your participation in the workshop. Qualitative information collected through the researcher’s notes during the workshop may be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without additional informed consent from you or your legally authorized representative.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this study, please contact the investigator Olivia Rocco at or957715@ohio.edu or c# 330-858-6368 or the advisor Jose Delgado at delgadoj@ohio.edu or #740-707-8766.

If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact Dr. Chris Hayhow, Director of Research Compliance, Ohio University, (740)593-0664 or hayhow@ohio.edu.

By signing below, you are agreeing that:

• you have read this consent form (or it has been read to you) and have been given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered;

• you have been informed of potential risks and they have been explained to your satisfaction;

• you understand Ohio University has no funds set aside for any injuries you might receive as a result of participating in this study;

• you are 18 years of age or older;

• your participation in this research is completely voluntary;

• you may leave the study at any time; if you decide to stop participating in the study, there will be no penalty to you and you will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

Signature_________________________________ Date _____________________

Printed Name _____________________________________________

Version Date May 7, 2019

Ohio University: formulario de consentimiento, con firma, para adultos

Título de la investigación: El impacto del huracán María en Puerto Rico Investigadora: Olivia Rocco Número de IRB: 19-X-115

Una investigadora de Ohio University te invita a participar en una investigación. Para decidir si quieres ser parte de este proyecto, debes entender su propósito, además de sus riesgos y beneficios a fin de tomar una decisión informada. Este proceso se llama consentimiento informado [Informed Consent]. Este formulario describe el propósito, los métodos y los posibles beneficios y riesgos de la investigación. También explica cómo tu información personal será utilizada y protegida. Una vez hayas leído este formulario y hayan sido contestadas las preguntas que tengas sobre la investigación, se te pedirá participar en la investigación. Debes recibir una copia de este documento para llevar contigo.

Resumen de la investigación

Para esta investigación, la investigadora creará un guión para una nueva obra teatral en base de las palabras e ideas que compartas en el taller. Se hará un montaje de la obra y posiblemente se publicará. Asimismo, las palabras e ideas que compartas en el taller se utilizarán para discutir la relación entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos, en específico, después del huracán María.

Tu participación en el taller se mantendrá confidencial . La investigadora tomará apuntes sobre su participación en el taller.

Explicación de la investigación

Se hace esta investigación porque la investigadora quiere entender cómo el huracán María impactó la relación entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos y quiere crear una plataforma en la que la perspectiva puertorriqueña moldee el texto dramático.

Si decides participar, hagas un serie de juegos teatrales. Luego, te preguntará compartir una historia personal sobre Puerto Rico, los Estados Unidos, el huracán María, mitos e historias de Puerto Rico y el continente o la identidad nacional. Luego, te invitará participar en exploraciones físicas de los temas. Incluirá la creación de imágenes inmóviles, “esculturas,” con el cuerpo y la improvisación de escenas cortas que animan a las esculturas.

En cualquier momento durante la entrevista puedes omitir una actividad que no desees hacer, como puedes dar por terminada su participación en el taller. No se te harán preguntas que resulten en información personal que termine identificándote.

Las apuntes tomaron sobre sus acciones y respuestas durante el taller pueden ser utilizadas libremente durante el proceso de la investigación y el desarrollo de la obra de teatro. Esto incluye, pero no se limita, al uso de tus palabras en un taller de teatro, así como en el diálogo del guión final.

No debes participar en la investigación si te molesta hablar sobre Puerto Rico, los Estados Unidos o el huracán María, si tienes menos de 18 años o si no quieres que tus palabras y ideas aparezcan en una obra de teatro o informe de investigación.

La participación en la investigación toma aproximadamente entre tres y cuatro horas.

Riesgos y molestias

Riesgos o molestias que podrías experimentar incluyen el estrés o la vulnerabilidad emocional cuando hablas de María u otros temas del taller. Durante el taller, creamos una “palabra de seguridad.” Si estes incomodo o experimentes la vulnerabilidad emocional, puedes decir la palabra de seguridad y hagamos una pausa, toma tiempo para restaurarnos con un ejercicio de respiración o juego, y luego decidamos cómo continuar.

Beneficios

Esta investigación es importante a la sociedad porque la relación entre Washington y el Estado Libre Asociado no abordó las necesidades de Puerto Rico durante y después del huracán María. Así también, prestarle atención a la experiencia puertorriqueña del evento dejará a los creadores y el público retar a los creencias coloniales muy arraigados de Puerto Rico y interrumpir el discurso dominante del huracán Maria por dar la voz a las personas que lo experimentaron.

Al nivel individual, podrías beneficiarte de la investigación experimentando emociones positivas por compartir tu historia.

Confidencialidad y archivos

No se te harán preguntas que resulten en información personal que termine identificándote. Al no contener ningún identificador personal, los apuntes del taller no estarán conectados a su identidad, y podrán ser utilizadas libremente durante el desarrollo de la obra de teatro y el proceso investigativo.

Posible uso futuro

Ninguno de tus identificadores personales serán colectados durante el taller. Información cualitativa colectado por los apuntes de la investigadora puede ser utilizadas para investigaciones en el futuro ser distribuidas a otros investigadores para futuras

investigaciones sin previo consentimiento legal, informándote a ti o tu representante legal.

Contactos

Si tienes preguntas sobre esta investigación, favor de contactar a la investigadora Olivia Rocco al correo electrónico or957715@ohio.edu o c# 330-858-6368 o al consejero Jose Delgado al correo electrónico delgadoj@ohio.edu o #740-707-8766.

Si tienes preguntas sobre tus derechos como participante de la investigación, favor de contactar al Dr. Chris Hayhow, Director of Research Compliance, Ohio University, (740)593-0664 o al correo hayhow@ohio.edu.

Al firmar abajo, aceptas que:

• has leído este formulario de consentimiento (o se te ha sido leído) y has tenido la oportunidad preguntar y obtener respuestas a tus preguntas;

• has sido informado de los posibles riesgos y estos han sido explicados a tu satisfacción;

• entiendes que Ohio University no tiene fondos reservados para cubrir cualquier herida que puedas recibir como resultado de esta investigación;

• tienes más de 18 años;

• la participación en esta investigación es completamente voluntaria;

• puedes abandonar la investigación en cualquier momento; si decides terminar tu participación en la investigación, ni hay penalidades ni renuncias a ningún beneficio al cual, de otro modo, tienes derecho.

Firma_________________________________ Fecha _____________________ Nombre escrito _____________________________________________

Version Date May 7, 2019

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Appendix 4 Unnatural Disasters Script

Unnatural Disasters

Olivia Rocco February 27, 2020

Version with English Translations

The words in this play come from the testimony of 17 interviewees and 27 theater workshop participants. There are also voices from social media, Supreme Court cases,

United Nations meeting notes, House of Representatives meetings, and more.

Special thanks to María D. Zamparelli and Maite Ramos Ortiz who allowed their poems and stories to be adapted in this play. You can read their original writings in

Crónicas de María: voces para la historia. Full Cast: 4 women, 5 men

Puerto Rican Chorus (3 women, 3 men) AMANDA//VALERIA CORTES MARIANA // JUANA OCASIO IRENE // SOFÍA MARTÍNEZ SEBASTIAN // MUÑOZ MARÍN, DEGETAU JOSÉ // PEDRO GARCIA, THE SPANIARD, ALBIZU EDUARDO // RUIZ ROSSELLÓ, ADA, VOICE FROM THE DIÁSPORA…… can be recorded voices

U.S. CHORUS (1 woman, 2 men) MARÍA-LADY LIBERTY JOSEPH, FORAKER, SEN. BATE, SEN. JONES, DR. RHOADS, WHITEFISH, SENATOR FBI MAN, CLIFF, AMERICAN, AMERICAN MAN, TRUMP, PA VOICE

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—————PROLOGUE—————

At the top of the show, the stage is empty.

We hear something beginning:

an uprising and a hurricane,

it’s hard to tell the difference.

PR CHORUS

Most countries have given up their colonies. Why hasn’t America?

We see a flash to María, who looks like Lady Liberty.

She is standing at a podium,

she is speaking to the United Nations, she is speaking to the world:

MARÍA

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

—————SCENE 1—————

As we transition into Scene 1, the characters are relaxing together,

maybe dancing, maybe laughing and joking, they are getting together to have a good time.

Amidst the celebration, the PR CHORUS members explain:

AMANDA

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Puerto Rico obviamente es una isla de en medio del Mar Caribe, pero es mucho más que una simple isla, es una nación con una identidad propia, es un idioma, unas costumbres y una forma de ver la vida condicionada con una situación política muy particular, que no necesariamente comparte con otros vecinos.

Obviously Puerto Rico is an island in the middle of the Caribbean, but it’s so much more than a simple island. It’s a nation with its own identity, it’s a language, traditions, and an outlook on life based on a very particular political situation, that is not necessarily shared with our neighbors.

SEBASTIAN

Puerto Rico es una nación de una mezcla de diferentes culturas, tenemos raíces africanas, por la esclavitud que se introdujo aquí, la española porque fueron los que llegaron en la colonización, algo de indio y una mezcla de distintas culturas, de distintas razas, lo que nos hace una nación.

Puerto Rico is a nation of mixed cultures; we have African roots, through slavery introduced here, Spanish because they arrived during colonization, some native and a mix of different cultures, different races, which has made us a nation.

JOSÉ

Ese desarrollo ha tenido altas, ha tenido bajas, pero continúa, es persistente, Puerto Rico no ha dejado de ser.

That evolution has had highs and lows, but it keeps going, it is persistent, Puerto Rico has not ceased to exist.

MARIANA

Nosotros somos unas personas impactadas por nuestra naturaleza que es particular y bien bendecida, nosotros tenemos playas por todas partes, y tenemos muchos ríos, y yo creo que esto es un beneficio. Como tenemos tantas playas y tantos ríos podemos seguir desarrollando nuestra tendencia a agruparnos para fiestar, para celebrar, para compartir. Así que yo creo que eso contrasta, pero eso prevalece, nosotros somos de grupo.

We are a people affected by our environment, which is unique and so blessed. We have beaches all over, we have a lot of rivers, and I think that’s beneficial. Because we have so many beaches and rivers, we can keep our tradition of getting together to party, to celebrate, to share. So I think that’s unique, but it lasts, we are about community.

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IRENE Ser puertorriqueña es como adueñarte de tu entorno, defender con mucho orgullo lo que te rodea como son nuestras tierras, nuestras playas, nuestros ríos, cuidar de la naturaleza, defenderla al máximo, defender nuestros derechos, eso es Puerto Rico, disfrutar lo que es la democracia.

Being Puerto Rican means taking ownership of your environment, proudly defending your surroundings, like our lands, our beaches, our rivers; taking care of nature, defending it to the fullest, defending our rights, that is Puerto Rico— enjoying all that is democracy.

At this point, the relaxed atmosphere is broken, as the first colonizers arrive.

SEBASTIAN

Llegan los españoles en 1493 y en 1511 hay una rebelión indígena.

The Spanish arrive in 1493 and in 1511 there’s an indigenous rebellion.

SEBASTIAN (cont.)

Por razones que puedes ver los indígenas no ganaron la rebelión, pero fue la primera vez. Para mi esa fecha es bien importante porque esa rebelión fue la primera vez que el puertorriqueño peleó por su identidad y su territorio.

As you can see, the indigenous peoples did not win the rebellion, but that was the first time. That date is important to me because that rebellion was the first time that Puerto Ricans fought for their identity and their territory.

JOSÉ

Tuvimos cuatro siglos con el imperio español que nos dejó una lengua, nuestra lengua originaria era la lengua arawaka, de los indios taínos y todavía conservamos palabras de esa lengua. La mayoría de los pueblos de Puerto Rico sus nombres son en lengua arawaka y taína,

We had four centuries of Spanish empire that left behind a language, our original language is Arawakan, from the native Taínos and we still have words from that language. Most towns in Puerto Rico have Arakawan and Taíno names,

PR CHORUS

Mayagüez,

Guaynabo,

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Orocovis,

Guajataca,

JOSÉ

todos esos son nombres taínos. Esa era nuestra lengua originaria.

all of those are Taíno names. That is our original language.

Por lo tanto, esa lengua al contacto con la lengua imperial española se modificó, creció, se amplió, algunas palabras fueron eliminadas, otras fueron añadidas, pero lo más importante que las palabras son los afectos, es como la gente se siente, como la gente se identifica.

So, that language mixed with the Imperial Spanish, it changed, grew, spread, some words were eliminated, others were added, but more important than the words are the emotions, people’s feelings, their identities.

SEBASTIAN

Mediante los años, desde que nos descubrieron—Cuando dice, “Descubrieron,” es 1493—Desde ese momento hemos sido colonia y hemos tratado de, en términos sociales, definirnos.

Throughout the years, since they discovered us—When you say “discovered” that’s 1493. Ever since then, we have been a colony and we’ve tried, in social terms, to define ourselves.

JOSEPH

He appears at a distance, as if observing the island from afar.

It is a charming winter resort…a commanding position between two continents… an island well worth having.

SEBASTIAN

Desde las épocas de los indios hasta el día de hoy, de luchar por su identidad, España no nos pudo hacer españoles.

From the age of the Taínos until today, fighting for our identity, Spain could not make us Spaniards.

6

EDGUARDO

In 1898, Spain gave some degree of autonomous government to Puerto Rico.

SEBASTIAN, AMANDA y THE SPANIARD

Declaratory, proud to read the new law.

La Carta Autonómica de 1897 de Puerto Rico:

The Puerto Rican Charter of Autonomy of 1897

EDGUARDO

With the promise of that being the first step toward independence.

THE SPANIARD

As he reads, we see Puerto Ricans hang flags and vote,

preparing for their new self-rule.

Real Decreto: De acuerdo con el parecer de Mi Consejo de Ministros; En nombre de Mi Augusto Hijo el Rey Don Alfonso XIII, y como Reina Regente del Reino, Vengo en decretar lo siguiente:

Royal Decree: In accordance with the judgment of the Council of Ministers; In the name of my Dignified Son: King Don Alfonso XIII, and Queen Regent of the Kingdom I hereby decree the following:

IRENE

Me encanta mi país me encanta, Puerto Rico me encanta; con sus altas y bajas porque no somos perfectos, pero me encanta; no lo cambio por nada en el mundo.

I love my country, I love it, I love Puerto Rico; with her highs and lows because we aren’t perfect, but I love it; I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

JOSEPH

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We must have Porto Rico. When a territory of that nature falls into our hands it must never be parted with.

JOSÉ

Nosotros nos formamos como nación.

Es una nación que tiene historia, tiene pasado, tiene una identidad que la sostiene, tiene una literatura que la mantiene, tiene un lenguaje muy particular, tiene su propio paisaje, tiene su propia tradición, sus propias costumbres, totalmente diferentes al imperio que la domina.

We built ourselves a nation.

A nation with a story, a history, a lasting identity, a steady flow of literature, a very unique language, its own landscape, its own traditions, its own customs, which are totally different from the empire that rules over it.

THE SPANIARD miming that he reads the document, not spoken aloud

…Articulo 1:El gobierno y administración de la Isla de Puerto Rico se regirá en adelante con arreglo a las siguientes disposiciones. Article 1: The government and administration of the Island of Puerto Rico will from here on govern in agreement with the following order.

The sound of an oncoming army interrupts the elections.

SEBASTIAN

Cuando llegaron los Estados Unidos ya éramos una nación, colonia, pero nación.

When the United States arrived, we were already a nation—a colony—but a nation.

The year is 1898, the American forces have just arrived in Puerto Rico,

seeking to “liberate” the island from Spain’s rule—

JOSEPH

The chief object of the American military forces will be to overthrow the armed authority of Spain and to give to the people of your beautiful island the largest measure of liberties consistent with military occupation.

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THE SPANIARD

he continues reading the document, holding onto the hope for freedom

…Articulo 2: El Gobierno de la Isla se compondrá de un Parlamento Insular, dividido en dos Cámaras, y de un Gobernador General, representante de la Metrópoli, que ejercerá en nombre de ésta la Autoridad Suprema…

Article 2: The Island Government will be composed of an Insular Parliament, divided into two Houses, and a General Governor, representative of the Metropolis, who will serve in the name of this the Supreme Authority…

JOSEPH

We have not come to make war against a people of a country that for centuries has been oppressed, but, on the contrary, to bring you protection, to promote your prosperity, to bestow upon you the immunities and blessings of the liberal institutions of our government, and to give the advantages and blessings of enlightened civilization.

PR CHORUS

in unison

Nosotros somos una nación.

We are a nation.

Their pleas fall on deaf ears, and the American soldiers tear down their election stands.

As the US takes over, we hear the following:

JOSEPH

Porto Rico will be kept. Once taken it will never be released. it will pass forever into the hands of the United States. Its possession will go towards making up the heavy expense of war to the United States. Our flag, once run up there, will float over the island permanently.

