Marisol Dramaturgy Packet

Marisol Dramaturgy Packet
Prepared by Noah Ezell, Dramaturg
This packet was created to further the depth of understanding of Marisol for actors,
crew members, and patrons
Marisol | Dramaturgy Packet
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Contents
LETTER FROM DR. ASELA LAGUNA, CULTURAL ADVISOR ......... 2

PLAYWRIGHT BACKGROUND .................................................. 4
LATE 1980S NEW YORK CITY ................................................... 5
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT ................................................................. 5
HOMELESSNESS ............................................................................... 5
GUARDIAN ANGELS ............................................................................ 6
MAGICAL REALISM ................................................................. 7
WHAT IS IT? ................................................................................... 7
DEFINING FEATURES .......................................................................... 7
ASSIMILATION ........................................................................ 9
GENERAL ASSIMILATION INFORMATION ....................................................... 9
PUERTO RICAN ASSIMILATION ................................................................ 9
IRISH ASSIMILATION ......................................................................... 10
RELIGION .............................................................................. 12
FOLK CATHOLICISM AND SPIRITUALISM .................................................... 12
CATHOLICISM IN LATIN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES ................ 12
THEORETICAL APPROACHES ................................................. 13
SOCIOSPATIAL THEATRE .................................................................... 13
ECOFEMINISM ................................................................................ 13
GLOSSARY OF TERMS ........................................................... 15
VISUAL GLOSSARY ................................................................ 25
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Letter from Dr. Asela Laguna, Cultural Advisor
Dear Marisol Team:
Thanks so much to you and your excellent Department for allowing a

retired professor from Rutgers University, NJ, to witness and learn
about the production of José Rivera’s Marisol next Februry 2019. I
didn’t know Rivera’s plays. My only reference to him was the 2004
movie, The Motorcycle Diaries, about a young recently graduated
student of medicine, Ché Guevara, and how his eye-opening road tour
of South America became a transformative moral and social
experience that led him became the hero of the Cuban Revolution.
Rivera authored the script and the movie was and still is a very
popular film about the Ché.
Reading Marisol hasn’t been easy. It is a difficult play. After reading it

twice, I have more questions than answers to what the dramatist is
really trying to enunciate through this complex Manhattan-Bronx
journey. Different from the early literary production of Puerto Ricans
and Nuyorican writers who wrote during the sixties, seventies and eighties it does not center on
topics they privileged: identity, discovery of the Rican self, the struggle of communicating in two
equally powerful and imperial languages, and the constant search for a place between the here
(NY) and there ( the other island), etc.
You has asked me to say something about my experience in New York as a Puerto Rican. As a
cautionary note, kindly remember that the Puerto Rican experience, like that of any other ethnic
group, is not nor have been monolithic. First, I arrived to NYC in August 1973. I had received my
PHD from the U of Illinois (Urbana), had job offers from Puerto Rico and Rutgers, but I decided to
accept the Rutgers-Newark position and live in Manhattan. During my years as a graduate student
in the Illinois, I have traveled to many US cities but I have never been in NY, except to the Kennedy
Airport in trips either to Europe or to Puerto Rico from Chicago. Working in NJ and living in NY would
allow me now to get to know the east coast.
The NYC I arrived in the early seventies was marked by a series of serious social, political and
economic issues. Finding a safe place to live wasn’t easy. While my accent was considered charming
in Urbana, here in NYC people would hanged up when calling to find out about apartments. Thus, I
hired the services of a real estate agent and finally got a very nice but small and cute apartment in
15th street, close enough to the Village, to the PATH that would take me to Newark and to NYU. In
general, the city was in decay, it looked dirty, drugs were sold everywhere, and one had to be very
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careful riding the subway system because of the high incidence of criminality everywhere. For
example, I never took the subway at night.
But NYC was a hub of different and exciting cultural manifestations and I wanted to explore it.
During those two years I lived there I visited frequently the MET, the MOMA and other museums.
One of my first obligatory visits was to see Picasso’s famous “Guernica” before it was sent back to
Spain after Franco’s death. I attended as many operas, ballets and performances as I could.
Notably among them were “Man and Superman” at an off off Broadway production, Liv Ullman as
Nora in “A Doll’s House” in the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Miguel Pineiro’s “Short Eyes” and several
Spanish plays at the Repertorio Español. Saturday’s morning were reserved to do research and
read at the N.Y. Public Library, were one morning Rex Harrison sat in front of me to consult one text
by George Bernard Shaw and of course, I had to talk to him. That was a day I cannot forget.
I devoted time to go to other social entities, such as Adam’s Apple, but generally the place I most
visited was the Café latinoamericano, on 56 th st., between Fifth and Six Avenues, where I met most
friends, and where we would listen to the music of the Andes and Argentina by a group, the
Tahuantisuyo, who became also very good friends. To that eclectic group of friends from Latin
American I gave a mini lecture on the status of the post 1940 Puerto Rican novel, while enjoying
some delicious Argentinian wine and empanadas.
It was also in NYC that I had the opportunity to listen to and meet poet
and former priest Ernesto Cardenal, liberation theologian from
Nicaragua and other major writers from Latin America and the
Caribbean. One unforgettable experience was when after the deaths of
Allende and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda in Chile I witnessed a moving
manifestation along 14th street where participants loudly proclaimed
“Allende”, “Neruda” followed by “Presente”.
While the NYC of the seventies faced serious and complicated

