Post-War Theatre; The Abuelas by Stephanie Alison Walker
Gabriela (Luisina Quarleri) has learned a secret about her birth that calls her whole identity into question. Soledad (Denise Blasor), the woman who raised her, has no idea that Gabriela has found out what she’s spent 37 years hiding.
(Courtesy of Jenny Graham)
With a rise in community upbringing, many plays inspired a new impact. One of the most influential plays follows themes of family, dictatorship, love, and identity: The Abuelas, a play by Stephanie Alison Walker tells the story of the long and devastating repercussions of the military dictatorship from 1976-1983. Through engaging the arts, the people were able to connect with these hardships on a level that felt more personal. “The Abuelas explores these questions as well as the heart’s capacity for forgiveness even in the face of the harshest betrayal.”
The Abuelas follows the story of Gabriela, a young woman who discovers that she is one of the daughters of the “Disappeared.” Although the character herself did not experience the direct hardships that came from the war, the long lasting impact left her to discover the questions many have been too afraid to answer. From Gabriela’s perspective, she only knows what she has been told from the historical standpoint of things. The thesis of the piece explores the idea that there is no escape without a resolution. Surface level information doesn’t always give justice to the forgotten stories of the ones who disappeared.
Cruz Gonzalez Cadel, left, and Ilse Zacharias in The Abuelas.
(Photo credit: Joel Maisonet)
The Dirty War left a generational impact amongst the Argentinian people. This work serves as a reminder that even though the war ended, the cruelty of tyrants and regimes live long after their passing.