—————SCENE 2—————

Members of the PR Chorus play-act as newscasters. The theme music for the news channel carries us into the new scene. This scene should be played with heavy sarcasm,

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a thick layer of fake happy—the kind that news personalities try to maintain when everything is falling apart.

JUANA

Muy buenos días, es 9 de julio, 2016 y le habla Juana Ocasio para informarles que ahora mismo estamos enfrentando una deuda de nada más y nada menos de 72 mil millones de dólares. Esa deuda no es tan grave, además es toda nuestra. Yo creo que tal vez si cada puertorriqueño aporta un sólo dólar, un dólar al mes, doce dólares cada doce días, podremos pagarla.

Aquí les dejo con los reporteros Ruiz y García con un reportaje especial sobre la economía.

Good morning, today is July 9, 2016, and this is Juana Ocasio here to inform you that right now we are facing a debt of nothing more and nothing less than 72 billion dollars. That debt isn’t so bad, and also it’s all ours. I think that maybe if each Puerto Rican contributed one single dollar, one dollar a month, twelve dollars every twelve days, we could pay it.

And now I turn it over to reporters Ruiz and Garcia with a special report on the economy.

RUIZ

Tenemos una noticia nueva desde Washington D.C. con información sobre la nueva junta fiscal:

We have news from Washington D.C. with information about the new Financial Oversight Board:

In order to deal with Puerto Rico’s debt crisis,

A Financial Oversight Board is hereby established for Puerto Rico.

PEDRO

For so long as the Oversight Board remains in operation, no territorial government may issue debt or guarantee, exchange, modify, repurchase, redeem, or enter into similar transactions with respect to its debt.

RUIZ

Neither the Governor nor the Legislature may exercise any control, supervision, oversight, or review over the Oversight Board or its activities.

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PEDRO

The territorial government—the term “territory” means Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, etc— shall designate a dedicated funding source to support the annual expenses of the Oversight Board as determined in the Oversight Board’s sole and exclusive discretion.

RUIZ

La junta can: institute automatic hiring freezes, prohibit the territory from entering into any contract or engaging in any financial transactions, prevent the execution or enforcement of a contract, rule, executive order, or regulation…

PEDRO

The Oversight Board shall consist of seven members appointed by the President of the United States

RUIZ

…and nothing in this Act shall be interpreted to limit the power of the territorial government.

JUANA

Gracias amigos, ahora les dejo con Valeria Cortés que les da a una noticia que les volará su mente y tal vez su casa.

Thank you friends, and now to Valeria Cortés who will give you news that will blow your mind and maybe blow your house down, too.

forced laughter from the news team

VALERIA

Bueno, lamentablemente, tenemos noticias en el tiempo no muy buenas…así que los vamos a dejar con esta reportera Sofía para que les deje un adelanto en cómo va el huracán Irma. —Sofía.

Well, unfortunately, we have some not so good weather updates …so I am going to pass it along to reporter Sofía with an update on Hurricane Irma.—Sofía.

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SOFÍA

Bueno aquí Sofía Martínez, con el reportaje sobre el tiempo, en Puerto Rico se estan sintiendo unas ráfagas no tan fuertes todavía así que no creo que este huracán haga daños mayores, pero estamos divisando más o menos un huracán que podría venir luego de este, un poquito más fuerte.

Yes, Sofía Martínez here, with the weather report. In Puerto Rico we are feeling some winds, but nothing too strong yet. So I don’t think this hurricane will do any major damage, but the radar’s picking up a hurricane that could come afterward that is… a bit stronger.

VALERIA

Está fuerte esta situación, ¿verdad?

This is a pretty bad situation, right?

SOFÍA

No, para nada. Tú sabes, nosotros podemos con esto. No se a puesto más fuerte todavía.

No, not at all. You know, we can do this. It hasn’t gotten too strong yet.

—————SCENE 3—————

the chorus returns from their news skit and speaks again to the audience

CLIFF

Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States in 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American War. In the ensuing hundred-plus years, the United States and Puerto Rico have forged a unique political relationship.

At first, Congress was granted the power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States.

DEGETAU

When you consider, Mr. Speaker, that these gentlemen are sent there to make laws for a country they do not know, for a people whose laws, customs, and language they do not know…you may imagine, Mr. Speaker, their probability of doing well.

CLIFF

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In 1917, a federal statute passed, giving the island’s inhabitants US citizenship and permitted Puerto Ricans to elect local legislatures

EDGUARDO

but required submission of local laws to Congress for approval.

MARIANA

Se impuso como lengua oficial el inglés.

Esos primeros años en que se intentó alfabetizar al país y que la lengua oficial, es decir, la lengua con la que tú ibas a corte, firmabas papeles, contratos, fuera el inglés. Eso es un problema muy grande, en un país en el 1930 con un índice de analfabetismo gigantesco y encima de eso, que no sabían inglés, no había manera de que ellos participaran.

They instituted English as the official language.

At first when they tried to raise literacy rates the official language, meaning the language you would use in court, to sign papers, contracts, was English. That’s a big problem in 1930 in a country with a gigantic level of illiteracy and what’s more, that didn’t speak English, there was no way for them to participate.

EDGUARDO

Prior to 1950, Puerto Rico was subject to the Foraker Act,

Foraker emerges from María’s Chorus

FORAKER

Porto Rico differs radically from any other people for whom we have legislated previously. They have no experience which would qualify them for the great work of government with all the bureaus and departments needed by the people of Porto Rico.

He steps back.

EDGUARDO

which provided the Federal Government with virtually complete control of the island’s affairs.

But, in 1945, the United States, when signing the United Nations Charter, promised change. It told the world that it would “develop self-government” in its territories.

SENATOR BATE

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We see him in the distance, speaking to the US Congress.

What is to become of the Philippines and Puerto Rico? Are they to become States with representation here from those countries, from that heterogenous mass of mongrels that make up their citizenship? That is objectionable to the people of this country, as it ought to be, and they will call it to a halt before it is done.

Jefferson was the great expansionist. But neither his example nor his precedent affords any justification for expansion over territory in distant seas, over people incapable of self-government, over religions hostile to Christianity, and over savages addicted to head-hunting and cannibalism, as some of these islanders are.

IRENE

A pesar de que somos parte de Estados Unidos, en Estados Unidos no nos conocen. Tú dices, “Puerto Rico” y te dicen,

Even though we are a part of the United States, the United States doesn’t know us. You say “Puerto Rico” and they say

AMERICAN

Where are you from?

IRENE

Puerto Rico,

AMERICAN

Are you a part of the United States?

IRENE

Yes

AMERICAN

What?

IRENE

Todo comienza con Muñoz Marín.

It all started with Muñoz Marín.

We see Muñoz Marín leading a campaign,

he is wearing a straw jíbaro hat and a sign or button that says

“candidate for independence” or “independentista”.

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He chants:

MUÑOZ MARÍN

¡Pan, Tierra, Libertad!

¡Bread, Land, Liberty!

IRENE

De ese principio que comienza, él comenzó como independentista,

from the start, he was pro-independence,

As he yells, votes flood in, or people join him in chanting.

We see him gain popularity.

We see Muñoz Marín win the vote, and take his seat in the senate.

IRENE

Este señor se vio en la disyuntiva de, “¿Qué hago? ¿O me uno a Estados Unidos o nos vamos solos?”

He had a dilemma, “What do I do? Do I join the United States or do we go on our own?”

SENATOR

Monday, March 5, 1945. United States Senate, Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs.

The committee will be in order. This is a hearing on [the Tydings bill], a bill to provide for the withdrawal of sovereignty of the United States over the island of Puerto Rico and for the recognition of its independence.

PR CHORUS

¡Pan, Tierra, Libertad!

¡Bread, Land, Liberty!

The PR CHORUS turns to look at Muñoz Marín.

He goes to speak, but then we enter a flashback

María stands over Muñoz-Marín as we hear:

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FBI MAN

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Case Title: José Luis Muñoz Marín, et al.

Synopsis of Facts: José Luis Muñoz Marín, president of Puerto Rican Senate. Described by reliable informants to be intellectual with bad case of “Puerto Rican inferiority complex,” which results in anti-American tendencies. He is not considered dangerous to point of acts against the United States. Is known to be personally completely irresponsible;

one of Muñoz-Marín’s arms are pulled behind his back,

as if he was María’s puppet

reported by reliable informants to be heavy drinker

the other hand is tied behind his back

and narcotics addict.

he is forced to sit, head down, hands tied .

IRENE

Pero él vio que ahí no iba a llegar a ningún lado, la gente iba a morir de hambre.

He could see that it just wouldn’t work, the people would die of hunger.

PR CHORUS

¡Pan, Tierra—

¡Bread, Land—

the PR CHORUS is cut off when Muñoz-Marín says,

MUÑOZ-MARÍN

Neither Muñoz-Marín nor the Popular Democratic Party will in any way speak in favor of any type of final political status.

The sign around his neck changes. Now it reads: PPD: Pan, Tierra, America

CLIFF

a bit too proud of himself

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And in 1947, an amendment empowered the Puerto Rican people to elect their own governor, a right never before accorded in a US territory.

We see Muñoz Marín pinned as governor,

and the flashback ends.

CLIFF

The purpose of Congress in the 1950 and 1952 legislation was to accord to Puerto Rico the degree of autonomy and independence normally associated with States of the Union.

EDGUARDO

In 1952, The Puerto Rico Constitution created a new political entity, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or, in Spanish, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico.

IRENE

Cuando tú dices, “Estado Libre Asociado”, ¿Qué es eso? Un Estado Libre Asociado…explícame.

When you say “Commonwealth”, What is that? A Freely Associated State… explain that to me.

everyone on stage looks at each other…

…

…

no one has the words to explain

Ni nosotros mismos los puertorriqueños sabemos explicarlo.

Not even us Puerto Ricans know how to explain it.

MARIANA

Por lo tanto Puerto Rico legalmente es eso, es un lugar indefinido. Somos territorio, somos colonia, somos un estado, pero que no tiene representación, somos una nación sin estado, somos todas esas cosas.

So legally Puerto Rico is just that, an undefined place. We are a territory, we are a colony, we are a state—but without representation, we are a nation without a state, we are all those things.

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AMANDA

Así es que ser puertorriqueño implica ser una especie de contradicción. A veces no estás muy seguro de lo que se quiere y de lo que se es.

So being Puerto Rican implies being a species of contradiction. Sometimes you aren’t really sure what you want and what’s the truth.

CLIFF

declaratory

The people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have been invested with attributes of political sovereignty which clearly identify the status of self government attained by the Puerto Rican people as that of an autonomous political entity.

EDGUARDO

“Commonwealth” is a fancy word for colony.

people around him seem to doubt, the word “colony” sounds too strong

…o, territorio no incorporado, técnicamente.

—or, an unincorporated territory, technically.

MARIANA and SEBASTIAN

Puerto Rico es un estado libre asociado que no es ni estado, ni libre, ni asociado.

Puerto Rico is a freely associated state that is not free, not associated, and not a state.

IRENE

Yo me crié en el Estado Libre Asociado, y si el Estado Libre Asociado ellos lo hicieron en pacto con los Estados Unidos, tenemos que aceptarlo.

I grew up in the Commonwealth, and if the Commonwealth is the deal they made with the United States, we have to accept it.

JOSÉ

No creo, no creo en el Estado Libre Asociado. Porque no sé, como que es—que tienes y no tienes, perteneces y no perteneces. No creo.

I don’t believe it, I don’t believe in the Commonwealth. Because I don’t know, it’s like—like you have it and you don’t have it, you belong and you don’t belong, I don’t believe in it.

18

AMANDA

Siempre hay una contradicción.

There’s always a contradiction.

CLIFF

And the United States will no longer submit special reports about the conditions in Puerto Rico because Puerto Rico is no longer a non-self governing territory.

EDGUARDO

Así que los Estados Unidos, el continente que me imagino que ahora mismo es más fuerte que está en el mundo, creo yo, nos tiene medios amarrados, medios ayudados.

And so the United States, the strongest nation in the world right now, I bet, has tied us halfway down and helped us halfway up.

—————SCENE 4—————

In this scene, the characters shift in and out of their newscaster role-play

as they remember the moments just before María.

They begin as newscasters:

JUANA

Muy buenas tardes nuevamente. Le hablamos de Tenemos Todo el Sentido del Mundo. Aquí les dejo con la reportera Valeria Cortes.

Good afternoon once again. We are reporting to you from We Make Perfect Sense. And now we turn to Valeria Cortes.

VALERIA

Gracias, gracias. Ehhh, Tengo unos detalles muy importantes en el día de hoy. Ya tenemos un anuncio con la reportera Sofía que nos va a hablar sobre el desarrollo del potente Huracán María.

Thank you, thank you. Ummm, I have some very important details today. We have an announcement from our reporter Sofía who will update you on the development of the already powerful Hurricane Maria.

19

SOFÍA

Muchas gracias. Sofía con el tiempo—aquí vemos cómo se está desarrollando este sistema bastante fuerte. Se predicen vientos más o menos como de… 70 mph, pero eso no—eso no es una razón para alarmarse todavía. Al parecer hay varias rutas, todo el mundo esta confundido, nadie sabe. Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. Sofía with the weather—here you can see how this forceful system is developing. We predict winds at about…70 mph, but that is no— no reason to be alarmed just yet. It seems like there are various routes, everyone’s confused, no one knows for sure. Thank you very much.

Briefly dropping the role play to comment:

SEBASTIAN

Primero que María vino Irma, fue un huracán detrás del otro.

Before María there was Irma, it was one hurricane after another.

JOSÉ

El primero no fue tan grande, pero ocasionó muchas molestias.

The first wasn’t too big, but it caused a lot of issues.

IRENE

Nunca nos había tocado algo así, nos decían que era fuerte. Un huracán era fuerte.

Nothing like this had ever hit us, they told us it was going to be strong. A strong hurricane.

MARIANA

Nosotros pasamos Hugo, pasamos David, pasamos varios huracanes y esos huracanes nos afectaron, pero no tan fuerte como María.

We lived through Hugo, we lived through David, we lived through several hurricanes and those hurricanes affected us, but nothing as bad as Maria.

they resume their roles as newscasters

SOFÍA

La incertidumbre va creciendo y es 18 de septiembre, tenemos un huracán categoría 3.

20

Uncertainty is rising and it’s September 18, we have a category 3 hurricane.

Amanda breaks character for a moment to say:

AMANDA

Yo sobreviví a George, sobreviví Hugo, yo estaba en Puerto Rico cuando esos huracanes.

Yo juraba que iba a ser algo así, que íbamos a estar dos, tres semanas sin electricidad en la zona metropolitana, y que todo iba a volver a la normalidad.

I survived George, survived Hugo, I was in Puerto Rico for those hurricanes.

I assumed it would be something like that, that we would be two, three weeks without electricity in the city, and then everything would go back to normal.

SOFÍA

Estamos ya 19 de septiembre y en pocas horas estamos a punto de ser azotados por este potencial huracán.

It’s now September 19th and in just a few hours we will be swept by this possible hurricane.

she looks to the economic reporters

La situación de la deuda ya no nos importa un carajo.

We don’t give a shit about the debt anymore.

A PA from the mainland interrupts the scene.

PA VOICE

Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on.

—————SCENE 5—————

Everyone on stage is hunkered down in their homes, preparing for the storm. There is space between them, as if each one is in their own home, separated from one another.

PR CHORUS

21

Un calor sofocante, un calor que no puedes dormir. Nosotros siendo un país tropical, sentir este calor tan fuerte para nosotros nos afecta. Para Hugo y para George fue lo mismo, un calor intenso, eso no nos favorece. Da terror, los que vivimos esa parte y los que estamos consciente de eso--

A suffocating heat, a heat that doesn’t let you sleep. Even in a tropical country, feeling heat this harsh, affects us. For Hugo and George it was the same, an intense heat, that doesn’t feel right. It’s terrifying, the people who live here and who know—

MARIANA

Hemos recogido las sillas, mesa, tiestos, herramientas del jardín, todo lo que pueda levantar el viento monstruoso que está por llegar. Los animales están dentro de la casa. Todas las ventanas están cerradas; las puertas aseguradas con trancas.

We’ve gathered up the chairs, tables, flowerpots, garden tools, everything that could be picked up by the raging wind about to come. The animals are inside the house. All the windows are closed, the doors secured with bars.

She walks from one side of the house to the other making sure that everything is in it’s place, clean, in order.

Luego, me he preguntado para qué. Abro un resquicio de la ventana.

Later, I asked myself for what? I opened a crack in the window.

she does this

Entra la bocanada de salitres, algas, oleaje reventado por el viento.

A burst of salt, algae, a strong wave exploded through the window.