challenges, culturally was the place to be. I left the city early June 1975
to get married in Puerto Rico and established ourselves in Hoboken, NJ. From our apartment, we
could enjoy the view of the Hudson River and part of the landscape of the city.
Asela R. Laguna
Charleston, SC
November 2018
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Playwright Background
José Rivera is a Puerto Rican
playwright. He identifies as male and is 63
years old. When Marisol was written, Rivera
was 37 years old. Though originally born in
Puerto Rico, José Rivera and his family
moved to New York City when he was 4 years
old. His father worked as a taxi driver in the
city. Rivera’s family was religiously devout,
identifying as Catholic. Rivera has stated that
the only book his family owned was a Bible.
Though they had few books, Rivera’s family
loved to tell stories. It is through his family’s
passion for storytelling that Rivera developed his own love of telling and creating stories.
José Rivera’s early education occurred in the New
York state public school system. Rivera would later go on
to study at the Sundance Institute, a non-profit
organization committed to advancing the work of
independent storytellers in film and theatre. At the
Sundance Institute, the playwright studied with Gabriel
García Márquez, another Latin American playwright.
Márquez heavily influenced Rivera’s own writing style. It is
from his work with Márquez that José Rivera began to
write heavily within the genre of magical realism, the
genre of Marisol. Marisol itself was inspired by the
situation of Rivera’s homeless uncle. Later, Rivera began
to venture into screenwriting. He is the first Puerto Rican
screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar.
Rivera’s first published work is The House of Ramon
Iglesia. This is a play about the themes of assimilation
and cultural suppression. It explores what these do to an individual and their psyche. Other
important works by Rivera include: References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot, Cloud Tectonics, and
Sonnets for an Old Century. Rivera states that some of his greatest influences are Timothy Williams,
Sam Sheppard, and Harold Pinter. Others are Migdalia Cruz, Eduardo Mechado, and Pedro Prieti.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Rivera_(playwright)
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/theater/newsandfeatures/jose-rivera.html
https://milagro.org/meet-playwright-jose-rivera/
https://www.samuelfrench.com/p/2506/the-house-of-ramon-iglesia http://larespuestamedia.com/jose-rivera-interview/
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Late 1980s New York City
Politics and Government

