“72 Miles to Go…” follows one family over a decade as they come of age, fall in love, fight in wars, and fight for each other, against the backdrop of deportation, DACA, and changing immigration laws.
Deported and held in a Mexican shelter just 72 miles from the Arizona border, Anita (Maria Elena Ramirez) and her American husband Billy (Triney Sandoval) remain hopeful as they struggle over eight years to get her home. Unable to be there for her children during their most important stages of life, she misses the high school graduation and prom of her daughter Eva (Jacqueline Guillén) and her son Aaron’s (Tyler Alvarez) first day of school. Her eldest son Christian (Bobby Moreno) who is the only undocumented child from a previous relationship, needs her the most as he is unable to earn a living and care for his own family with fear of being deported; her husband does the best he can to hold the family together without her.
Both funny and heartbreaking, this play takes you through the many hardships that result from deportation, as the border is much more than a line that divides one person from another, it strips the sense of belonging and robs the family of their basic needs to be with one another. I think this is a very important story in a time where immigrants are seen as less than human and children are being separated from their deported mothers with such a lack of compassion. I hope this story will open the eyes to all that we are all the same regardless of our documentation. Very touching, well done with a superb cast!
Now performing at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre in New York through May 3rd