PR CHORUS

in unison

Por ahí viene.

It’s getting closer.

MARIANA

La destrucción está por comenzar.

The destruction is about to begin.

22

AMANDA

Yo nunca había estado tan asustada en mi vida como la madrugada en que vino María, la madrugada del miércoles. El ruido era tal que yo pensaba que me iba a volver loca.

I had never been as scared as I was the morning of Maria, that Wednesday morning. The noise was so loud I thought I was going crazy.

We hear a loud sound from the storm.

IRENE

En eso nos llamó mi hija de Estados Unidos, me llama y me dice, “Todo está bien?”

Se corta la llamada porque ahí es que empiezan los otros vientos.

During it all my daughter called us from the United States, she called and said, “Is everything okay?”

The call cut out as other winds started.

through the next section, ADA is broadcasting on Facebook Live, the PR CHORUS members respond on their phones. Notably, a few of them seem to not hear any of this—

they have lost signal, completely left out of the communication.

ADA

Amigos son la cinco y treinta y tres de la mañana, buenos días a todos, estamos ya viendo el progreso del huracán María entrando ya sobre las costas del sureste de Puerto Rico

Friends it is 5:33 in the morning, good morning to everyone, we are seeing the progress of Hurricane Maria now making its way over the southeastern coasts of Puerto Rico.

AMANDA

sends a gets message that reads:

“Winds are scary. I’m scared as fuck.”

IRENE

Una cosa bien brutal.

A really brutal thing.

ADA

23

… el huracán se ha expandido y se ha puesto más grande—por lo tanto, toda la isla va a estar recibiendo fuertes vientos de huracán.

…the hurricane has expanded and has become larger—so, the whole island will feel strong winds.

the hurricane whips through the space, an early sign of what is to come

AMANDA

Yo me la pasaba entre dormida y despierta de puro pánico.

I spent the hurricane half asleep and half awake in pure panic.

on her phone, the message flashes on screen:

"*message failed to send*”

It is not important that we hear all the words that María and her chorus say, their voices echo through the space, a background sound of destruction.

They should be carrying objects from the list in their hands as they dance back and forth across the stage—they are the winds and fury of María.

María stands in the eye of the storm, leading her winds through the chaos.

MARIA’S CHORUS

palmas, arena, hojas, árboles, arena, zafacones, tejas, metales, carros, troncos, madera, palmas, transformadores, postes de alumbrado, bombillas, cables, árboles, hojas, piedras de agua contra las ventanas

palms, sand, leaves, trees, sand, garbage cans, tiles, metals, cars, logs, wood, palms, transformers, streetlights, light bulbs, cables, trees, leaves, water whipping against the windows

MARIANA

La voz de María y de todos los vientos del tiempo nos empujó hacia los pasillos y baños de nuestra ahora enclenque morada.

The voice of María and all the winds of time pushed us to the hallways and bathrooms of our weak home.

JOSÉ

24

Se me ocurrió la tonta idea de abrir la puerta. Cuando abro la puerta en medio del huracán, la puerta se abrió completamente y por poco salgo volando, lo que hubiese ocasionado que todo el viento entrase a mi apartamento y se llevase todos mis libros y todas mis cosas.

I got the stupid idea to open the door. And when I opened the door in the middle of the hurricane, the door opened all the way and I almost flew out, the full force of the wind came into my apartment and carried away all my books and things.

ADA

Yo le pido que por favor tenga mucho—mucha cautela, mucho cuidado, y si se tiene que, métase en el baño, en un closet, en un lugar donde menos vientos impacte su seguridad. Es en eso que tiene que meterse. Usted—haga lo que tenga que hacer para proteger su vida. A este punto es lo que estamos hablando. Eso significa vida o muerte.

I’m telling you, please be very—very cautious, be very careful, and if you have to, get in the bathroom, in a closet, in a place where the winds cannot put you in danger. That is where you need to go. You—do what you have to do to save your life. That’s the level we’re talking about. This is life or death.

PR CHORUS

Voices of the PR CHORUS in this scene could be recorded,

especially those people who are not on the island.

Hay gente en la calle arriesgando su vida.

There are people in the streets risking their lives.

Saludos. En Vega Alta se sienten fuerte.

Hello. In Vega Alta the winds are strong.

Karen Martínez Garcia de Angeles Puerto Rico cerca de Utuado, tú familia está esperando por noticias de ti y los nenes.

Karen Martínez García of Angeles Puerto Rico close to Utuado, your family is waiting to hear from you and the kids.

ADA

25

Yo puedo sentir lo que ustedes están sintiendo. Usted no está solo en esto. Yo puedo sentir su angustia, pero por favor usted quédese dentro de la estructura.

If…if you go outside at any time, even just to go to your neighbor’s house, understand…while I am talking to you the winds are at our windows. I can feel what you are feeling. You are not alone in this. I can feel your anguish, but please stay indoors.

PR CHORUS

Pueblo, no salgan a grabar. Manténganse seguros.

People, don’t go outside to record it. Stay safe.

San Lorenzo Vientos tumbando árboles y mueven el poste de cemento frente a mi casa. Agua metiéndose por las ventanas. Esos vientos son de más de 155 millas por hora, mi casa tiembla.

San Lorenzo. Winds taking down trees and moving the cement post by my house. Water’s coming through the windows. Those winds are over 155 mph, my house is shaking.

Ada, por favor déjame saber, de Trujillo Alto, las Parcelas Ramón T. Colón

Ada, please, let me know about Trujillo Alto, Las Parcelas Ramón T. Colón.

San Lorenzo, no he sabido nada de mi familia. Dios los Bendiga y que Dios los cubra con su preciosísima Sangre y su Santísimo Manto sagrado.

San Lorenzo, I haven’t heard anything about my family. God bless them and God take them in his merciful arms.

Estoy tan nerviosa les juro que no he dormido nada y no estoy allá, estoy en Albany, NY . Pero tengo mi familia en la isla. Dios los cuide a todos.

I am so nervous I swear I haven’t slept at all and I’m not there, I’m in Albany, NY. But my family’s on the island. Lord take care of everyone.

Seguimos orando.

We keep praying.

26

IRENE

Yo sentí como un temblor que hamaqueó la casa y yo dije, “Señor, si esta casa siendo tan grande se movió, la mía probablamente ya no exista” y esperamos que amaneciera.

I felt, like, a shake that rocked the house and I said, “God, if a house this big is moving, mine probably doesn’t exist anymore” and we hoped that the storm would break.

ADA

Las—los edificios altos se deben estar moviendo de lado a lado. No se asuste, eso es normal. El edificio no se va a quebrar.

. The—the tall buildings should be moving from side to side. Don’t be afraid, that is normal. The building is not going to collapse.

MARIA’S CHORUS

Hojas, lodo, agua, pantalones, zapatos, juguetes, abanicos, bolsas de basura, botellas plásticas, maderas, bloques, palmas, cables, carreteras, cisternas, antenas de satélite, placas solares, cristales, metales, lámparas, abanicos, terrazas, techos, paredes, microondas…

Leaves, mud, water, pants, shoes, toys, fans, trash bags, plastic bottles, wood, blocks, palms, cables, highways, gas tanks, satellite dishes, solar panels, crystals, metals, lamps, fans, terraces, roofs, walls, microwaves…

PR CHORUS

Río Grande, mis ventanas quieren abrirse, la lluvia se mete con fuerza. Dios nos proteja.

Río Grande, my windows want to open up, the rain is coming down hard. Lord protect us.

May God have mercy on our families, friends in Puerto Rico.

Señor protege nuestra isla. Protege nuestra familia y a todo el mundo que está pasando por este huracán.

God protect our island. Protect our family and everyone going through this hurricane.

Karina Meléndez, estoy bien mi amor.

27

Karina Meléndez, I’m okay, my love.

Señor pon tu mano, misericordiosa.

Lord shield us with your merciful hand.

ADA

Para nada, para nada, vaya a ver que lo que está pasando afuera. ¿Bien? Dios está con nosotros.

No matter what, no matter what, do not go see what’s happening outside. ¿Okay? God is with us.

PR CHORUS

En Río Grande esto es un infierno!!!! Definitivamente ha sido el peor que ha vivido PR, dicho por la boca de mi abuelo!

In Río Grande it is hell!!!! This is definitely the worst that Puerto Rico has been through, said straight from my grandpa’s mouth.

Acá en USA estamos orandoooo. Dios protege los míos, mi familia y mis hermanos boricuas.

Here in the USA we are prayingggg. Lord protect my people, my family and my boricua siblings.

Hola, Víctor soy tu tía Irene, dime cómo están todos, parece que lo peor ya pasó, pero que sigue…

Hi, Victor it’s your aunt Irene, tell me how everyone is, it seems like the worst has passed, but it keeps going...

Parece como si estuvieran bombardeando.

It looks like it was bombed.

Dios los bendiga y calme esa tormenta en el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Amen.

God bless them and calm this storm in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

28

ADA

Usted va a tener una prioridad en este momento y es proteger su vida. Lo que esté pasando alrededor—que se vaya. Pero usted tiene que estar tranquilo. Yo sé que los árboles están en el suelo—hay techos volando—me informan de varios edificios donde todas las ventanas se han explotadas, o se han roto.

You are going to have one priority right now and that is to protect your life. What’s happening outside—let’s hope it ends. But you have to stay calm. I know that there are trees on the ground—there are roofs flying—they’ve told me about several buildings where all of the windows have broken open, or cracked.

IRENE

La ventana donde yo duermo en mi cuarto el huracán la arrancó, se llevó todo y arrancó la puerta de cristal, se lo llevó todo. Entró, salió, se llevo todo.

The hurricane pulled out the window where I sleep in my room, it took everything and pulled out the glass door. It took everything. It came, left, and took everything.

PR CHORUS

¿David cómo estas?

David how are you?

Dios, ten misericordia de PR.

Lord, have mercy on Puerto Rico.

Yo también, mi mamá no me contesta.

Me too, my mom hasn’t answered me.

Dios proteja a Puerto Rico y a toda su gente, y a esto me pone muy triste. Mi apoyo en oraciones desde Egipto.

God, protect Puerto Rico and all it’s people, and that makes me so sad. Thoughts and prayers from Egypt.

29

Oraciones desde Florida.

Prayers from Florida.

Titi, esto está horrible, estamos bien, gracias a Dios. Besos.

Titi, that is horrible, we are okay, thank God. Kisses.

Take care of each other. Unite. We are Puerto Rico xoxoxox.

Mi nombre es Sara, tengo familia en Caguas y Guaynabo—por favor necesito saber de mis hermanas Estela y Sote y mi hermano José.

My name is Sara, I have family in Caguas and Guaynabo—please I need to know about my sisters Estela and Sote and my brother José.

Padre celestial, cuida de mi familia en Morovis y en la isla. Desde Cleveland, Ohio estoy en oración por mi gente. Dios proteja a su pueblo, lo material se recupera poco a poco.

Heavenly Father, take care of my family in Morovis and on the island. From Cleveland, Ohio I’m praying for my people. God protect your people, we can salvage things little by little.

No puedo hablar con nadie—no texto, no nada.

I can’t get ahold of anyone—no texting, no nothing.

Desde Texas. Lo que tú dices se lo informo a los míos por Whatsapp y por Facebook. Hang in there Puerto Rico!! Esto pasará. Stay safe!

From Texas. I’m telling my friends on WhatsApp and Facebook what you’re saying. Hang in there, Puerto Rico!! This will pass. Stay safe!

Sigan instrucciones, mi gente. Que Dios los bendiga mucho. Desde Charlotte, North Carolina.

Follow instructions, my people. God bless you much. From Charlotte, North Carolina.

¿Alguien sabe cómo estará en Juana Díaz? Mis papas y familiares viven allí.

30

Anyone know how it will be in Juana Díaz? My parents and family live there.

Alguien que me diga algo de Morovis y Hatillo por favor.

Someone tell me something about Morovis and Hatillo please.

MARIA’S CHORUS

muñecas, tiestos, manteles, mesas, sillas, butacas, respiradores, tanques de oxígeno, camas, sábanas, cepillos de diente, chancletas, almohadas, espejos, libros, pinturas

dolls, flowerpot, tablecloths, tables, chairs, armchairs, inhalers, oxygen tanks, beds, sheets, toothbrushes, flip-flops, pillows, mirrors, books, paintings…

PR CHORUS

En estos momentos no se puede estar afuera, por favor. Olvide lo material, proteja su vida.

Right now you cannot be outside, please. Forget your things, protect your life.

Esto es un desastre.

This is a disaster.

Esto parece un tornado. Nunca en la vida había vivido algo así, está súper feo.

It’s like a tornado. I’ve never been through anything like this in my life, super rough.

ADA

Aún cuando usted sienta que todo se destruya alrededor suyo—usted tiene que buscar cómo sobrevivir. Esto es vida o muerte. Escúcheme bien—esto es vida o muerte. Así que por favor usted métese en un lugar donde proteja su vida. Y llevase a las mascotas, proteja los niños, proteja a los ancianos—y por favor, oren. Oren. Oren continuamente.

Even though you feel that everything around you is being destroyed—you have to look for a way to survive. This is life or death. Listen closely—this is life or death. So please get in a place that will keep you safe. And bring your pets, protect your children, protect the elderly—and please, pray. Pray. Pray continuously.

PR CHORUS

31

Fuerza, mi pueblo.

Strength, my people.

Lord have mercy.

El ruido es increíble. Yo estoy en el baño.

The noise is unbelievable. I'm in the bathroom.

Winds are crazy...things flying...building groaning. God protect us!

Vamos a morir.

We are going to die.

MARIA’S CHORUS

hojas, changos, palomas, pitirres, reinitas, robles, canarios, turpiales, almendros, árboles, puentes, árboles, tazas, platos, cubiertos, árboles, caballos, vacas, perros, gatos, gallinas, árboles, orégano, albahaca, culantro, cilantro, flores, abajas, árboles, hospitales, semáforos, verjas, empañetado, letreros, árboles, billboards, luz, árboles…

leaves, grackle birds, pigeons, kingbirds, spindles, oak, canaries, turpiales, almond tree, trees, bridges, trees, mugs, plates, silverware, trees, horses, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, trees, oregano, basil, coriander, cilantro, flowers, bees, trees, hospitals, traffic lights, fences, plaster, signs, trees, billboards, electricity, trees

PR CHORUS

spoken by all, unison

No hay luz.

There’s no power.

the lights flicker off. We are suspended in darkness

—————SCENE 6—————

MARÍA, in her fury, reigns over the disaster she has created. Debris has been strewn across the stage, and she climbs to the top of the set—standing again like Lady Liberty.

32

She stands proud as the morning comes.

The isolated people from the scene before begin to exit their homes, entering the newly devastated world

IRENE

Cuando amaneció, que abrimos las puertas, las ventanas…

Los árboles no estaban, los que quedaron no tenían hojas, no tenían ramas, se veía de un lado a otro. Las cosas que estaban tapadas con los árboles se veían y parecía una película de misterio.

Cuando llegamos a la casa, que yo vi que se había ido el techo, se había ido la pared del frente, la pared de atrás, nada.

When the sun broke through, we opened the doors, the windows…

The trees were gone, the ones that were left didn’t have leaves, they didn’t have branches, you could see from one side to the other. You could see everything that the trees had covered, it was like a mystery movie.

When we got to the house, I saw that the roof was gone, the front wall was gone, the back wall, nothing.

SEBASTIAN

Aquí cayó una bomba. Todo quemado, todo partido, todo claro. Tú mirabas hacía allá y veías todo hacia la costa, mirabas para allá y veías todo. Porque tampoco habían recogido los postes, todos partidos como palillos de diente.

A bomb fell here. Everything burned, everything gone, everything clear. You looked over there and saw all the way to the coast, looked that way and saw everything. Because the posts hadn’t been gathered up either, everything split like toothpicks.

MARIANA

Yo perdí el techo de la mitad de la casa, la marquesina, que es bastante grande. Yo vivo en el campo, pero como mi esposa y yo no tenemos niños, podíamos pasar por debajo del techo para entrar a la casa y salir.

I lost half of my roof, the canopy, which is pretty big. I live in the country, but because my wife and I don’t have kids, we could crawl under the roof to get out of the house.

JOSÉ

33

Eso en cuanto a mí, a lo que yo veía era mil veces peor, árboles atravesando ventanas en las casas, carros tirados con las ruedas hacía arriba, techos volados, ríos salidos de su cauce, esa fotografía…

That’s what happened to me, what I saw was a thousand times worse, trees going through house windows, cars tossed with the wheels in the air, roofs torn off, rivers overflowing the riverbeds, the photographs…

MARIANA with PR CHORUS

Estoy atrapada en el nido construido por el bosque arrasado.

I’m trapped in the nest made of the devastated forest.