During the late 1980’s, the United States was controlled by republican president Ronald
Reagan. Reagan’s fiscal policies, denoted Reaganomics, slashed taxes and removed regulations
hoping to boost the economy. Reagan’s policies worked, and the economy came out of its
recession and moved into a period of economic boom. However, Reagan’s policies had negative
effects on minorities. Because of attacks on affirmative action and welfare programs, minorities had
less access to opportunities and programs that would have boosted their social and economic
standings.
Unlike the country as a whole, New York City was led by Mayor Ed Koch,
a democrat. Though his first two terms were met with public approval, during
Koch’s third term, beginning in 1985, he suffered a loss in popularity due to a
series of corruption scandals. During his tenure as mayor, race relations were
also poor. These poor race relations intensified in the latter part of Koch’s
mayorship as he publicly criticized Jesse Jackson, a black democratic candidate
in the 1988 presidential election.
Homelessness
The rise of contemporary homelessness developed in the 1980s. Prior to this period,
homeless populations were mainly middle-aged white men with alcohol issues. However, during the
1980s, economically driven homelessness emerged. Many of the economic policies of the time led
to a rise in income inequality and a smaller middle class. Because of these catalysts, homelessness
skyrocketed in the 1980s, disproportionately affecting people of color and other minority
communities. In response to the rise in homelessness, Mayor Koch attempted to institute policies
that removed homeless individuals from the streets at night and kept them from loitering. The
policies would have empowered the police to forcibly remove the homeless if temperatures were low
and take them to shelters.
Though well intentioned, the reality was far
from helpful. Homeless shelters were potentially
dangerous and forced removal created an ideology
that public spaces in New York City were designated
for the upper class. Once the anti-loitering laws were
struck down by the New York City supreme court,
Koch turned to propaganda as a way of attacking the
problem of homelessness. Koch, speaking on the
deviancy of the homeless, pitted them against all
other individuals in a speech in 1988 about the
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unresolved problem of homeless loitering in the Grand Central Terminal. He stated “They’re sitting
on the floor, occasionally defecating, urinating, talking to themselves…We thought it would be
reasonable for the authorities to say, ‘you can’t stay here unless you’re here for transportation.’
Reasonable, rational people would come to that conclusion, right?” Koch’s attack against the
homeless serves as one of the major themes throughout Marisol.
Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels are a non-profit
international volunteer organization of unarmed
crime-prevention vigilantes that were created in
1979. The organization was initially formed to
combat widespread violence and crime on the
New York City Subway system. After the financial
crisis of the 1970s, the New York Subway system became a cesspool for crimes. Most of these
crimes were committed by packs of teenagers carrying switchblades who would steal items from
passengers on the train. However, many situations became much worse. The overall culture of
crime on the subways and the lack of police intervention spurred Curtis Sliwa, the organization’s
creator, to take matters into his own hands.
To identify themselves as a group, the
Guardian Angel’s wore red berets and t-shirts
with their logo on it. These pieces of clothing
made the Angels easily identifiable on a subway
in case of an emergency situation. The Angels
were mostly made up of minority individuals. In
fact, the Angels were 80% black and
Hispanic/Latinx.
After several headlining news reports
detailing the Angel’s acts of salvation, the
Guardian Angels were publically denounced by
Mayor Ed Koch. Koch viewed them as “paramilitaries,” or members of a semi-militarized force
whose organization resembles that of a professional military but is not included in the State’s
armed forces. Eventually, Koch relented, and, after their success in New York, the Angels expanded
to other troubled cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, etc.
Sources:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5158315/ns/us_news-life/t/reagan-contrary-view/#.W8iodq2ZPBI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch#1985_election_and_third_term
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Angels
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramilitary
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/guardian-angels-started-protecting-nyc-subways-article-1.804336
Westgate, J. Chris. “Toward a Rhetoric of Sociospatial Theatre: José Rivera's Marisol.” Theatre Journal, vol. 59, no. 1, 2007, pp. 21–37.,
doi:10.1353/tj.2007.0076.
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Magical Realism
What is it?
Magical realism is a genre of art and
literature. It is the genre that Marisol falls into.
The genre is called magical realism because it
presents a primarily realistic view of the world
while adding in supernatural or magical
elements. Magical realism in literature has
primarily been associated with Latin American
writers and artists. As the form developed, it
has become inextricably linked with Latin
American culture. The form became a way for its
writers to subvert and critique the political
systems they lived under. Many of the pioneers
of magical realism lived in dictatorships where
elements we might consider fantastical (being
thrown in jail for maxing out your credit limit)
were actually reflections of the reality they lived
through daily. For these reasons, it has even
been a point of contention as to whether or not
works of literature can be considered magical realism if they were not created by a Latinx individual.
Gabriel García Márquez, one of José Rivera’s major influences, is considered one of the
founders of the style. Speaking on magical realism, José Rivera stated “I was once asked to try to
define magical realism, and I said, in a very general sense, ‘it’s the use of externalized metaphors;
it’s taking what is an internal state of mind or emotion and projecting it into the world’.”
Defining Features
The existence of magical elements in a real world setting provides the basis for the genre.
However, there are many other defining features as well, though the extent to which each is used in
a work varies from work to work. One important feature of the genre is the presence of an
indifferent narrator or protagonist coupled with the author’s lack of explanation for fantastical
events. The narrator/protagonist accepts the extraordinary as I nothing outside of the norm has
occurred. Magical realist texts also often present opposing planes of reality. One example would be
urban and rural settings. Works falling in this genre often present heightened and intensified
circumstances. When experiencing magical realist texts, the reader or audience member must “let
go of preexisting ties to conventional exposition, plot advancement, linear time structure, scientific
reason, etc., to strive for a state of heightened awareness of life’s connectedness or hidden
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meanings.” Finally, magical realism’s dedication to political critique is an important defining feature.
Within a magical realist work, the alternative world is often used to correct the reality of the
established world. It is within the alternative world, because of its magical/supernatural nature, that
elitist/privileged viewpoints are destabilized.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism
https://www.shmoop.com/magic-realism/political-critique-characteristic.html
https://www.solonschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=2447&dataid=1460&FileName=Microsoft%20Word%20-
%20Elements%20of%20magical%20realism.pdf
https://wesleyan.edu/theater/productions/marisol1/20170310124623780.pdf
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Assimilation
General Assimilation Information
Assimilation is the process by which different
cultural groups become more and more alike.
When full assimilation is complete, there is no
distinguishable difference between the formerly
different groups. Assimilation can be forced or
spontaneous. It is important to note that
assimilation is markedly different than
acculturation. With acculturation, one’s native
culture is not lost over time like it is with
assimilation. Acculturation allows immigrants to
adapt to the culture of a new country in order
to function in everyday life while still
maintaining the values, perspectives, practices, and rituals of their original culture.
When assimilation is forced, several techniques are often used. Some of these include:
forced religious conversion, removal of children from parents, division of community property into
individually owned land, the undermining of local economies and gender roles, and the elimination
of access to indigenous foodstuffs. Forced assimilation is rarely successful, and it generally has
enduring negative consequences for the recipient culture.
Voluntary assimilation during the 18th and 19th centuries occurred in the United States when
millions of Europeans emigrated to the New World. In this case, being able to “pass” as a member
of the dominant Anglo-Protestant culture was an important form of protection against violent
nativist groups.
Puerto Rican Assimilation

