Kids Can Be Heroes Too in “Maricela de la Luz Lights the World”

At some point, every child discovers that the world is bigger and more complicated than they once imagined. There are unfamiliar places, difficult questions, things adults cannot always explain, and fears that seem enormous when you are experiencing them for the first time. Growing up means learning how to move through that uncertainty. But what if, instead of simply telling children that everything will be okay, we gave them stories that showed them they have the power to face whatever comes next?

That idea is at the heart of Maricela de la Luz Lights the World, by acclaimed Puerto Rican playwright José Rivera.

A few days before Christmas, Maricela and her younger brother, Riccardo, leave a San Diego shopping mall and discover that something has gone very wrong. A freeze has fallen over Southern California, the adults have disappeared, and the familiar world they knew has suddenly become something else entirely. With no one around to tell them what to do, the siblings set out to discover what happened. Along the way, they encounter mythological figures, mysterious forces, talking fog, dancing polar bears, and surprises at every turn. 

Maricela’s journey may feel familiar, particularly to audiences who grew up with The Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy, Maricela is suddenly separated from the world she knows and forced to navigate a strange landscape populated by fantastical beings. But while Dorothy has Toto beside her, Maricela has Riccardo.

It is a big, fantastical adventure. But underneath all that magic are fears that are much closer to home.

Maricela and Riccardo are already living through a world of change before their adventure begins. Their mother has a new boyfriend they are not particularly fond of, while their father is stationed in Korea. As mixed-race children, they are beginning to navigate questions of cultural identity and belonging. And as children growing up in today’s world, they face a very real uncertainty about what the future holds in the midst of the climate crisis. Rivera takes these complicated, sometimes difficult-to-name feelings and gives them a theatrical language of mythology and magic. Greek, Norse, and Mayan mythology become part of a world where children’s fears can take shape, be confronted, and ultimately understood.

Throughout their journey, Maricela and Riccardo return to the same question: “Are you a good person who does nothing?” Their adventure becomes an answer to that question as Maricela discovers that being brave does not mean being fearless. It means choosing to act even when you are afraid.

Come see Maricela de la Luz Lights the World and experience the adventure for yourself! It is a fantastical journey full of adventure, humor, and a message young audiences can carry with them long after the curtain falls: sometimes, the hero you are waiting for is you.

Maricela de la Luz Lights the World runs October 3rd-24th.