IRENE

Es triste, mira qué lindo es el paisaje cuando tú ves verde, cuando tú ves tus plantas, es bello, pero cuando tú ves que aquello fue todo, nada quedó verde, todo era marrón, todo lo que veías era marrón. Verde, "¿Dónde está lo verde, Dios mío? ¿Dónde?", no quedó nada verde, nada.

No era ver solamente mi casa, era ver todos los árboles, toda la destrucción, la gente triste, llorando, otros estaban en shock, como que decían,

It’s sad, look at how lovely the landscape is when you see the greenery, when you see your plants, it's beautiful, but when you see that everything is gone, nothing green was left, everything was brown, everything you could see was brown. Green. Where is the green, my God? Where? Nothing green was left, nothing.

It wasn’t just seeing my house, it was seeing all the trees, all the destruction, the heartbroken people, crying, others were in shock, like they said,

PR CHORUS

Oh my God.

IRENE

Como que uno no lo puede creer, pero sí pasó y todavía seguían vientos y seguía saliendo más zincs y lo que no se destruyó con un lado, se destruyó cuando vino el virazón del huracán.

Like you can’t believe it, but it happened and still the winds continued and more zinc roofs kept flying and what wasn’t destroyed in the first pass, was destroyed when the wind came in from the sea after the hurricane.

34

MARIANA with PR CHORUS

Años de siembra, memorias y fantasmas sepultadas para siempre.

Years of cultivation, memories and ghosts buried forever.

EDGUARDO

Aquí estaba, como uno la tiene en la mente toda armada, uno dice, “Bueno” y de uno llegar y ver las cosas por ahí todas regadas, cables en el piso, palos hasta acá.

Here I was, like you have to prepare yourself, you say, “Okay” and you get there and see everything scattered, cables on the floor, branches up to here.

AMANDA

Estuve, creo, en un estado así como que de sueño por lo menos dos semanas. Yo me sentaba en el balcón, veía la destrucción, veía el monte marrón, como si le hubiese pegado fuego y yo decía, ¿Qué pasó?

I was, I think, in a dreamlike state for at least two weeks. I sat on the balcony, looking at the destruction, looking at the brown hill, as if it had been bombed and I said,

What happened?

PR CHORUS

an echo

¿Qué pasó?

What happened?

perhaps we hear the whispers of Maria’s Chorus echo through the stage,

through our collective memory

JOSÉ

Por casi tres semanas, los celulares no funcionaban,

los hardlines tampoco.

For almost three weeks, cell phones didn’t work,

Landlines didn’t either.

SEBASTIAN

35

Asumo que de donde tu vienes sería lo mismo, están dos días sin energía eléctrica es un caos, en el caso mío particular en mi casa estuvimos cuatro meses y medio, casi cinco meses sin energía eléctrica, el agua llego un poco antes.

Mucha gente estuvo semanas sin electricidad, meses y hasta más de un año.

I bet where you live it would be the same, two days without electricity is chaos, for me specifically, in my house we spent four and a half months, almost five months without power, water arrived just a bit sooner.

A lot of people went weeks without power, months and up to a year.

MARIANA

Todo el mundo se enteró,

Everyone realized,

PR CHORUS

in unison

Okay, no somos nosotros, es una comunidad que se quedó sin luz.

Okay, it’s not just us, the whole community’s without power.

JOSÉ

Mi hermano y mis padres viven al otro lado de la isla y yo vivo en la capital.

Yo no sabía si ellos estaban bien, no sabía si estaban vivos.

My brother and my parents live on the other side of the island and I live in the capital.

I didn’t know if they were okay, I didn’t know if they were alive.

IRENE

Fue unos días de—no sabíamos cómo ellos estaban, ni ellos sabían de nosotros.

Mi hija estaba en Alemania por el trabajo, cuando ella oye lo del huracán, de lo que pasó, ella se fue. Le dijo al jefe, “yo me voy” “Olvídese de cuánto sale ese pasaje, yo me tengo que ir porque yo necesito saber cómo están mis papás.”

There were a few days of—we didn’t know how they were and they didn’t know about us.

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My daughter was in Germany for work, when she heard about the hurricane, about what happened, she left. She told her boss “I’m leaving” “Forget how much the ticket costs, I have to go because I have to know how my parents are.”

We hear a voice from the diaspora play through the speakers, saying:

A VOICE OF THE DIASPORA

Usually when I fly to Puerto Rico, when we land everyone claps because we made it—we are back on our island. I went back just after María, and you usually fly into San Juan, but we flew in from the West. In just a few minutes we crossed the whole island, we saw all of the destruction like that. When we landed, there was no applause.

MARIANA with PR CHORUS

Somos cucubanos moribundos en las ruinas de un bosque.

We are dying cockroaches in the forest ruins.

AMANDA

Recuerdo que me tenía que levantar a las 4:00 de la mañana para tomar la señal. Esto fue como a las tres semanas, que logramos agarrar señal.

I remember that I had to wake up at 4 in the morning to get signal. It was at about three weeks, when we finally got cell service.

A few Facebook messages from family members flash across the screen.

Yo desde las 4:00 a las 6:00 lograba comunicarme con la gente. Ya a las 6:00AM que todo el mundo se despertaba no había.

From 4 to 6 you could communicate with people. Then at 6am when everyone woke up, there was no way.

The messages fade away.

AMANDA

Esa sensación de perder contacto con la familia, de tener contacto con la de Estados Unidos a través de Facebook, pero no a través de la familia acá, fue bien frustrante y bien desesperante.

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That feeling of not having contact with my family, to be able to talk with the United States on Facebook, but no way to talk to my family here, was so frustrating and so exasperating.

Los familiares en Estados Unidos era como que, “Vénganse para acá, que acá van a estar mejor”

…pero sentía que me tengo que quedar, aunque no haga nada, porque, ¿Qué va a pasar?

Se va a vaciar el país y es peor.

Family members in the United States were like, “Come here, because it’ll be better here”

...but I felt like I had to stay, even though I didn’t do anything, because, What’s going to happen?

The country will be deserted and that’s worse.

Although she decides to stay, not everyone does.

We see signs of her neighbors as they leave, heading for the U.S.

Maybe a for sale sign, maybe a decoration taken down,

As some leave:

IRENE

Somos americanos queremos o no queramos, somos americanos.

We are Americans, like it or not, we are Americans.

SEBASTIAN

No sé si has tenido la experiencia, pero yo recuerdo cuando me criaba cuando niño, por ejemplo, las guayabas, las frutas que tenemos aquí también, las más grandes eran americanas, las pequeñitas eran puertorriqueñas. Las avispas; las grandes eran americanas, las pequeñitas eran de aquí de Puerto Rico e inclusive, el pavimento, las carreteras, el que era bien lisesito, bien suavecito, ese era americano, el otro que era roñoso más, era—

Así fue como crecimos y siempre vamos a pensar que todo lo mejor está allá, de que sí hay personas que se creen más americanos que puertorriqueños sí las hay, yo no los culpo.

I don’t know if you’ve had this experience, but I remember growing up as a kid, for example, the guavas, the fruit that we have here, the biggest ones were American, the

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little ones were Puerto Rican. The wasps; the big ones were American, the little ones were Puerto Rican and even the sidewalk, the roads, the smoothest ones, the even ones, those were American, the other dirtier ones were—

That’s how we grew up, and we’re always going to think the best is over there, so yeah there are people that believe they are more American than Puerto Rican, yes there are, I don’t blame them.

AMANDA

Yo personalmente nací en Estados Unidos, pero yo no me siento americana, yo soy puertorriqueña, para mi hay una diferencia.

I, personally, was born in the United States, but I don’t feel American, I am Puerto Rican, for me there’s a difference.

JOSÉ

No importa dónde hayas nacido, ese sentimiento está ahí, nosotros tenemos una diáspora de cuatro, cinco millones de personas en Estados Unidos ¿cómo decirle a ellos que no son puertorriqueños porque no están aquí?

It doesn’t matter where you were born, the feeling is there, we have a diaspora of four, five million people in the United States. How do you tell them that they aren’t Puerto Rican because they aren’t here?

AMANDA

Todas estas divisiones que son artificiales—

All of those divisions are artificial—

MARIANA

Yo creo que Puerto Rico es mucho más que eso.

Puerto Rico es un lugar vivo, más bien emocional y en la conciencia que un lugar físico.

I think Puerto Rico is a lot more than that.

Puerto Rico is a living place, it’s more in your emotions and your spirit than a physical place.

AMANDA

Algo que yo he aprendido a lo largo—Por lo menos yo lo veo así—es que tú eres lo que te sientas. Si tú no te sientes puertorriqueño, te sientes americano, aunque no hables nada

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de inglés y lo que comas sea chicharrón y plátanos maduros todo el día, tú eres americano. Si eso te hace feliz, eso te va a hacer feliz. Yo prefiero que la gente sea feliz a estar tratando de imponerle mis perspectivas.

Something I’ve learned over time—at least I see it like this—is that you are what you feel. If you don’t feel Puerto Rican, you feel American, even though you don’t speak any English and you eat pork rinds and plantains all day, you are American. If that’s what makes you happy, that’s what will make you happy. I’d rather have people be happy than try to force my point of view.

IRENE

En Estados Unidos no nos conocen. Cuando decimos que somos puertorriqueños nos tratan como al mexicano y nos rechazan. Hay mucho rechazo, mucho discrimen.

Ellos nos tratan así, dices, “puertorriqueño”, tienes que enseñar un montón de identificaciones y tienes que sacara todo. No eres americano hasta que enseñas el pasaporte.

In the United States they don’t know us. When we say we’re Puerto Rican they treat us like Mexicans and reject us. There’s a lot of rejection, a lot of discrimination.

They treat us like, when you say “Puerto Rican,” you have to show them a ton of identification and you have to take out everything. You aren’t American until you show them your passport.

MARIANA

looking around at the lack of people

La sensación de que lo hemos perdido todo me persigue como una sombra más.

Al atardecer desciende sobre mí, sobre nosotros, el ocre dolor por el paisaje ausente, la melancolía que portaron las sombras, el estridente aislamiento del silencio.

The feeling like we had lost everything followed me like a second shadow.

At dusk the burnt orange pain of a missing landscape, the melancholy that shadows carry, the grating isolation of silence descended over me, over us.

we feel the weight of the darkness

AMANDA

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Producto soy del siglo XX y, a pesar de que no puedo culpar ni a Juracán ni a Guayanoya poderosa presencia de las aguas, mis sentidos insisten en adjudicar la devastación a las furias de espíritus vengativos.

I’m from the 20th century, and although I can’t blame Juracán nor the powerful Guayanoya of the sea, my instincts tell me that this devastation is because of vengeful spirits.

As night falls, María steps down from her podium and exits the stage

—————SCENE 7—————

a new day

SEBASTIAN

Nosotros preparamos en nuestra casa, nos preparamos para los vientos, pero no para lo que venía después y ahí es donde está el problema.

We were prepared in our house, we prepared ourselves for the winds, but not for what came after and that’s where the problem started.

PR CHORUS

las filas para conseguir gasolina

el calor

la falta de agua,

la basura que se acumulaba,

los mosquitos

había mucho mosquito terrible

the lines at the gas station

the heat

the lack of water

the trash that accumulated

the mosquitos

there were so many terrible mosquitos.

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AMANDA

Estaba catatónica, o sea, yo no me podía mover. Yo veía a mi esposo moviéndose, barriendo, por ejemplo, a las perras ladrando y yo en el balcón así como que, “¿Qué pasó?”

I was catatonic, I mean, I couldn’t move. I saw my husband moving, sweeping, for example, the dogs barking and I was on the balcony like, “What happened?”

PR CHORUS

¿Qué pasó?

What happened?

AMANDA

Escuchaba las noticias de que, "Sí, la ayuda está llegando", yo decía, "Es que yo no veo la ayuda".

I heard on the news that “ Yes, aid is on the way” I was like, “The thing is I don’t see any aid”

SEBASTIAN

Mi esposa estuvo un día ocho horas haciendo fila para poder echar el par de galones de gasolina al vehículo.

My wife was in line 8 hours one day to put just a few gallons of gas in the car.

AMANDA

Es cierto que yo no me estoy moviendo, pero yo estoy oyendo lo que los vecinos dicen, todas las filas que están haciendo y yo no veo ninguna ayuda.

Sure, I’m not moving, but I hear what my neighbors are saying, all the lines they’re waiting in, and I don’t see any aid.

MARIANA

El gobierno no estaba funcionando por las primeras tres semanas y la gente tomó esas riendas.

The government was down for the first three weeks and the people took over.

IRENE

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Nosotros estábamos en la casa y lo primero que tuvimos que hacer fue, "¿Qué vamos a hacer? ¿Por dónde empezamos? Tenemos que empezar por la comida, por el agua.

Cada cual buscó ayuda, todo el mundo se ayudó unos a otros, vecinos con vecinos. Si yo venía a la panadería a comprar pan y el vecino no podía, yo no compraba una libra, yo compraba dos o tres y cuando llegaba a casa una para el del frente, una para el del lado y una para el del otro lado, así fue.

We were at home and the first thing was like “What are we going to do? Where do we start? We have to start with food, with water.”

Everyone looked for help, everyone helped each other, neighbors with neighbors. If I went to the bakery for bread and my neighbor couldn’t, I didn’t buy one loaf, I bought two or three and when I got home, one for the neighbor in front, one for the side and one for the neighbor on the other side, that’s how it was.

SEBASTIAN

La gente no esperó por el gobierno, porque si el país se levantó no fue por el gobierno, fue por la gente que empezó a decir, “Tú sabes que? Si esperamos por el gobierno no vamos a poder limpiar esta carretera.”

People didn’t wait for the government, so if the country rose up it wasn’t the government, it was the people who started to say “You know what? If we wait for the government we’re not going to clear this street.”

JOSÉ

Porque he trabajado mucho en otros huracanes, yo tengo una sierra de cortar árboles y siempre la tengo conmigo…así que prendí la sierra y empecé con la sierra a cortar los árboles que estaban en el suelo para moverlos. Estaba yo solo y poco a poco empezaron a bajar las personas. Los hombres en chanclas, en pijamas, pero ya no era yo solo, ya eran cinco, después 15, después 20, y un trabajo que me hubiese tomado una semana, lo hicimos en un día.

Because I’ve worked a lot with other hurricanes, I have a saw to cut trees down and I always have it with me...so I turned on the saw and started cutting fallen trees so I could move them. I was alone and little by little people started to come downstairs. The men in flip-flops, pajamas, but now I wasn’t alone, now there were five, then 15, then 20, and a job that would’ve taken me a week, we did in one day.

MARIANA

Las manos sucias, es que no había manera de no tenerlas sucias, porque tú estabas de verdad usándolas. Usándolas para recoger escombros, usándolas para llevar comida,

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usándolas para recoger bolsas, usándolas para limpiar la carretera, usándolas para abrazar al otro.

Dirty hands, there was no way to not have them dirty, because you were really using them. Using them to pick up debris, using them to deliver food, using them to collect bags, using them to clean the street, using them to hug one another.

People begin to walk around—cleaning debris,

when they encounter one another they hug, check in.

Maybe we hear the following lines dispersed throughout the scene:

PR CHORUS

“Tú estás bien, tú necesitas algo?

Are you good, do you need something?

¿Vecina tú estas bien, necesitas gasolina, agua?

Neighbor are you good, do you need gasoline, water?

¿tú estás bien, se te rompió algo? ¿No? Okay, cualquier cosa yo estoy ahí en la 68,

Are you alright, did anything of yours break? No. Okay, whatever you need, I’m in 68,

yo estoy acá en la 73,

I’m here in 73,

yo estoy allá arriba, cualquier cosa.

I’m there upstairs, whatever you need.

It’s almost like a dance, the cleaning, the connecting, the recovery.

MARIANA

Yo me siento orgullosa de ello, como a mi los gobiernos no me acaban de convencer.

I’m proud of that, because for me, I don’t have a lot of faith in the government.

IRENE

Empecé a trabajar con la comunidad. Ya había unas muchachas que habían hecho un trabajo. Habían ido a las casas que estaban afectadas, ya las habían enumerado, habían sacado las personas encamadas, cuántas personas había para llevarle cosas y demás.

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Empezamos a visitar gente, empezamos a visitar lo que no se veía. Eso fue bárbaro porque tú ves casas que lo que le quedó fue el baño porque era de cemento, lo demás se fue.

I started to work in the community. There were already some girls that had been doing work. They went to affected houses and numbered them, rescued all the bedridden people, counted how many people needed aid, and more. We started visiting people, visiting what you didn’t see. It was crazy, you saw houses where the only thing left was the bathroom because it was made of cement, the rest was gone.

MARIANA

Perdimos los hogares, pero lo más terrible fue perder el trabajo, porque si tú pierdes el hogar, y tienes trabajo puedes iniciar una recuperación a nivel personal, sin depender de FEMA.