Puerto Ricans began to migrate
to New York City in large numbers after
the Jones Act of 1917 extended
citizenship to islanders. However, it was
not until after World War II that a huge
influx of new immigrants began. These
newcomers faced intense bias and
marginalization during this era.
Immigrant communities struggled with
inadequate housing and discrimination
in the job market.
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However, during the 1960s, in response to poor conditions and spurred by the various
social movements of the time, young Puerto Ricans began to protest in large numbers. Their
activism included elements of Puerto Rican nationalism and international anti-imperialism. Puerto
Ricans in New York City allied with their African American neighbors to create a “community control”
movement that had its roots in the late 1960s but solidified in the late 1970s. This group was
known as the Guardian Angels (see Late 1980s New York City section above for more information).
By the mid-1970s, urban fiscal crises and the rising conservative backlash in national
politics created more problems for Puerto Rican communities in the United States. Since the 1980s,
however, Puerto Ricans have achieved some economic gains, and a growing number of college-
educated, middle class Puerto Ricans have managed to gain more control over the cultural
representations of their communities.
One of the major roadblocks to Puerto Rican acculturation/full assimilation is their skin
color. Puerto Rican’s mixed-race heritage made them very unlike European immigrants. As a
psychologist by the name of Kenneth Clark stated in an interview, “The reality of the United States is
that assimilation is blocked by skin color.” The paradox of this is that United States majority culture
demands assimilation but does not allow non-white immigrants to actually assimilate. Because of
the struggles they have faced and their only recent economic and social developments, Puerto
Ricans have stayed within ethnic communities in big cities as a way to survive in an inhospitable
America. However, this has helped them retain much of their primary culture.
Irish Assimilation
When the Irish came over in the 19th century,
they were destitute by American standards. They
often had no money beyond the fare for their
passage. Because of this, they settled in the cities
of the ports where their ships arrived. Initially, the
Irish lived in terrible conditions and received
considerable prejudice from Americans. However,
around the turn of the 20th century, attitudes
towards the Irish had begun to change. Many Irish
participated in the Civil War and gained acceptance
and respect from Americans because of their
loyalty.
Second or third generation Irish-Americans
moved up the social and managerial ladder from their early laboring work. Some would even enter
the higher-class professional world. The Irish’s large numbers were also instrumental in raising their
social status because they were able to elect candidates to power that represented their communities.
The Irish were also aided by their skin color because they were able to pass as natural born citizens
unlike immigrants from Puerto Rico, for example. Overtime, because of their rising social status,
acceptance, and appearance, many later generation Irish immigrants fully assimilated. Since the initial
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major influx in Irish immigration, negative stereotypes and prejudices associated with the Irish have
slowly faded from American society.
Sources:
https://www.thoughtco.com/assimilation-definition-4149483
https://www.britannica.com/topic/assimilation-society
http://americanhistory.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-32
https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-immigration-to-America.html
https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/alt/irish3.html
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Religion
Folk Catholicism and Spiritualism
Folk Catholicism is a term that refers to any of various ethnic
expressions of Catholicism as practiced in Catholic communities.
Typically, folk Catholicism is referenced in developing nations. The
practices that fall under the umbrella term of folk Catholicism vary
from place to place. These various practices sometimes contradict
the official teachings of the Catholic church. However, even though
some of the practices deviate from mainstream Catholic beliefs, the
Catholic church generally does not speak against them unless they
view the practices as heretical or detrimental.
In Puerto Rico, the practice of Catholicism often blends
native Taíno and African traditions with mainstream Catholic beliefs
and practices. In fact, it has been said that the real religion of Puerto Rico is not Catholicism but
espiritismo (spiritualism), a quasi-magical belief in occult forces. For example, many people in
Puerto Rico believe in the mal de ojo, or evil eye.
On the Island, rich homage is paid to Catholic saints. Beliefs in saints’ miracles, faith
healing, and witchcraft abound, and icons of Catholic saints are often found in Puerto Rican homes.
This unique blend of mainstream Catholic ideologies with witchcraft and other occult beliefs create
Puerto Rico’s distinct form of folk Catholicism. The tradition of syncretism, or mixing different parts
of various religions, is deeply rooted in the Catholicism of Puerto Rico and Latin America at large.
Catholicism in Latin American Communities in the United States