We lost our homes, but the worst part was losing your job, because if you lose your house but still have a job you can start to recover on your own, without depending on FEMA.

JOSÉ

FEMA empezó a resolver problemas burocráticos antes de resolver problemas humanos, hay una diferencia.

FEMA solved bureaucratic problems before solving human problems, there’s a difference.

EDGUARDO

El proceso era un poco tedioso, porque el primer día que ellos vinieron, yo llegue como a las 5:00 AM, digo antes 3:00AM creo que nosotros estuvimos ahí.

The process was a bit tedious; the first day they came, I got there at like 5 a.m. I’d say earlier, 3 a.m. I think we were there.

JOSÉ

Por ejemplo la situación de los permisos para desembarcar las ayudas, las ayudas llegaban al puerto pero los camioneros que desembarcaban las ayudas necesitaban un montón de papeles para poder enganchar los vagones donde estaba la ayuda.

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For example, the situation with the permits and unloading aid; the aid got to the port but the drivers who were there to unload the aid needed a ton of paperwork to be able to fill their trucks.

EDGUARDO

Cuando nos atendieron, cuando llegamos al frente, dijeron que no iban a atender a nadie porque había que hacer otro proceso distinto. Hay que ir, llamar, preguntar, no te creen a veces lo que tú le estás diciendo, le tratan como si uno estuviera mintiendo.

When they got to us, when we made it to the front, they said they weren’t going to help anyone because you had to do a different process first. You have to go, call, ask, sometimes they don’t believe what you’re saying, they treat you as if you were lying.

JOSÉ

Es lo que conseguía ese papeleo muchas de esas ayudas se podrían porque era comida, se dañaban, venía gente y se las robaba y los camioneros empezaron a decir,

All that paperwork caused a lot of aid packages to go bad because it was food, it was damaged, people came and stole them and the drivers started to say,

PR CHORUS

“Pero nosotros estamos aquí para ayudar y ustedes con sus malditos papeles no nos lo permiten, aquí hay que pedir permiso hasta para respirar. Mientras el pueblo está todo jodido muriéndose de hambre y de sed, ustedes están entreteniéndose con papeles”.

“But we are here to help and you guys with your damned paperwork won’t let us, you need a permit just to breathe here. While the people are totally fucked dying of hunger and thirst, you keep yourselves busy with paperwork”.

EDGUARDO

Hay muchos trucos, pero a mi me negaron la ayuda dos veces porque como yo compré el terreno nada más y después construí, ellos decían que la casa tenía que tener un seguro, que ellos no podían darme nada.

There was always a catch, they denied my aid twice because I just bought the lot and built on it, they said the house needed it’s own insurance, and that they couldn’t give me anything.

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IRENE

Se han olvidado que somos los humanos, los puertorriqueños los que estamos abajo.

No hay una ayuda, yo no veo ayuda, no se ve, por como uno ve mucho sufrimiento y mucha necesidad, no en uno, pero en otras personas que son como nuestros hermanos.

Uno los ve sufrir y uno va también. Sufre.

They’ve forgotten that we are human beings, the Puerto Ricans down here.

There is no aid, I don’t see any aid, you can’t see it, you see so much suffering and so much need, not just you, but other people, your brothers.

You see them suffer and you do too. Suffer.

ROSSELLÓ

an announcement from el estado, perhaps broadcasted over radios

“Puerto Rico se levanta”

“Puerto Rico Rise Up”

EDGUARDO

he responds to the ad

Basura, sinceramente, recogieron unos fondos y nunca ha servido nada que hicieron. A mí la política, yo no creo en ninguno, no creo en políticos. Es mejor tratar de sobrevivir uno mismo como pueda, lo que se le dé bien y lo que no también, así bregamos.

Trash, honestly, they got all this money and nothing they did helped. Politics, for me, I don’t agree with any of it, I don’t believe in politics. It’s better to try to survive as best you can on your own, through the good and the bad, that’s how we persevere.

AMANDA

Lo cierto es que la ayuda, por lo menos en mi zona, tardó muchísimo en llegar y no fue suficiente. Lo que más yo recuerdo es esa sensación de que, “Esto no es lo que se supone que hubiese pasado.”

The truth is that the aid, at least where I live, the aid arrived so late and there wasn’t enough. I remember so clearly that feeling of “This is not what should’ve happened.”

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IRENE

Aunque llegaba mucha ayuda a nuestro pueblo, mucha de ella fue mal administrada, como pasó en el gobierno. Aquí teníamos a los jefes de agencia y todo situado en el Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico con mucho aire acondicionado, con buenas comidas mientras el país estaba pasando necesidad.

A lot of aid came to our town, but it was badly administered, that’s how the government did it. There were agency secretaries and everything set up in the Puerto Rico Convention Center with a lot of air conditioning, with good food while the country was in need.

MARIANA

Mi casa estaba destruida, no tenía agua, ni luz, eso te lo complica. Yo me bañe en ríos, me bañé con cubos. Yo no tengo ningún problema, pero era muy difícil esa parte también. Venir a San Juan, donde ya la gente acicalaba, se vestían bien, y uno con paño, bañándose, todo eso fue muy dificultoso, pero se tomó una decisión de hacer resistencia.

My house was destroyed, there was no water, no electricity, that gets complicated. I bathed in rivers, I bathed with buckets. I don’t have a problem with that, but it did get hard. Coming to San Juan where the people showered, dressed up and I’m here bathing with a rag, it was really hard, but we decided to put up a fight.

—————SCENE 8—————

As if hearing her call to resistance, the women gather together in battle gear,

role-playing as warriors, ready to fight.

SOFÍA

Empezaron a salir desde alacranes, ratas, ratones, lagartijas, cucarachas, muchas cosas que salieron, no habían árboles, no había nada, ellos estaban buscando sitio para dónde meterse.

Things came out of the woodwork; scorpions, rats, mice, lizards, cockroaches, a lot of things emerged, there were no trees, there wasn’t anything, they were looking for a place to go.

JUANA

Las noches son un infierno de calor y mosquitos.

The nights are a hell of heat and mosquitos.

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VALERIA

El enemigo: un ejército de mosquitos. El campo de batalla: el balcón. El arma: una raqueta eléctrica. La duración: todo el día.

The enemy: an army of mosquitos. The battle ground: the balcony. The weapon: an electric racket. The duration: all day long.

JUANA

Los mosquitos siempre habían estado ahí, pero rara vez me hacían caso. Pero pasó María y de pronto, había agua, mucha agua acumulada entre los escombros, los árboles y las matas, en los techos de las casa y los suelos también. Y los mosquitos aumentaron en número, se organizaron y empezaron a interesar en mí.

There were always mosquitos, but they never bothered me. Then María happened and all of a sudden, there was water, so much water sitting between the debris, the trees and leaves, in the roofs and the floors too. And the mosquitos grew in number, they got together and started to pay attention to me.

VALERIA

Se debe abrir la puerta al balcón de un cantado y empezar a dar raquetazon. La idea es no darle tiempo al enemigo de atacar primero.

Siempre caerán mosquitos porque han aprovechado las horas de la mañana para agruparse en grandes cantidades, por eso es importante el elemento sorpresa.

You should immediately open the balcony door and start to swing the racket. Don’t give the enemy the first attack.

Mosquitos take advantage of the morning hours to gather in large numbers, then they descend on us, that’s why the element of surprise is important.

the women break out of the room they have gathered in, and begin swinging wildly at mosquitos onstage as they continue the following reports.

SOFÍA

La batalla es en parejas! Un mosquito solitario me toca el hombro.

The battle is in pairs! One mosquito touches my shoulder.

she swings, and misses

la idea es llamar la atención para que otro mosquito, al lado contrario, ataque.

The idea is to get my attention so that another mosquito, on the other side, attacks.

she swings, and misses

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JUANA

Hay que concederles el ingenio.

You have to give it to them. That’s genius.

SOFÍA

¿A quién se le ocurre janguear con un ejército de mosquitos?

Who decided to hang out with the army of mosquitos?

VALERIA

Transmiten enfermedades peligrosos: dengue, zika, chikungunya, fiebre amarilla…es por eso que la guerra es sin cuartel.

They spread dangerous diseases: dengue, zika, chikungunya, yellow fever...that’s why this war is relentless.

they fight for some time,

then in settles down a bit

JUANA

Algunas veces, temprano en la tarde, los mosquitos declaran una tregua unilateral. Se reagrupan, diseñan estrategias de ataques, reponen fuerzas. Son un ejército dispuesto a ganar esta guerra.

Yo confío en mi superioridad de tamaño y mi habilidad con la raqueta.

Sometimes, early in the afternoon, the mosquitos declare a truce. They regroup, design attack strategies, and replace their forces. Their army is ready to win this war.

I believe in my superior size and my talent with the racket.

SOFÍA

Entonces, el enemigo y yo aprovechamos para descansar y prepararnos para la lucha al día siguiente, esta lucha diaria que nos dejó María.

So, the enemy and I rest and prepare for tomorrow’s fight, this daily fight that María left us.

—————SCENE 9—————

now it is nighttime

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people begin gathering together outside

hugging each other as they arrive

we see some people playing card games

others lay out blankets, getting ready to watch the stars

SEBASTIAN

El huracán espiritualmente nos afectó a todos, no somos los mismos después del huracán porque nos dimos cuenta de muchas cosas, buenas y malas, pero yo creo pensar más en las buenas.

The hurricane affected all of us spiritually, we’re not the same after the hurricane, because we realized a lot of things, good and bad, but I like to focus on the good.

IRENE

Yo por lo menos tengo techo. Que las paredes por dentro se mojaron y están enchabadas, un día de estos. Los muebles yo tuve que botarlos, todo, por más que yo traté de lavarlos y limpiarlos, pero es que no había forma de recuperarlos, pero eso es material, lo importante es la vida, gracias a Dios que estamos vivos.

At least I have a roof. Sure, the walls inside are wet and ruined, but that’s a problem for another day. I had to throw away the furniture, all of it, I really tried to wash and clean them, but there was no way to salvage it, but that’s material, what’s important is your life, thank God that we are alive.

RUIZ

El espacio de la casa es reducido ahora, pero de verdad que yo no me quejo de nada de lo que me pasa, porque yo he pasado otras cosas peores que esto, no perdí familiares, uno no sabe y veo gente peor que yo, como que no, ha cambiado, pero a mí no me conoce. Yo tengo trabajo, hay gente que ha perdido trabajo, no tengo problema. Un poco más pequeña la casa es lo más que yo puedo decir, pero no he perdido más.

My house is smaller now, but honestly I can’t complain, because worse things have happened, I didn’t lose family members, you never know and I see people worse off than me, it’s like, life has changed, but I don’t know. I have a job, some people lost their jobs. I don’t have a problem. My house is a little smaller, that’s all I can say, I haven’t lost more.

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MARIANA

Puedo agradecer a Dios que perdí la vivienda, pero no perdí la vida.

I can thank God that I lost my home, but I didn’t lose my life.

AMANDA

El huracán fue duro, pero las cosas duras son muy buenas y lo que yo vi de los seres humanos no se me va a olvidar, no se me va a olvidar.

The hurricane was hard, but hard things are really good and I will never forget what I saw human beings do, I will never forget.

SEBASTIAN

La gente empezó a aprender nuevamente la importancia del otro, del vecino.

Además de yo, eres tú, es otro.

Cómo nos necesitamos unos a otros para sobrevivir.

People started to remember the importance of the other, of their neighbor.

It’s not just me, it’s you, it’s them.

How we need each other to survive.

MARIANA

Era bonito porque cada vez que necesitábamos algo—yo vivo en el campo—aparecía. No teníamos agua, y de momento alguien nos dejaba una caja de botellas de agua—un milagro, ¿entiendes? No teníamos compra, y de momento aparecía alguien. “Mira, les traje esta compra.” Pasó eso mucho, como milagros casuales, pero muchas. Que yo decía, “Pero, ¿qué es esto?” Parecían milagros.

It was beautiful because each time that we needed something—and I live in the country—it appeared. We had no water, and then suddenly someone left us a case of water—a miracle, you know? We didn’t have groceries, and then someone appeared, “Look, I brought you these supplies.” All the time, coincidental miracles, but a lot of them. I said, “But, what is this?” Seemed like miracles.

SEBASTIAN

Pasamos mal pero estamos vivos y gracias a Dios.

We had it bad but we are alive and thank God.

AMANDA

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Después de haber sobrevivido a María, yo sobrevivo cualquier cosa.

After surviving María, I can survive anything.

MARIANA

En la oscuridad impenetrable albergo la esperanza que mañana será distinto.

In the impenetrable darkness I hold onto the hope that tomorrow will be different.

they sit with one another, grateful for their lives,

grateful for the stars, grateful for each other.

…

after a long moment,

—————SCENE 10—————

as electric light fills the stage, the cherished quiet of the night passes,

and we are filled with a new energy.

PR CHORUS

Empieza la corrupción,

empieza el problema del gobierno,

empieza el problema del dinero de la diáspora que

empieza a llegar y nadie sabe dónde está ese dinero,

empieza la corrupción de los alcaldes, los alcaldes

empiezan a coger cosas para ellos mismos y para su gente del municipio

y empiezan a vender y negociar con las ayudas que llegaron de afuera.

And so it begins:

the corruption

the government issue

The question of the diaspora’s money that arrives and no one knows where the money went

the corruption of mayors, the mayors

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taking things for themselves and for the people in their community and

selling and trading the aid that we got from abroad.

MARIANA

Empezó todo una serie de trabucos con la electricidad, para ver quién se llevaba el contrato de recuperación y eso hizo que se tardara en regresar la luz ocho, 10 meses y ahí fue que se murieron la mayor cantidad de las personas, porque no había luz en los hospitales, no se podía dar diálisis, no se podían poner las máquinas de oxígeno, tú entrabas por un golpe y salías con una infección, porque no había refrigeración ni de cadáveres, ni de medicina, ni de nada.

And now all the mistakes with the electric companies, figuring out who would get the disaster relief contract, delaying power for eight, ten months and that was when most people died, because there wasn’t any electricity in the hospitals, you couldn’t give dialysis, you couldn’t use oxygen tanks, you came in with a scrape and left with an infection because you couldn’t refrigerate anything, not the corpses, not the medicine, not anything.

JOSÉ

Empezaron a surgir compañías de la nada, out of the blue.

Companies started coming out of nowhere, out of the blue.

WHITEFISH

Nosotros vamos a ayudarles a reconstruir el sistema eléctrico.

We are going to help you reconstruct the electric system.

JOSÉ

Mentira, cobraron millones de dólares por no hacer nada. Terminaron haciéndolo los obreros puertorriqueños sin cobrar un centavo.

Lies, they made millions of dollars doing nothing. Puerto Rican workers ended up doing it without making a cent.

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La corrupción fue el peor de los males del huracán, no solamente la tragedia ambiental y la tragedia del viento, y la tragedia de las inundaciones, fue la corrupción del gobierno, tanto el de aquí como el de allá.

Corruption was the worst part of the hurricane, not only the devastated environment and the violent winds, the destructive floods, it was the corruption of the government, just as bad here as it was there.

The PR Chorus playact a twitter discussion.

Meanwhile, performers enter the stage. Each one stands in place for a few moments, breathing their final breaths, and dies. Then each leaves their shoes in place when they

exit the stage. The stench of death increases as the stage fills with abandoned shoes.

TRUMP

Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure and massive debt, is in deep trouble. Texas and Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure and massive debt, is in deep trouble…

JUANA

RR sobrevuela, sobrevuela, sobrevuela…Con lo que yo vi en mi barrio tengo suficiente para saber lo que hay.

Rosselló flies over, flies over, flies over...what I saw in my own neighborhood is enough to know what’s going on.

PEDRO

Todos los días son 20 de septiembre. Nooooooooo se ve ayuda.

Every day is September 20. There is nooooooooo aid.

TRUMP

It’s old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the island was destroyed, with billions of dollars owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with.

PEDRO

…y de quiebras y deudas tiene POTUS experiencia de primera mano.

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...and about that bankruptcy and debt, POTUS has firsthand experience.

VALERIA

We deserve for Mr Trump to fulfill his moral imperative to the people of Puerto Rico.

JUANA

No se va a ensuciar sus manitas con estos fangos de la brown people de Puerto Rico.

He’s not going to get his hands dirty with the brown people of Puerto Rico.

PEDRO

¿¿¿Quién está a cargo??? Todo devastado. Nada de agua, luz, gasolina. Supermercados vacíos. Ayuda AHORA.

Who is in charge??? Everything destroyed. No water, electricity, gasoline. Empty supermarkets. Disaster relief NOW.

JUANA

habla de la deuda, de AEE, de Wall Street. ¿¿¿Qué hay de la gente, POTUS??? Are we disposable to you? Are we invisible?

You talk about the debt, AEE, Wall Street. What about the people, POTUS??? Are we disposable to you? Are we invisible?

TRUMP

…The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!

PEDRO

¿Cuánto podemos costar? Menos que los inmigrantes que odias. ¿De qué decisiones hablas POTUS? ¡La única es AYUDA! ¡¡¡Nos la debes!!!

How much can we cost? Less than the immigrants that you hate. What decisions are you talking about POTUS? The only option is RELIEF! Give it to us!!!

JUANA

POTUS no sabe leer.

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POTUS doesn’t know how to read.

VALERIA

…If @WhitefishEnergy feels that asking for transparency is ‘misplaced,’ what are they afraid we will find.

JUANA

¡¿Qué haces, POTUS?! ¿Qué hace RR? ¿Qué hace Rosario? ¡¡¡Nos dejan morir!!!

What are you doing, POTUS? What is Ricky doing? What is Rosario doing? Leaving us to die!!!

VALERIA

killing us with their inefficiency.

JUANA

El plan, el plan, nos aplanan con el plan. Más muertos en el horizonte.

The plan, the plan, they’re drowning us in plans. More deaths on the horizon.

Juana is right, more of the dead come to leave their shoes. It is an unrelenting stream of death.

TRUMP

…want everything to be done for the, when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on the Island doing a fantastic job.

RUIZ

to Trump

You’re going straight to hell. No long lines for you. Someone will say, “Right this way, sir” They’ll clear a path.

The official death count flashes on screen, a shockingly low number: 16

there are already more than 16 pairs of shoes on stage

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PEDRO

Solo 16 muertos…y además le da las gracias por la ayuda. ¿Ayuda? ¿¿¿Qué ayuda???

Only 16 dead...and they thank him for the aid. Aid? What aid???

JUANA

Tata no se dializó. La enterraron junto al derrumbe en el patio. Marcaron la tumba con el tiesto de la mata de orégano.

Grandpa didn’t get dialysis. They buried him by the crumbling patio. They marked his grave with oregano.

as she speaks, Tata appears, dies, and leaves his shoes

SOFÍA

Ahora RR dice que son 34. RR se saca los números de la manga. Es un mago.

Now Rosselló says 34 dead. Rosselló pulls numbers out of thin air. A magician.

PEDRO

Centro Médico: Morgue hecha con carpas y vagones en el parking. Custodiada por militares. Cientos de muertos invisibles.

Medical center: Morgue made of tents and homeless people in the parking lot. Guarded by soldiers. Hundreds of invisible deaths.

the PR CHORUS breaks out of the twitter reenactment to comment on what’s happening

SEBASTIAN

Ellos se mantuvieron en que lo que había habido era 64 muertos una cosa así, eso es una barbaridad, pero eso es orinarse sobre los cadáveres de la gente que murió,

They kept saying there were 64 deaths or something like that, that’s ridiculous, like shitting on the corpses of our dead.

JOSÉ

Murieron por las inundaciones, las enfermedades posteriores al huracán, la gente sin alimentos, sin comida y sin techo, sobre todo el gran por ciento de la gente que murió eran ancianos que necesitaban servicios médicos y no podían llegar a la sala de

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emergencia, y cuando llegaban a las salas de emergencia la burocracia, el papeleo, para que puedan ser atendidos era tan grande que se morían en la sala de emergencia esperando que los atendieran, ante la vista de todos los demás, "Mira se murió otro más ahí”.

They died in the floods, illness after the hurricane, people without food, no meals and no roof, more than anything, a lot of them were elderly people that needed medical services and couldn’t get to the emergency room, and when they got to the ER the bureaucracy, the paperwork, there was so much paperwork required just to be seen so people died in the ER waiting for a doctor, in front of everyone, “Look, another one died over there.

SEBASTIAN

Aquí murió gente, aquí murieron miles de personas, las filas en los crematorios eran interminables para ir a quemar los cadáveres.

People died here, thousands of people died here, lines to cremate corpses were unending.

IRENE

En Vieques se robaron la planta de la morgue al otro día del huracán. Las personas que fallecieron hubo que enterrarlas inmediatamente, porque una persona se robó la planta que daba luz a la morgue.

In Vieques they robbed the morgue’s power plant the day after the hurricane. The dead had to be buried immediately, because one person robbed the morgue’s electric plant.

The smell was NASTY. The smell of the pile of corpses piling up. There was nowhere else to put them.

when WHITEFISH speaks, they are jolted back into the Twitter role-play

WHITEFISH

to VALERIA

We’ve got 44 linemen rebuilding power lines in your city and 40 more men just arrived. Do you want us to send them back or keep working?

JUANA

¿Qué les parece, mis hijos? Si ella no se calla se llevan a los de Whitefish y los dejan a oscuras. ¿Primer? Chantaje.

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How does it look, kids? If she doesn’t get quiet they’ll take away Whitefish and leave them in the dark. Sounds like blackmail.

TRUMP

…I will be going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday with Melania. Will hopefully be able to stop at the US Virgin Islands (people working hard).

PEDRO

El tapón es descomunal. Cierran las avenidas principales para darle paso a POTUS y a la comitiva de alza colas.

The traffic is horrible. All the main roads are closed to make way for POTUS and the procession of ass-kissers.

on screen flashes the photo of RR with Trump, a slideshow begins

JUANA

Su espejito mágico lo felicita.

Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me I’m the greatest of them all.

PEDRO

¿De qué felicita POTUS a RR? Aquí se muere la gente de habra, de falta de ventiladores, de falta de insulina, de falta de diálisis, falta de agua, de leptospirosis.

What is POTUS congratulating Rosselló for? People here are dying of hunger, lack of oxygen, lack of insulin, lack of dialysis, lack of water, swamp fever.

photos of Trump’s time in PR cycle through the screen

JUANA

Se llevan a POTUS a Guaynabo, porque es CITY. Por qué no lo llevan a Utuado, Yabucoa, Comerío, Morovis.

They take POTUS to Guaynabo, because it’s the CITY. Why not take him to Utuado, Yabucoa, Comerío, Morovis.

PEDRO

Metieron a POTUS en un BUNKER a prueba de los natives pedilones, con buena luz para la foto-op. Y a/c, y hielo y baño y agua. Sin peste a muerto.

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They put POTUS in a BUNKER safe from needy natives, with good lighting for the photo-op. And a/c, and ice and a bathroom and water. Without the stench of death.

the stench of death has reached a nearly unbearable level.

As if to offer a solution, Trump appears and tosses paper towels to the crowd below.

JUANA

El cordón de seguridad de POTUS es de papel toalla, bolsas de arroz y latas. Al otro lado, las hienas, los autómatas lambe ojo. El tumbe.

The POTUS’s safety zone is made of paper towels, bags of rice and soda cans. On the other side; there’s the hyenas, and kiss-ass robots. Enough.

VALERIA

Let them eat paper.

PEDRO

Las focas paparazzi no recogen los rollos de papel toalla, no aplauden. Van a vender las fotos de POTUS.

The fucking paparazzi didn’t pick up the paper towels, they didn’t applaud. They are going to sell their photos of POTUS.

as Trump exits, SOFÍA announces

SOFÍA

Se busca voluntarios para recoger lo que tira POTUS y llevarlo en caravana humanitaria para Yabucoa.

We need volunteers to collect what POTUS throws and take it in a humanitarian caravan to Yabucoa.

VALERIA

No saben lo que ven.

They don’t know what they’re looking at.

PEDRO

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¿Y si el rollo tapa la lente…?

And if the paper towels cover the lens?

VALERIA

Ojo. Peje marca a la vista.

Watch out. Intruder alert. Intruder alert.

a final image in the Trump slideshow remains, he seems victorious.

PEDRO

La foto en blanco, lienzo en blanco….se hacen prodigios con un blank canvas.

Blank photo, empty canvas...they made miracles with a blank canvas.

VALERIA

La crónica ya está echada.

The history is already thrown away.

PEDRO

RR está acostado sobre los rollos tomando fotos. Vergüenza ajena.

Rosselló is laying down on the paper towels taking photos. He’s an embarrassment and doesn’t even know it.

VALERIA

Se protege los codos porque se le pelarán las rodillas.

Saving his ass before he falls on his knees.

JUANA

Dice Trump que esto NO es una verdadera catástrofe. Nada como Katrina, para una auténtica crisis. Y qué son dos meses sin luz, sin agua, sin techo, sin comida, sin gasolina, sin diésel. ¿Un viaje en el tiempo? ¿Un paseíllo al 1898? ¿1930?

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Trump says it’s NOT a real catastrophe. Nothing like Katrina, a real crisis. And what are two months without electricity, without water, without a roof, without food, without gasoline, without diesel. A journey through time? A little trip to 1898? 1930?

PEDRO

Las tragedias de otros son más importantes que las nuestras.

Other people’s tragedies are more important than ours.

VALERIA

La colonia en el tiempo.

The modern colony.

JUANA

Responde Trump que Katrina fue más catastrófica que Maria, To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the Fake News. It’s clear where the ‘poor leadership’ lies, Trump. Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. This is our responsibility.

Trump says that Katrina was more catastrophic than María, To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the Fake News. It’s clear where the ‘poor leadership’ lies, Trump. Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. This is our responsibility.

VALERIA

Oh I see, Trump, you’re not helping Puerto Rico because of the electoral votes you need to be re-elected. Florida=29. Texas =38. Puerto Rico=0

PEDRO

RR regress al COE y POTUS se monta en el Air Force 1 y se va a su casita blanca y a llenar huesitos en el campito de golf. #aqui-no-hay-crisis

Rosselló goes to La Fortaleza and POTUS hops on Air Force 1 to the White House to fill holes on the golf course. #no-crisis-here

with that, the PR CHORUS drops out of the Twitter world, coming back to reality

SEBASTIAN

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looking at the shoes that have collected on the floor

Cuando salieron que eran 4.000 y pico [que murieron], yo no tuve ninguna duda de que ese era el número.

When they said 4,000 and something people died, I had no doubt that was the number.

IRENE

Las personas que fueron bien afectadas, cómo pérdidas de familiares, pérdida de casa, esa gente no se la va a olvidar nunca.

The people that were really affected, like losing family members, losing their home, those people are never going to forget.

maybe we see a flash of María/Lady Liberty , a flash of the hurricane

MARIANA

La fila avanza.

We keep waiting.

in a sweeping transition, showing the passing of time, we see people waiting in lines, getting gasoline, hand washing laundry, people waiting in line to fill out FEMA forms.

Maybe above we see the government officials relaxing, perhaps making a phone call here or there, perhaps not.

It should be a shocking contrast.

—————SCENE 11—————

MARIANA

De pequeña, cuando se iba la luz y cuando había tormenta, nosotros contábamos muchos cuentos.

When I was little, and the power would go out and there was a storm, we would tell lots of stories.

IRENE

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¿Leyendas que yo sepa así? No sé, lo único que las escuelas nos enseñaban de cómo Colón descubrió America, y qué sé yo. Pero así, cosas—-Aquí las leyenda de ahora son la política.

Legends that I know? I don’t know any; the only thing the schools taught us was how Columbus discovered America and whatever. But no, it’s like--here, the legends of today are politics.

SEBASTIAN

As he tells the story, everyone else acts out what he describes

They play-act the story, as if it is a well-known story, a legend.

Pedro Albizu Campos era presidente del Partido Nacionalista a partir de 1930. La gente lo conoce más por abogado, pero había estudiado otras profesiones. Es el político que cambia el juego de la política en Puerto Rico.

Pedro Albizu Campos was president of the Nationalist Party starting in 1930. The people know him more as a lawyer, but he studied other professions, too. He is the politician that changed the game in Puerto Rico.

Para que tengas una idea cómo nosotros en Puerto Rico comenzamos la década del 30, en 1928 un huracán destruyó la isla, como María. En 1929, ¿qué ocurre? Comienza la depresión económica. Tú sabes que, en una nación ocupada, como lo es Puerto Rico, si el imperio tiene problemas económicas, va a ser peor en sus posesiones, territorios, colonias, como le quieras llamar. Es una cuestión lógica.

To have an idea of how Puerto Rico started the 30s, in 1928 a hurricane destroyed the island, like Maria. In 1929, what happens? The Depression starts. You know, in an occupied nation like Puerto Rico, if the empire has economic problems, it’s going to be worse in it’s possessions, territories, colonies, whatever you want to call them. It’s a logical thing.

Toda esta situación económica y muchas otras cosas, situaciones sociales, económicas, provocan una gran huelga—y llaman a Pedro Albizu Campos para que dirija la huelga, y el discurso de Albizu se empieza a poner más fuerte contra los Estados Unidos que había impuesto en Puerto Rico leyes que no le beneficiaban a los agricultores en Puerto Rico, le beneficiaban a ellos, obviamente, es un imperio.

The whole economic situation and many other things, social dynamics, economics, led to a big strike—and they called on Pedro Albizu Campos to lead the strike, and Albizu fought stronger against the United States, which had imposed laws that didn’t benefit the Puerto Rican farmers, it benefited them, obviously, it’s an empire.

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ALBIZU CAMPOS

Cuando la tiranía es ley, la revolución es orden.

If tyranny is law, revolution is order.

SEBASTIAN

Esto lo que provoca es que el gobierno comience una ofensiva contra el nationalismo. Uno; criminalización del nacionalismo. Dos, militarización de la policía. Tres, la persecución sistemática de todo el que esté en contra del gobierno.

So the government goes on offense against nationalism. One, criminalizing nationalism. Two, militarization of police. Three, systematic persecution of all things anti-government.

Cuatro jóvenes miembros del Partido Nacionalista el 24 de octubre de 1935 van de la Universidad de Puerto Rico hacía la plaza de Rio Piedras. Van en un vehículo, la policía los detiene y los acribilla dentro del carro. Eso se llameo la masacre de Rio Piedras.

On October 24, 1935, four young members of the Nationalist Party went from the University of Puerto Rico to the plaza of Rio Piedras. They took a car, the police stopped them, and shot up the car. They call that the Rio Piedras Massacre.

Para vengar la muerte de Rio Piedras, dos jóvenes nacionalistas ejecutaron al jefe de la policía.

Por el asesinato y todo lo que había pasando en Puerto Rico en la situación política, arrestan a Pedro Albizu Campos y otros líderes del Partido Nacionalista.

To avenge the dead in Rio Piedras, two young Nationalists execute the chief of police.

For the assassination and all that’s happened in politics in Puerto Rico, they arrest Pedro Albizu Campos and other National Party leaders.

¿Qué sucede?

What happens next?

El Partido Nacionalista planifican hacer una parada pacífica por pedir que sacara de la cárcel a los líderes del partido. La noche anterior, reciben una carta diciendo, “Yo estoy revocando permiso para que ustedes no hagan esa parada.” Lo del permiso yo siempre lo cuento porque es parte de la historia, pero hay una realidad. Tú no necesitas permiso para ejercer tu derecho a la libertad de expresión, punto. Tú no tienes que pedir permiso para ejercer tu derecho a asociarte libremente. Si tengas que pedir permiso, no es un derecho, es un privilegio.

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The Nationalist Party plans a peaceful parade to ask for the release of the party leaders from jail. The night before, they got a letter saying, “You no longer have permission to do this parade.” I always tell about permission because it’s part of the story, but here’s the reality; you don’t need permission to exercise your right to free speech, period. You don’t need permission to exercise your right to freely assemble. If you have to ask permission, it’s not a right, it’s a privilege.

Ellos se asumían como un ejército libertador, se da la orden de marchar, el jefe de la policía va al frente, los detiene y les dice, “Esta parada hay que detenerla.” Inmediatamente de esta esquina sonó un disparo y ese disparo es el que provoca de 10 a 15 minutes de tiroteo.

19 muertos y más de 200 heridos. Las historias de cómo se mató son—ninguna historia de cómo se mata gente es bonita, pero las historias de aquí son horribles.

They set up like an army of liberation, give the order to march, then the chief of police comes to the front, stops them and says, “This parade must stop.” Immediately a shot rings out from the corner, and that shot provoked 10 or 15 minutes of shooting.

19 dead and more than 200 wounded. The stories of how they killed them—no story about how people are killed is pretty, but the stories from here are horrible.

—————SCENE 12—————

~Two years have passed~

JOSÉ

La sociedad puertorriqueña ahora habla, antes de María y después de María. Antes de Jesucristo y después de Jesucristo. Así que María, como huracán, creó un trauma tan profundo que hace que todo el mundo se refiera a ese 20 de septiembre de 2017.

Puerto Ricans talk about before María and after Maria. Before Christ and after Christ. So Maria, as a hurricane, created a trauma so profound that everyone knows that September 20, 2017.

the lights flick out, and a small panic ensues

AMANDA

Traumas que quedan.