Religion and immigration are often closely tied together. It has been said that post-1965
immigrants and their children are actually revitalizing religion in America. 84% of Latinos report that
their religious affiliation is Christian, and 35% of all Catholics in the United States report their
ethnicity as Latin American. It is clear to see that Catholicism has been extremely influential in Latin
American communities. Scholars have concluded that without the inflow of Latin American
immigrants, the Catholic church would have experienced catastrophic collapse in America. The Latin
American connection with Catholicism is linked with a strong cultural/ethnic identity within the
community. Scholars have reported that Latino immigrants tend to have a stronger ethnic/racial
identity than white immigrants do. This strong link between ethnicity and religion contributes to the
prevalence of separate ethnic congregations in America. All the information in this paragraph was
sourced from a scholarly article entitled Religion and Ethnicity: Theoretical Conclusions.
Sources:
https://www.frommers.com/destinations/puerto-rico/in-depth/religion
https://www.everyculture.com/Middle-America-Caribbean/Puerto-Ricans-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_Catholicism
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/2/3/312/pdf
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Theoretical Approaches
Sociospatial Theatre
As defined in the article “Toward a Rhetoric of
Sociospatial Theatre: José Rivera’s Marisol” written by J.
Chris Westgate, sociospatial theatre refers to the
combination of scenography and storyline. In Marisol,
scenography and storyline are equally important. The
scenery becomes a living, breathing character that
changes and grows along with the storyline. In many ways,
the scenography is more three dimensional than many of
the characters. Through its depictions of New York City,
Marisol destabilizes the audience’s perceptions of New
York City. The article names preconceived notions about
urban spaces (specifically New York City) as the “tidy
world of the voyeur.” Marisol effectively explodes that tidy
world. Rather than images of Broadway, Times Square,
and the Upper West Side –images that are found in the
voyeur’s tidy world– Marisol uses images of the homeless
and urban violence to make audiences uncomfortable about their conservative ideas about urban
spaces. The voyeur’s tidy world has contributed to issues like gentrification and the forced removal
of the homeless from urban spaces. Through placing scenery on a pedestal by allowing character’s
to be affected by space rather than the other way around, Marisol forces the audience to see the
homeless as individuals that live and move within space rather than a collective problem. At its core,
a sociospatial reading of Marisol asks us “who does the city belong to?” and “how does my
discomfort seeing homeless individuals in urban spaces contribute to issues like gentrification and
forced removal?”
Ecofeminism
An ecofeminist reading of Marisol is
conduted by Arden Elizabeth Thomas in
her article “Poisoning the Mother/Land: An
Ecofeminist Dramaturgy in José Rivera’s
Marisol and Cherríe Moraga’s Heroes and
Saints.” The article explores how “theatre
might intervene on behalf of issues of
environmental justice and ecological
sustainability.” The article discusses how
ecological issues are related to the
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oppression of women through the patriarchal connection of woman to environment (i.e. mother
nature) and how those same ecological issues, while often created by men, disproportionately affect
women. By viewing women as naturally tied to the earth, patriarchal society is able to subjugate and
oppress them in the same way that it subjugates and oppresses the earth. The article looks at
many of the feminine symbols in Marisol like Lenny’s pregnancy and the disappearance of the moon
in relation to the play’s images of the landscape as poisoned and destroyed. Arden Elizabeth
Thomas then examines how it is through the second world of the play, the magical/spiritual world,
that alternatives to globalization and the oppression of women and the environment are depicted.
The play’s presentation of the apocalypse, the catalyst for which is Marisol’s death, and the new
millennium express a future world that can be revitalized. It is through the theatre and Rivera’s
ecofeminist dramaturgy, then, that we can examine what the destruction of our world and a
revitalized world look like.
Sources:
Westgate, J. Chris. “Toward a Rhetoric of Sociospatial Theatre: José Rivera's Marisol.” Theatre Journal, vol. 59, no. 1, 2007, pp. 21–37.,
doi:10.1353/tj.2007.0076.
Thomas, Arden Elizabeth. “Poisoning the Mother/Land: An Ecofeminist Dramaturgy in José Rivera’s Marisol and Cherríe Moraga’s Heroes and
Saints.” Theatre History Studies, vol. 35, no. 1, 2016, pp. 143–160., doi:10.1353/ths.2016.0007.
Glossary of Terms
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Marisol Glossary of Terms
Page # Term/Allusion Meaning/Explanation
ACT 1
10 180th Street An elevated express station on the IRT
White Plains Road Line of the New
York City Subway. It is located in the
Bronx and is served by the 2 and 5
trains at all times
10 Uzi A type of sub-machine gun designed

by Uziel Gal, an Israeli army officer
11 Van Cortlandt Park One of the major parks in New York

City. It is located in the northern
portion of the Bronx, a more middle
class area. After the economic boom of
the 1980’s, the New York economy
began to falter and the park began to
fall into disarray with clean-up staff
having been cut 30% by 1990. Since
then, the park has been renewed, but,
during the writing of the play, the park
was an area known for illegal dumping
and pollution waste
11 Salt A biblical allusion to the story of Lot

and his wife. Lot and his family lived
in the city of Sodom. God saw how evil
and wicked the people of Sodom were
and decided to destroy it. He saw that
Lot was good and told him if he and his
family left the city and did not look
back they would be spared. Lot’s wife
looked back and was turned into a
pillar of salt as punishment for her
disobedience
13 Crucifix A representation of a cross with a

figure of Jesus Christ on it. In
Christianity, it is believed that Jesus
was killed on a cross and through his
death and subsequent resurrection,
humanity is saved from Hell
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13 Horseshoe A symbol of good luck. Horseshoes
were traditionally made of iron which
was believed to ward off evil spirits.
The superstition acquired a Christian
element after a legend surrounding a
saint. The saint was a blacksmith. The
story tells that the Devil came to his
shop asking for the saint to shoe his
horse. The saint agreed but put the
horse shoe on the Devil’s foot instead.
He would not take it off until the Devil
promised not to enter a house with a
horseshoe on it ever again
13 Rabbit’s Foot An amulet believed to bring good luck.

The belief has existed in Europe since
600 BC
13 Prayer Cards Cards depicting a religious scene or

saint in an image the size of a playing
card. The backside of the card contains
a prayer
13 Milagros Religious folk charms of many

different shapes and sizes traditionally
used for healing and as offerings
symbolizing or requesting the
fulfillment of a vow in the Catholic
faith. They are traditionally used in
Mexico, other areas of Latin America,
the southern United States, and parts of
the Iberian Peninsula. The word
milagros means miracles
13 Medicine Bundles A collection of sacred items wrapped

together and held by a designated
carrier. They are used in ceremonies by
several different indigenous nations in
the Americas
13 Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Four of the twelve disciples of Jesus
Christ in the Christian Bible. They
wrote the first four books of the New
Testament. These books are also
known as the gospels
17
13 Ave Maria purisima, donde esta el Purest Virgin Mary, where is the heat?
heat?
13 NO TENGO HEAT, CONO! I DON’T HAVE HEAT, CUNT!
13 Me vas a matar without el fucking You’re going to kill me without the

heat!! fucking heat!!
14 Linoleum A stiff, smooth material that is used for

covering floors
15 Rosaries A form of prayer used in the Catholic
church comprised of Hail Mary’s, the
Lord’s Prayer, and Glory Be prayers.
Rosary beads are used as an aid toward
saying these prayers in the proper
sequence
15 Urn A tall, rounded vase with a base (and

usually a stem) that is most often used
to store the ashes of a cremated person
or animal
15 Arroz con Gandules A signature rice dish of Puerto Rican

cuisine made of rice, peas, and pork.
The base of the dish is sofrito (a sauce
base in Latin American cooking
consisting of aromatic ingredients that
are sautéed in cooking oil). The dish is
often served during Christmas or for
other special occasions
16 Communion Wine Wine used in the Christian ceremony

of communion. Catholicism teaches
that the wine literally becomes the
blood of Jesus Christ inside the body of
the person who ingests it.
16 Gospels The first four books of the Christian

New Testament. These books detail the
basic teachings of Christianity and the
stories of Jesus Christ and his ministry
17 Spik A racist term used in the United States

that refers to a Hispanic person
18
18 Hemorrhage A rapid and uncontrollable loss or
outflow (usually of blood)
18 Seraphim, Cherubim, Archangels Hierarchies of angelic beings in
Christian mythology
18 Senile Showing a decline of physical strength

or mental function (especially short-
term memory and alertness) resulting
from old age or disease
18 “And there was war in Heaven; A verse from the book of Revelation in
Michael and his angels fought the Christian Bible. Revelation is a
against the dragon; and the dragon book that discusses the end times and
fought-“ apocalyptic events
19 New Millenium A biblical allusion to the book of
Revelation. Christian mythology
teaches in Revelation that a new
millennium of peace and harmony on
earth will occur before the final
apocalyptic battle between good and
evil takes place
19 Latin The language of ancient Rome and the
traditional language of the Catholic
church. It is considered a holy language
by Catholics
20 East Village A neighborhood in Manhattan. It has

become a center for art, music, and
counterculture. It is known for its
diverse community but has been
victimized by gentrification in recent
decades
20 Astroturf An artificial grass surface, usually used

for athletic fields
21 IRT Number Two A New York City subway service that

serves as an express line between
Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx
21 Visigoths A western branch of the nomadic tribes

of the Germanic peoples during the
300s AD. They invaded Italy and
defeated the Romans in 378.
19
22 Fulgent Shining brightly
22 Pre-Millenium A Biblical allusion referencing the idea

that there will be a seven-year time of
great pain and hardship prior to the
Millennium of Jesus’ peaceful reign on
earth
22 Flat Vowels A reference to the regional accent of

Ohioans. Flat vowels are a common
characteristic of Midwestern accents. It
is also typical of Bronx accents
23 Taxi Driver A 1970’s film set in a decaying New

York City after the Vietnam war telling
the story of a veteran working as a taxi
driver who plots to kill a presidential
candidate
23 Second A.D. A acronym standing for “Second

Assistant Director”
24 Carvel An ice cream franchise
24 Formica A type of decorative product made of

several different layers that are
compressed and cured to make a hard,
durable surface
25 Truncheons A short, thick stick carried as a weapon

by police officers
27 Life and Growth Empowerment A type of New Age spiritual system

Practitioner that seeks to help coach and empower
people through a connection with the
spirit world
27 Brooklyn Spiritual Emergence The Brooklyn branch of the Spiritual

Network Emergence Network which provides
individuals that are experiencing
psychospiritual difficulties a referral
and support service
27 Stones Short for the Rolling Stones, a band

formed in the 1960s
20
27 Smegma, the Literary Magazine of Potentially a reference to the magazine
Brooklyn published in NYC between 1978 and
1981 that focused on art, poetry, and
music of the emerging punk scene of
the time
27 Greenwood Cemetery A historic cemetery located in