Traumas that last.

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JOSÉ

Ahora mismo acaba de empezar la temporada de huracanes otra vez y todo el mundo está así, "No vaya a venir otra cosa de esas", porque vamos a volver a cometer los mismos errores, porque los errores no se han resuelto, no hay agenda, no hay plan, si mañana viene otro huracán, we're fucked.

It’s hurricane season again and everyone’s like, “There won’t be another bad hurricane” so we are going to make the same mistakes, we haven’t learned, there is no agenda, there’s no plan, if tomorrow another hurricane comes, we’re fucked.

MARIANA

Esto nos va a tomar más tiempo-- La recuperación nos va a tomar más tiempo de lo que nosotros suponíamos. Yo lo que veo es un cansancio extremo, lo veo en mis estudiantes universitarios, lo veo en la gente en la calle, estamos bien cansados. Ahora que poco a poco supuestamente se está normalizando la situación, te sale ese cansancio de hace siglos porque ha bajado la adrenalina.

Este semestre yo me estaba preocupando porque mis estudiantes estaban inclusive mostrando-- Hablando mucho de suicidio. La gente está bien cansada. Trump no ayuda, cabrón ese, que no se calla la boca, si lo único que nosotros necesitamos es que se calle la boca.

That is going to take more time—the recovery is going to take longer than we thought. I see extreme exhaustion, I see it in my college students, I see it in the people on the street, we are really tired. Now that little by little the situation is normalizing, supposedly, centuries old exhaustion is being released because we’ve lost adrenaline.

This semester I was worried because my students were even showing—talking a lot about suicide. The people are really tired. Trump doesn’t help, that asshole, he doesn’t shut his mouth, the only thing we need is for him to shut his mouth.

Trump appears

SEBASTIAN

Los Republicanos y los Demócratas tienen una pelea grande, yo creo que han usado a Puerto Rico como un balón para tirarse unos en contra de otros.

The Republicans and the Democrats have a big fight, I think they use Puerto Rico like a ball to throw at one another.

TRUMP

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The Democrats today killed a Bill that would have provided great relief to Farmers and yet more money to Puerto Rico despite the fact that Puerto Rico has already been scheduled to receive more hurricane relief funding than any “place” in history.

MARIANA

“Mira hay otros países que también se interesan por nosotros” Dieron mucha ayuda, yo creo que nos desarrolló el sentido latinoamericano, y se palpó más todavía la intervención de Estados Unidos que no permitió que ciertas ayudas que enviaron ciertos países entraron aquí.

“Look, other countries care for us.” They gave a lot of aid, I think we really felt Latin American, and you could see that the United States’ intervention barred aid from other countries.

A member of Marías Chorus quickly reenacts a moment in history as Senator Wesley R. Jones,

who reads from the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (And yes, this law still applies).

As he reads, perhaps we see members of María’s Chorus

blocking people with aid packages from entering the island.

SENATOR JONES

No merchandise, including merchandise owned by the United States Government […] shall be transported by water, or by land and water, […] between points in the United States, including Territories, in any other vessel than a vessel built in and documented under the laws of the United States and owned by persons who are citizens of the United States.

Senator Jones fades back into María’s Chorus.

TRUMP

The people of Puerto Rico are GREAT, but the politicians are incompetent or corrupt. Puerto Rico got far more money than Texas & Florida combined, yet their government can’t do anything right, the place is a mess—nothing works.

FEMA & the Military worked emergency miracles, but politicians like the crazed and incompetent Mayor of San Juan have done such a poor job of bringing the Island back to

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health. 91 Billion Dollars to Puerto Rico, and now the Dems want to give them more, taking dollars away from our Farmers and so many others. Disgraceful!

SEBASTIAN

Discúlpame pero FEMA yo lo pago, tú no me estás regalando nada, yo tengo que pagar un seguro que un dinero va a FEMA, tú a mí no me vas a regalar nada, tú dame porque el último huracán grave en Puerto Rico fue en 1998, 20 años antes y durante 20 años los puertorriqueños estuvimos aportando a FEMA sin exigir un centavo.

Excuse me but I pay FEMA, you are not gifting me anything, I have to pay taxes and that money goes to FEMA, you are not going to gift anything to me, you give it to me because the last big hurricane in Puerto Rico was in 1998, 20 years ago and during those 20 years Puerto Ricans were paying into FEMA without getting a cent.

AMANDA

Yo creo que hay mucha gente que sí agradece mucho ese tipo de ayuda, pero no creo que-- Si venimos a ver, somos ciudadanos americanos. No es que nos esté haciendo una ayuda a un país extranjero, técnicamente. Si está ayudando a poner a los agricultores en Estados Unidos, también directamente nos está ayudando a nosotros. No se supone que haya competencia en ese sentido.

Se supone que sea una cuestión--por lo menos yo le veo así-- de relación, "Yo te ayudo, tú me ayudas, nos ayudamos todos", porque todos estamos en el mismo barco. Todos somos ciudadanos estadounidense.

I think a lot of people, sure, really appreciate that type of aid, but I don’t think—look, we are American citizens. It’s not helping a foreign country, technically. If you are supporting farmers in the United States, then you are supporting us directly. There shouldn’t be competition in that sense.

You’d think it would be like—at least I see it like this—a relationship, “I help you, you help me, we help everyone” because we are all in the same boat. We are all United States citizens.

SEBASTIAN

Ciudadanos americanos, pero de segunda clase. Pero la ley dice que-- Yo nunca he visto una ley de Estados Unidos que diga hay ciudadanos americanos como por clases, por tipo, no, todo el mundo es ciudadano americano.

American citizens, but second class. But the law says—I have never seen a United States law that says that there are different classes, different types of American citizens. No, everyone’s an American citizen, period.

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TRUMP

& all their local politicians do is complain and ask for more money. The pols are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from the USA….

JOSÉ

Eso es verdad, that's true. He's a fool and a crazy person, everything you want, that statement is true. Puerto Rico politicians are the most corrupt politicians of all the world.

That’s true, that's true. He's a fool and a crazy person, everything you want, that statement is true. Puerto Rico politicians are the most corrupt politicians of all the world.

MARIANA

Yo creo que a quién él se refiere es que son gemelos de él, son idénticos a él; eso es todo.

Those people he talks about are his twins, they’re identical; that’s all.

AMANDA

Nosotros en términos generales teníamos una idea, pero no sabíamos que era tanto. Por supuesto, cuando María, con el asunto ese de las ayudas que no llegaban, pero uno se enteraba que era que las detenían en el puerto para beneficiar políticamente a alguien. Uno ya era como que,

We had a general idea, but we didn’t know it was so bad. Of course with Maria, the lack of aid, you started realizing that they were detaining aid at the ports to benefit politicians. You were like,

PR CHORUS

“Okay, vamos a respirar profundo”

“Okay let’s take a deep breath.”

AMANDA

No es posible que nos maten de hambre por beneficiar a un alcalde, por ejemplo. Desgraciadamente descubrimos que es cierto.

They wouldn’t starve us to death to benefit a mayor, for example.

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Unfortunately we discovered that was true.

JOSÉ

Muchas veces me dio vergüenza y la vergüenza es una sensación bien dolorosa. Vergüenza, shame on my own people. Esas sensaciones no se borran nunca y nunca se van a borrar. Por eso te decía ahorita, que cuando el gobierno empezó a decir, “Puerto Rico se levanta, Puerto Rico se va a levantar, tengan esperanza” Puerto Rico no se ha levantado todavía, mientras tengamos a esos canallas en los gobiernos Puerto Rico no se va a levantar.

I often felt ashamed, and shame is a very painful sensation. Shame, shame on my own people. That feeling has not gone away and never will go away. So when the government started saying “Puerto Rico rises up, Puerto Rico will rise up, have hope” Puerto Rico has not risen up yet, and while those pieces of shit run the government, Puerto Rico will not rise up.

JOSÉ

Porque vivimos en una colonia y en la colonia siempre recibe el beneficio el que más se arrodilla, let me tell you that in English, the most who receive the benefits are those who kneel, that's what happening in this colony.

Because we live in a colony and in a colony people who kneel are always in favor, let me tell you that in English, the most who receive the benefits are those who kneel, that's what is happening in this colony.

SEBASTIAN

La otra cosa que pasó después de María, es que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos jurídicamente desmitologizó el que el Estado Libre Asociado era un estatus real.

Also after María, the United States Congress revealed that the Commonwealth is not a real, legal status.

a flash to an American Man, writing to the U.S. President

AMERICAN MAN

The existing form of government in Puerto Rico is often described as a “Commonwealth,” and this term recognizes the powers of self-government that Congress has allowed.

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However that term may be used, Puerto Rico is, for purposes under the U.S. Constitution, “a territory.” Congress may continue the current system indefinitely, but it may also revise or revoke it at any time.

MARIANA

En términos políticos nosotros somos una colonia,

Politically, we are a colony,

PR CHORUS

somos la colonia más antigua del mundo.

We are the oldest colony in the world.

SEBASTIAN

El congreso de los Estados Unidos determina cualquier cosa que va a pasar en Puerto Rico.

The United States Congress determines everything that happens in Puerto Rico.

AMERICAN MAN

But one power Congress does not have, just in the nature of things: it has no capacity, no magic wand or airbrush, to erase or otherwise rewrite its own foundational role in conferring political authority.

SEBASTIAN

Somos una colonia, no estado libre asociado, eso fue disparate, pero somos una colonia y las colonias son creadas para ser explotadas por el imperio, eso es así y hacerte creer que te están haciendo un favor. Yo te exploto y tú me tienes que agradecer porque yo te estoy haciendo un favor.

We are a colony, not a Commonwealth, that was nonsense; we are a colony and colonies are created to be exploited by the empire. That’s how it is, and they make you believe they’re doing you a favor. I’m exploiting you and you have to thank me because I’m doing you a favor.

TRUMP

….The best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico is President Donald J. Trump. So many wonderful people, but with such bad Island leadership and with so much money

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wasted. Cannot continue to hurt our Farmers and States with these massive payments, and so little appreciation!”

JOSÉ

Por eso me acuerdo de Guam, me acuerdo de las Islas Marianas, me acuerdo de todos esos territorios y digo, "¿Qué somos para la nación americana?

I think of Guam, the Mariana Islands, I think of all those territories and say, “What are we to America?”

SEBASTIAN

La realidad es que, constantemente, cada vez que el caso político de Puerto Rico cae en el congreso en el Tribunal Supremo de los Estados Unidos, la contestación es la misma, somos una colonia.

The reality is that, consistently, every time the political case of Puerto Rico comes up in Congress, in the Supreme Court of the United States, the answer is the same, we are a colony.

AMERICAN MAN

The future is not what matters—and there is no getting away from the past.

PR CHORUS

Somos la colonia más antigua del mundo.

We are the oldest colony in the world.

AMERICAN

The delegator cannot make itself any less so—no matter how much authority it opts to hand over.

JOSÉ

Debería darles vergüenza a ellos.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

Amanda reads a text that she receives from her friend, a member of the diaspora

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AMANDA

If I want to help Puerto Rico, where should I register to vote? Here in Florida, or on the island? Does it help Puerto Rico more to vote for the president of the U.S. or the governor of PR?

PR CHORUS

The president.

a beat

MARIANA

Tú sabes que una cosa es la gente del país, y otra cosa es el gobierno—

Ya yo te conté. Montones de gente que yo en mi vida había visto, corriendo para acá a ayudar, ayudar en lo que sea. Ellos movieron cielo y tierra porque había otra gente que ayuda. Por lo tanto, hay que dividir, el Estado, que son los cabrones versus la gente que está hecha de otra manera.

You know the citizens of a country are one thing, and the government is another—

Let me tell you. I’ve seen a ton of people in my life, running here to help, to help however they could. They moved heaven and earth because there were other people in need. So you have to divide: the State, who are the assholes, versus the people, who are made of something else.

SEBASTIAN

Yo tengo problemas con Trump, pero no contigo.

I have problems with Trump, but not with you.

MARIANA

Yo no tengo ningún problema, el más mínimo problema; al contrario, abrazo y agradezco todas las personas de todas las denominaciones, políticas, religiosas, de raza, de clase, de inclinación sexual, identidades, genérica o intergenérica o lo que sea, lo agradezco porque fueron gente, tuvieron la decencia de ser gente, no de estar buscando su provecho. A los políticos, no se las perdono, ni los de aquí, ni los de allá.

El gobierno de los Estados Unidos hizo y sigue haciendo, implementó una estrategia de capitalismo de desastre.

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I don’t have a single problem, the smallest problem; the opposite, I embrace and thank all the people of every denomination, political alignment, religion, race, class, sexuality, identity, American, sex or intersex or whatever, I thank them because they were people. They had the decency to be people, and not just look out for themselves. As for the politicians, I don’t forgive them, not those from here, and not from there either.

What the United States government did and continues to do, they implemented a disaster capitalism strategy. .

JOSÉ

Algunos desafíos son creados, tratan de estrangular a los países y eso es crear un desastre para aprovecharme del desastre y enriquecerme cuando el desastre ocurre.

Con María se fueron más de 300.000 personas a Estados Unidos, eso es mucha gente.

Algunos regresaron, pero la mayoría no.

Some challenges are created, they try to strangle countries and that means creating a disaster so I can take advantage of that disaster and make myself rich when it happens.

With Maria more than 300,000 people went to the United States, that’s a lot of people.

Some came back, but most of them didn’t.

IRENE

Como se fue tanta gente, cerraron un montón de escuelas.

So many people left, they closed a ton of schools.

MARIANA

Esas escuelas muchísimas, la mayoría está en buenas condiciones, así que esos edificios se perdieron, están abandonados, allí se quedaron los materiales.

A lot of those schools, most of them are in good condition, so those buildings were lost, they’re abandoned, and all the supplies stay there.

We see an image of Rosselló, assisting, or at the very least not resisting, American interests.

JOSÉ

¿Quién tiene ese dinero para restaurar las escuelas? Empresas norteamericanas y muchas de esas escuelas van hacer convertidas en escuelas Charter, escuelas que nosotros vamos a pagar, que ellos van a administrar.

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Who has money to reopen schools? North American companies and a lot of the schools are turning into Charter schools, schools that we are going to pay for, and they are going to administrate.

IRENE

Tú dices, "Un país que está en crisis" supuestamente, tienes una Junta de Control Fiscal gastándose un dineral, pero un dineral, estamos hablando de millones de dólares al año, tú le pides austeridad a los ciudadanos que seguimos viviendo en un nivel de pobreza mientras los que están arriba de poder se siguen lucrando de lo que nosotros ya hemos trabajado, de lo que nos pertenece.

Ahora mismo una de las instituciones más afectadas desde que se implantó la Junta de Control Fiscal es la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

You say “A country in crisis” supposedly, you have a Financial Oversight Board earning a salary, but a salary, we are talking millions of dollars a year, you demand austerity from the citizens so that we keep living in poverty while the people in power keep earning the money we worked for, from what belongs to us.

Right now one of the institutions most affected since the implantation of the Financial Oversight Board is the University of Puerto Rico.

SEBASTIAN

Así que destrozar el sistema educativo de Puerto Rico desde su base hasta la escuela superior, en mi opinión, es parte de un plan para desestabilizar la educación en el país, menos gente sabe, más fácil de moldear eso.

Ese es el problema que tiene la educación aquí y es grave, porque mientras tú mantienes un pueblo ignorante, pueblo que se divierte y no conspira, no piensa y mientras no piense estamos bien.

So destroying the education system of Puerto Rico from its base through higher education, in my opinion, is part of a plan to destabilize education in the country, the less the people know, the easier it is to mold them.

That’s the problem with education here and it’s serious, because while you keep the people ignorant, distracted people don't revolt, they don’t think and as long as they don’t think we’re good.

IRENE

Lo que buscan es para ellos, no están por lo pobres, por nosotros, están para ellos, para llenarse sus bolsillos, pero no para ayudar a los pobres, eso yo creo.

Yo no estudié mucho y no sé mucho, pero por lo que yo veo a veces Puerto Rico se usa como-- Dicen la isla del encanto, pero el encanto es para algunos que vienen y quieren lucrarse de la isla.

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Muchas personas, no quiere decir que todas, pero muchas de las que vienen a Puerto Rico es en busca de las riquezas, de enriquecerse a costillas de-- eso es lo que yo pienso, y no sé mucho y no estudiado mucho, pero no hay que estudiar mucho para ver uno.

What they want is for them, not for the poor, not for us, it is for them, to fill their pockets, but not to help the poor, that’s what I think.

I haven’t studied a lot and I don’t know a lot, but from what I see sometimes they use Puerto Rico like—they call it the Enchanted Island, but the charm is for the people that come here to make money off the island.