Greenwood Heights in Brooklyn
28 Avenue D An avenue in the lower East side in

Manhattan that is filled with housing
projects
28 Lenox Hill A hospital located in Lenox Hill

neighborhood in Manhattan
30 Madre que linda noche, cuantas Mother that beautiful night, how many
estrellas. Abreme la ventana, que stars. Open my window, I want to see
quiero verlas them
31 Firing Squad A form of execution often used by the

military or during times of war. An
individual is placed against a wall
opposite a group of armed individuals.
When a call is heard, the individuals
shoot at the person being executed
32 Bronx Botanical Garden A botanical garden and National

Historical Landmark located in the
Bronx that supports over 1 million
living plants in extensive collections
32 Eunuch A man who has been castrated, often at

an early age creating hormonal
consequences, and often for the
purpose of serving as a guard to an
important woman (like a queen)
35 Military Fatigues The casual clothes that military

personnel wear, these are the clothes
that military personnel wear when they
are engaging in battle rather than at an
official ceremony
ACT 2
38 Bodega A small grocery store, especially in a
Spanish-speaking neighborhood
21
40 Cos Cob A neighborhood in the town of
Greenwich, Connecticut. In 2015, it
was ranked as the 287th wealthiest
place in the US
43 Plutonium A dense silvery radioactive metal used

as a fuel in nuclear reactors and as an
explosive in nuclear fission weapons
43 East Tremont A residential neighborhood located in

the West Bronx, New York City. It has
one of the highest concentrations of
Puerto Ricans in New York City.
Hispanic or Latino of any race was
67.3% of the population in the 2010
census. Almost half the population of
East Tremont lives below the poverty
line and receives public assistance
43 Grand Concourse A major road connecting various

locations to another in the Bronx. Some
of the locations Grand Concourse runs
through includes Tremont and
Fordham
43 Fordham A group of neighborhoods in Western

Bronx, New York City. It is now
predominately Latin American and
African American
43 Phi Beta Kappa The oldest academic honor society in

the US. Often described as the most
prestigious honor society due to its
academic selectivity
43 Arcane Mysterious or secret, known to only a

few people
43 Psyche The human soul, mind, or spirit
43 Saint Patrick’s Cathedral A neo-gothic style Roman Catholic

cathedral church and a prominent
landmark of New York City.
Underneath the high altar is a crypt in
which notable Catholic figures are
22
entombed. Many notable people have
requiem masses here
44 Napalm A highly flammable sticky jelly used in

bombs and flamethrowers. It was first
used during WWII. It has since been
used in the Korean War, Vietnam War,
Iraq War, and War in Afghanistan
45 Air-Traffic Controller A person who is responsible for

remotely monitoring and directing the
movements of aircraft
45 Ay Dios, ay Dios mio, ay Dios Oh God, oh my God, oh God
45 DDT A synthetic organic compound used as

an insecticide. It is toxic, dangerous to
the environment, and likely
carcinogenic. It persists in the
environment and becomes concentrated
in animals at the head of the food
chain. It has been banned in many
countries
46 Scimitar A short sword with a curved blade that

broadens toward the point. It was
originally used in Eastern countries
46 Jimi Hendrix An American rock guitarist, singer, and

songwriter. He is widely regarded as
one of the most influential electric
guitarists in the history of popular
music
47 TRW An American corporation involved in a

variety of businesses. In particular, it
was involved in credit reporting. TRW
went defunct in 2002
48 Mine harbors The process of placing explosive

devices concealed under water in
harbors designed to destroy or disable
enemy targets
48 Germ bombs Bombs that employ biological warfare

to incapacitate or kill humans.
23
Biological warfare is the use of toxins
or infections agents like bacteria,
viruses, and fungi as a form of warfare
49 Hemorrhoids A swollen vein or group of veins in the

region of the anus
49 Apple An iconic image in many religious

traditions (specifically Christianity)
that is viewed as a mystical or
forbidden fruit. Apples are symbols of
knowledge, immortality, temptation,
and sin. The apple is traditionally held
as the fruit Eve ate in the Garden of
Eden in the Biblical story of Adam and
Eve. Adam and eve were told by God
that they could eat from any tree except
the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. Eve was tempted by a serpent to
eat from the tree and did. She gave
some of the fruit to Adam. This is
considered to be the original sin in the
Christian tradition and is the reason
that humans sin today
49 Greasing palms An idiom that means to bribe one

discreetly, as by slipping money into
their palm
49 Five-sided beast A name referencing the Pentagon, the

headquarters of the United States
Department of Defense
52 Frenetic Fast and energetic in a rather wild and

uncontrolled way
52 Angelitos A term of in Latin American culture

that refers to a dead child. The word
means “little angel” and can also be
used as a term of endearment
53 Border babies An infant or young child who is

abandoned or orphaned and left in a
hospital for lack of a foster home
24
54 Upper West Side A neighborhood in Manhattan that is
an affluent, primarily residential area.
It has a reputation for being New York
City’s cultural and intellectual hub. It is
considered to be among New York
City’s wealthiest neighborhoods
54 Citicorps An extremely influential bank

headquartered in New York City.
Citicorp (now known as Citigroup Inc.)
has pioneered many of the ways we
bank today
55 Port Authority A bus terminal in New York City that

is the main gateway for interstate buses
to enter Manhattan
Visual Glossary
25
Marisol Visual Glossary
Page # Term/Allusion Image
ACT 1
10 180th Street
10 Uzi
11 Van Cortlandt Park
11 Salt
26
13 Crucifix
13 Horseshoe
13 Rabbit’s Foot
13 Prayer Cards
13 Milagros
27
13 Medicine Bundles
14 Linoleum
15 Rosaries
15 Urn
15 Arroz con Gandules

28
16 Communion Wine
18 Seraphim, Cherubim,
Archangels
20 East Village
20 Astroturf
21 IRT Number Two

29
21 Visigoths
23 Taxi Driver
24 Carvel
24 Formica
30
25 Truncheons
27 Stones
27 Smegma, the Literary

Magazine of Brooklyn
27 Greenwood Cemetery
28 Avenue D
31
28 Lenox Hill
31 Firing Squad
32 Bronx Botanical Garden
32 Eunuch
32
35 Military Fatigues
ACT 2
38 Bodega
40 Cos Cob
43 Plutonium
33
43 East Tremont
43 Grand Concourse
43 Fordham
43 Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
44 Napalm
34
45 Air-Traffic Controller
45 DDT
46 Scimitar
46 Jimi Hendrix
47 TRW
35
48 Mine harbors
49 Apple
49 Five-sided beast
54 Upper West Side
54 Citicorps
36
55 Port Authority

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Prepared by Noah Ezell, Dramaturg

LETTER FROM DR. ASELA LAGUNA, CULTURAL ADVISOR ......... 2

Thanks so much to you and your excellent Department for allowing a

Reading Marisol hasn’t been easy. It is a difficult play. After reading it

While the NYC of the seventies faced serious and complicated

Politics and Government

Puerto Rican Assimilation

Catholicism in Latin American Communities in the United States

10 Uzi A type of sub-machine gun designed

11 Van Cortlandt Park One of the major parks in New York

11 Salt A biblical allusion to the story of Lot

13 Crucifix A representation of a cross with a

13 Rabbit’s Foot An amulet believed to bring good luck.

13 Prayer Cards Cards depicting a religious scene or

13 Milagros Religious folk charms of many

13 Medicine Bundles A collection of sacred items wrapped

13 NO TENGO HEAT, CONO! I DON’T HAVE HEAT, CUNT!

13 Me vas a matar without el fucking You’re going to kill me without the

14 Linoleum A stiff, smooth material that is used for

15 Urn A tall, rounded vase with a base (and

15 Arroz con Gandules A signature rice dish of Puerto Rican

16 Communion Wine Wine used in the Christian ceremony

16 Gospels The first four books of the Christian

17 Spik A racist term used in the United States

18 Senile Showing a decline of physical strength

20 East Village A neighborhood in Manhattan. It has

20 Astroturf An artificial grass surface, usually used

21 IRT Number Two A New York City subway service that

21 Visigoths A western branch of the nomadic tribes

22 Pre-Millenium A Biblical allusion referencing the idea

22 Flat Vowels A reference to the regional accent of

23 Taxi Driver A 1970’s film set in a decaying New

23 Second A.D. A acronym standing for “Second

24 Carvel An ice cream franchise

24 Formica A type of decorative product made of

25 Truncheons A short, thick stick carried as a weapon

27 Life and Growth Empowerment A type of New Age spiritual system

27 Brooklyn Spiritual Emergence The Brooklyn branch of the Spiritual

27 Stones Short for the Rolling Stones, a band

27 Greenwood Cemetery A historic cemetery located in

28 Avenue D An avenue in the lower East side in

28 Lenox Hill A hospital located in Lenox Hill

31 Firing Squad A form of execution often used by the

32 Bronx Botanical Garden A botanical garden and National

32 Eunuch A man who has been castrated, often at

35 Military Fatigues The casual clothes that military

43 Plutonium A dense silvery radioactive metal used

43 East Tremont A residential neighborhood located in

43 Grand Concourse A major road connecting various

43 Fordham A group of neighborhoods in Western

43 Phi Beta Kappa The oldest academic honor society in

43 Arcane Mysterious or secret, known to only a

43 Psyche The human soul, mind, or spirit

43 Saint Patrick’s Cathedral A neo-gothic style Roman Catholic

44 Napalm A highly flammable sticky jelly used in

45 Air-Traffic Controller A person who is responsible for

45 Ay Dios, ay Dios mio, ay Dios Oh God, oh my God, oh God

45 DDT A synthetic organic compound used as

46 Scimitar A short sword with a curved blade that

46 Jimi Hendrix An American rock guitarist, singer, and

47 TRW An American corporation involved in a

48 Mine harbors The process of placing explosive

48 Germ bombs Bombs that employ biological warfare