A lot of people, I don’t want to say everyone, but a lot of people who come to Puerto Rico are looking for money, to get rich off the backs of—that is what I think, and I don’t know a lot and haven’t studied a lot, but you don’t have to study much to see.

JOSÉ

Se enteró de que esto se estaba convirtiendo en la utopía de los millonarios, las playas más hermosas, la gente más servicial. Va a ser el paraíso de esos millonarios pero ahora mismo hay demasiada gente para eso, vamos a ver cómo los sacamos.

We realized they were turning it into a millionaire’s utopia, the best beaches, the best servants. It’ll be a millionaire’s paradise but right now there are too many people and we’re going to see how we can get rid of them.

A member of María’s Chorus steps forward to read from history as Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, 1931

RHOADS

I can get a damn fine job here and I am tempted to take it. It would be ideal except for the Porto Ricans—they are beyond doubt the dirtiest, laziest, most degenerate and thievish race of men ever to inhabit this sphere. It makes you sick to inhabit the same island with them.

What the island needs is not public health work, but a tidal wave or something to totally exterminate the entire population. It might then be livable. I have done my best to further the process of their extermination by killing off eight and transplanting cancer into several more…

Rhoads fades back into María’s Chorus.

SEBASTIAN

Pienso que eso no es un fenómeno de ahora, eso ha sido un fenómeno de siempre donde algunas personas que son aventajadas económicamente creen que lo pueden comprar todo, y todo lo ven en términos de dólares y centavos.

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Lo más triste es que se aprovechó María,

I don’t think that is a phenomenon of today, there’s always been a pattern where some economically advantaged people think they can buy everything, they see everything in terms of dollars and change.

The saddest part is that they took advantage of Maria.

AMANDA

Siempre están estas personas sugiriendo que uno se vaya, yo siempre digo, “No, yo puedo hacer algo por Puerto Rico, así que aquí me quedo.”

There are always people suggesting that you leave, I always say, “No, I can do something for Puerto Rico so I’m staying here.”

SEBASTIAN

Todo estaba tan confuso, no había un sistema de comunicación articulado, no había un sistema de nada articulado para hacer unas movidas económicas que fueron devastadoras para el país.

Everything was so confusing, there was no clear communication system, no clear plan, and so they used that to make devastating economic decisions for the country.

IRENE

Aquí por desgracia, y ya llevan ya años de años haciendo todos estos resorts elegantísimos, y tampoco tú puedes entrar a la playa porque es privado, no puedes entrar para allá porque eso es privado.

Now unfortunately, they have already spent years and years building all these elegant resorts and you can’t even go to the beach because it’s private, you cannot even go in there because it is private.

MARIANA

Eso es lo que se quiere, sacar todo lo que impida que menos personas sean dueñas de este país y lo puedan convertir en una fuente de servicio o fábrica de mercancía intangible, todo lo tangible y lo intangible para el servicio de dos o tres.

That’s what they want, to stop anything that gets in the way of the elite few buying the country so they can turn it into a public service resource or a factory of immaterial assets, everything visible and invisible just to serve two or three people.

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SEBASTIAN

Según tengo entendido, parte del viejo San Juan fue comprado después del huracán. Hay edificios que fueron comprados obviamente aprovechando de que mucha gente decidió vender barato.

From what I understand, part of Old San Juan was bought after the hurricane. They bought buildings obviously taking advantage of the people deciding to sell cheap.

IRENE

Yo pienso que eso no puede ser primero porque Puerto Rico no se vende.

That can’t be: first because Puerto Rico is not for sale.

SEBASTIAN

Hubo gente que no quería vender, pero si yo te hago una oferta, como dice el padrino, una oferta que no puedes rechazar, estoy dispuesto a vender.

There were people that didn’t want to sell, but if I give you an offer, like the Godfather says, an offer that you can’t refuse, I’m willing to sell.

MARIANA

Bueno yo pienso que esta tierra es nuestra. Porque nosotros la trabajamos, la tierra es de quien la trabaja, no es de quien la compra. El imperio español y el imperio norteamericano con todas sus empresas lo que han hecho es robarnos a nosotros lo nuestro, nuestros recursos naturales, nuestras tierras, nuestras playas, aquí las costas son federales, los bosques, todo se lo han robado.

Well I think this land is ours. Because we work it, the land belongs to the person who works it, not to the person who buys it. The Spanish empire and the North American empire with all their companies, all they’ve done is rob us of what’s ours, our natural resources, our land, our beaches, the coasts. The coasts here are federal, the forests, they have stolen everything.

IRENE

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Puerto Rico es amor, Puerto Rico es divino, no es perfecto, pero yo amo a mi tierra y yo, de aquí me sacan, que me creme y que me tiren toda la ceniza donde están mis plantas, porque yo no me voy.

Puerto Rico is love, Puerto Rico is divine, it’s not perfect, but I love my country and I, if they take me from here, cremate me and throw all my ashes here where my plants are, because I’m not leaving.

JOSÉ

Nunca se subestime el poder revolucionario de los puertorriqueños.

Los millonarios no se van a poder quedar con esto, tendrían que eliminar a todos los puertorriqueños, yo no quisiera que eso llegara así pero hay puertorriqueños que están dispuestos a dar su vida por defender su tierra y no hay millonario que pueda contra eso. Hay una identidad que no se va a vender, hay una patria que no se va a negociar.

Never underestimate the revolutionary power of Puerto Ricans.

The millionaires can’t handle that, they would have to take out every Puerto Rican, and I don’t think it’ll get to that point but there are Puerto Ricans ready to give their lives to defend their land and there’s no millionaire that can stand up to that. There is an identity that will not be sold, a homeland that will not be bargained for.

—————SCENE 13—————

This scene should feel very much like the Scene 5, as the headlines come in,

the winds become more intense, at the first crack of thunder, we hear:

JUANA Muy buenos días, le habla Juana Ocasio con un reportaje especial sobre la economía.

Good morning, this is Juana Ocasio with a special report on the economy.

PEDRO

La Junta Fiscal confirma tabla de recortes a pensionados. The Financial Oversight Board confirms cutbacks of pensions.

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RUIZ La Junta aprueba un nuevo plan fiscal para la UPR.

The Financial Oversight Board approves a new financial plan for the University of Puerto Rico.

PEDRO

y Medidas de la Junta provocan una avalancha de jubilaciones en la UPR.

And the Oversight Board’s measures provoke an avalanche of university protests.

the winds of the storm pick up, maybe the lights flash in and out

MARÍA’S CHORUS universities, language, food stamps, pharmaceuticals, FEMA, paperwork, hotels, trees, language, guns, armies, flags, sugarcane, fields, corporations, electric companies, senators, doctors, birth control, sterilization, hurricanes, passports, guns, language, tourists, congress, oversight

JUANA

Muy buenas tardes nuevamente. Le hablamos de Tenemos Todo el Sentido del Mundo. Aquí les dejo con la reportera Valeria Cortés:

Good afternoon once again. We are reporting to you from We Make Perfect Sense. And now we turn to Valeria Cortes.

VALERIA

El FBI investiga contratos en el Departamento de Hacienda, Salud, y Educación The FBI is investigating contracts from the Departments of the Treasury, Health, and Education

SOFÍA El exdirector de la campaña de Rosselló niega corrupción

The ex-director of the Rosselló campaign denies corruption allegations.

VALERIA Está fuerte esta situación, ¿verdad?

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This is a pretty bad situation, right?

SOFÍA No, para nada. Tú sabes, nosotros podemos con esto. No se ha puesto más fuerte todavía.

No, not at all. You know, we can do this. It hasn’t gotten too strong yet. in that moment the storm rages louder

MARÍA’S CHORUS

Guns, language, trees, schools, books, language, flags, bombs, food stamps, ballots, referendums, guns, hurricanes, passports, language, laws, boats, aid, forms, waiting, paperwork, hotels,

JUANA Muy buenos días, amigos...\

Good morning, friends she looks to Valeria

VALERIA Bueno, lamentablemente, tenemos noticias no muy buenas…

Well, unfortunately, we have some not so good updates …

SOFÍA Durante el fin de semana, Puerto Rico quedó sumida en una crisis política que ocasionó la renuncia de dos altos miembros del gobierno y que amenaza la gestión del gobernador Ricardo A. Rosselló, quien se encuentra cada vez más aislado y sin el apoyo de los líderes de su propio partido. A political crisis engulfed Puerto Rico over the weekend, prompting the departure of two senior members of the government and threatening Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló, who found himself increasingly isolated in office and no longer supported by leaders of his own party.

VALERIA Jefe del FBI asegura que los sobornos en el gobierno han ocurrido “en una forma dramática” FBI special agent confirms that bribes in the government have occurred in “a dramatic fashion.”

JUANA

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Rosselló se va de vacaciones a Francia.

Rosselló goes on vacation in France.

PEDRO Cascada de detenciones en el gobierno de Puerto Rico por presunta corrupción.

Series of arrests in the Puerto Rican government for alleged corruption.

it appears that the news report is over, the winds pause for a moment perhaps we are in the eye of the storm

IRENE

Él hizo mucho daño al país, permitió que personas que trabajaban con él, robaran. Esas personas que robaron, se robaron el dinero que me tocaba para mi casa. Esas personas que robaron, se robaron el dinero de las medicinas para los hospitales, se robaron el dinero que era para forense, para los muertos, para nuestras familias muertas. Si él hizo todas esas cosas, a lo mejor no directamente, pero él tapó a los que lo ayudaron, él no puede estar en ese lugar. Si permitió todo eso, no ama a Puerto Rico.

He really hurt this country, he let the people that worked with him steal. Those thieves, they stole the money that would have rebuilt my house. Those thieves, they stole money from the hospitals for medicine, they stole money for forensics, for the dead, for our dead families. If he did all those things, even if indirectly, but if he covered it up, then he can’t be in that role. If he allowed all that, he doesn’t love Puerto Rico.

As her line ends, EDGUARDO hangs up a Ricky Renuncia poster. The storm is returning—

an uprising, or a hurricane, it’s hard to tell. MARÍA’S CHORUS

tourism, hotels, language, english, ballots, la junta, the laws, courts, congress, electric companies, senators, doctors, hospitals, the dead, the marina, the ferry, PROMESA, bombs, books, schools,

MARIANA Ya se nos volvió a olvidar, ya es una mierda, pero ojalá vuelva-- Esto va a sonar horrible, pero ojalá vuelva otro huracán, a ver si recordamos de lo que se trata. And now we’ve gone back to forgetting, and this is shitty, but I hope that—this is going to sound horrible, but I hope that another hurricane comes, to see if we remember what it’s about.

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With a loud sound from the storm, we are catapulted back into the newsroom

SOFÍA El gobierno de Rosselló se ha visto muy afectado por la publicación de unos mensajes enviados por el gobernador mismo y algunos de sus miembros de gabinete y colaboradores más cercanos en un chat privado de la aplicación de mensajería Telegram.

Mr. Rosselló’s administration was rocked by the publication of a trove of derisive messages sent by the governor and some of his cabinet members and top aides in a private chat on the messaging app Telegram.

ROSSELLÓ we see a burst of messages flash through the space

while María’s chorus grows “go fuck yourself” (to la junta fiscal, with a middle finger emoji) “La comandanta dejó de tomar sus medicamentos? Es eso o es tremenda HP.”

Did the commander stop taking his meds? It’s that or he’s a real son of a bitch.

JOSÉ Es muy bonito entrar a un Website de la página del Gobierno y ver todas las obras que ellos dicen que han hecho, los dineros que Estados Unidos ha aprobado a nivel de Congreso para restaurar al país, ¿dónde está el dinero? ¿Dónde tú ves la restauración? El que la gente se haya levantado, por eso yo creo que la relación entre Puerto Rico y Estados Unidos debe mejorar y no hay que estar malgastando el dinero que nuestros ciudadanos han trabajado con tanto sacrificio. It’s really nice to go on the Government webpage and see all the work they say they’ve done, the money that the United States has approved in Congress to rebuild the country, Where is the money? Where do you see that restoration? It’s the people that have risen up, and I think that the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States should get better and they cannot be wasting money that our citizens earned with so much sacrifice.

José hangs another Ricky Renuncia poster.

ROSSELLÓ “Nuestra gente debería salir... y golpear a esa puta” (to a woman in NY) Our people should go beat up that whore.

Juana stands to protest, with a feminist protest sign .

EDGUARDO

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Que se los llevan a todos, si hacen mal que se los lleven a todos, eso está mal. Tanta necesidad que hay en el país y esa gente jugando con el dinero, no es de Dios, eso no es bueno. They should remove all of them, if they’ve done wrong then remove them all, that is evil. All the need in this country and they’re playing with money, that’s not of God, that is not good.

Edgaurdo stands with the others.

ROSSELLÓ “Nada dice opresión patriarcal como Ricky Martin. Es un machista tan machista que se chinga los hombres porque las mujeres no están a la altura. Es un patriarcado puro.” Nothing says patriarchal oppression like Ricky Martin. He’s so sexist that he fucks men because women don’t measure up. Pure patriarchy.

Pedro joins, with a rainbow flag and protest sign.

IRENE

Estos calores que sentimos fueron los mismos calores que sentimos ese año, así mismo. Un calor sofocante, un calor que no puedes dormir. Nosotros siendo un país tropical, sentir este calor tan fuerte para nosotros nos afecta. Para Hugo y para George fue lo mismo, un calor intenso, eso no nos favorece. Da terror, los que vivimos esa parte y los que estamos consciente de eso-- This heat we’re feeling is the same heat we felt that year, just the same. A suffocating heat, a heat that doesn’t let you sleep. Even in a tropical country, feeling heat this harsh, affects us. For Hugo and George it was the same, an intense heat, that doesn’t feel right. It’s terrifying, the people who live here and who know—

ROSSELLÓ “Ahora que estamos en el tema, ¿no tenemos algunos cadáveres para alimentar a nuestros cuervos?” And now that we are on the subject, Don’t we have some corpses to feed our crows?

AMANDA

Los lideres cometen errores y tienen que pagar por esos errores que cometen. Leaders make mistakes and they have to pay for the mistakes they’ve made.

she holds a sign with the number of the dead and stands with the others

AMANDA continued

86

A veces ni siquiera es que cometen el error, es que a propósito lo hacen, que es lo que se ha demostrado con este chat.

Así que vamos a ver, ojalá algo ocurra. Aunque los cimientos del país se muevan, tiene que ocurrir.

No es posible que vivamos en un país en donde la corrupción sea la norma. Sometimes it’s not even mistakes, they did it on purpose, that’s what this chat has demonstrated. So we are going to see, I hope that something happens. Even though the foundations of the country might move, it has to happen. It’s not possible to live in a country where corruption is law.

Suddenly, the screen and the stage goes dark

ALBIZU CAMPOS Cuando la tiranía es ley, la revolución es orden.

If tyranny is law, revolution is order. in a sudden flash we see the protest

everyone in PR comes together suddenly they have posters, pans, whistles

we hear the following chants PR CHORUS

¿Dónde está Ricky? Ricky no está aquí; Ricky está vendiendo lo que queda del país! ¡Ricky, renuncia, el pueblo te repudia!

¡Ricky, renuncia, y llévate a la junta! ¡Ricky Renuncia! ¡Ricky Renuncia!

Where is Ricky? Ricky is not here; he is selling what’s left of the country! Ricky, step down, the people reject you!

Ricky, step down, and take la junta with you! Ricky, step down! Ricky, step down!

The sound should be nearly deafening. We only hear it for a moment.

We only see the protest for a beat. Although the protest is angry, and loud.

It is also joyous, and peaceful, and powerful.

87

After a time… ROSSELLÓ

Con desprendimiento les anuncio que estaré renunciando al puesto de gobernador, lo cual será efectivo el viernes 2 de agosto de 2019. With a heavy heart I inform you that I will be resigning from the position of governor, which will be effective Friday August 2, 2019.

And the stage goes to black again. —————EPILOGUE—————

MARÍA

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

MARIANA That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends

SEBASTIAN

it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it,

IRENE and to institute new Government,

JOSÉ

laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them to seem

EGUARDO

most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The lights reveal Amanda at the podium, where María once stood.

AMANDA Obviamente yo quisiera que en el futuro de Puerto Rico hubiese muchos pajaritos volando por ahí, que uno caminara, siempre estuviese bonito y no lloviera. Inmediatamente va a ser difícil.

88

Obviously I want a future in Puerto Rico with a lot of birds flying around, where you can walk, it’s always beautiful and never rains. At first, it will be difficult.

As she speaks the next line, everyone joins her with their own version of PR’s future.

Many of them disagree, and all of their voices should overlap. It doesn’t matter if we hear what each person is saying

as the sound grows into complete chaos.

The noise settles and we hear her say: AMANDA

Es el ideal. Vamos a ver qué pasa en el real. That’s the ideal. We will see what happens in reality.

End of play