Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Many celebrities and VIPS gathered to attend the World Premiere Performance of Playwright Stacey Martino Rivera’s latest play, THE CIRCLE, on Friday, January 30th.
This tragicomic play shows three generations of Medina’s and Mahoney’s coming together over one weekend in Texas-San Antonio, regarding chaos around the 2016 election season. With protests around the country, and with things getting out of hand, we became a country at war with ourselves for a while and by expanding our circles of care for people displaced by conflict, we start caring for the planet and all people.
Fabulously directed by D.W. Jacobs, the ten member ensemble creates the feeling of family, home, love and hate, justice and dignity, where survival with their personal feelings, are expressed by touching upon the political, social and environmental challenges we are all living today. Rivera paints the picture by giving us main points but centers the story mainly around marriage and kidnapping.
Moderated by 16-year-old Anna Medina (Ava Rivera), whose excellent opening, where among many things, she shares the view on young people today, and their feeling of going to school each day, and being under the pressure of surviving that day by not being shot. I greatly enjoyed how realistic and very natural everyone was, all the humor that was infused into very serious circumstances, and the ending – where human care prevails and love and hate stand next to each other, with intentions to be helpful and loving, was truly a beauty to me.
The family affair starts at the Medina family home with José Medina (René Rivera), who is the main caretaker for his sick mom Eva Medina (Alma Martinez) and we see how irritated and angry he is regarding his racial Latino identity. Out of rage, he kidnaps from a protest rally a white MAGA man, Bud Ireton (Michael Brainard), ties him up and keeps him in the closet for most of the time. When his brother Ronnie Medina (Lakin Valdez) arrives with his nine months pregnant wife Molly (Victoria Ratermanis) and her mother Maeve Mahoney (Lisa Richards), and their twelve-year daughter Anna (Luna Rivera), who is referred to as “A little person with a big broken heart,’ the family affair starts. Two other characters in the play are Mary Padrón (Jeanette Godoy) and service worker, neighbor Mari and Tonantzin (Graciela Rodriguez). Two voiceovers are Brenden James Willis and Simone Reynolds.
I was blown away with the reality of a scene where giving birth was like we were watching it on the screen, so beautifully staged and executed. Ratermanis gave a brilliant performance. Not to undermine anyone else, all the actors were terrific. It was so enjoyable to watch young Luna Rivera and her emotions, cares and innocence being expressed. Kudos to the whole cast!
Greenway Co-Founders Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz said, ‘This production of THE CIRCLE, and the ‘circle’ that has been created and maintained by this incredibly talented group of artists in so many ways encompasses Greenway’s mission in both who we are and what we’ve struggled to form within our “sacred circle,” called the Greenway Court Theatre.’
The play is dedicated to the late C. Raul Espinoza, a Posthumous Producer of the play, for which a special financial donation has been made in Espinoza’s name from Greenway Arts Alliance to La Plaza de Cultura y Artes. An Art Exhibit in the theatre’s lobby includes paintings by artists Carlos Cano, “The Lion and the Lamb,” and Tonantznin Carrasco, “More Than a Prayer: Resistance.”
THE CIRCLE has a Four-Week Run at Greenway Court Theatre, 544 North Fairfax Avenue (at Melrose Avenue), Hollywood, CA 90036, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m., January 30 – February 22, 2026, with the exception of February 14th. Also, a Special Bonus Performance has been added for Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $30.00 per person, $10 Students and Seniors 60+, and Groups of 10 of more. Greenway Court Theatre is wheelchair accessible. This show is recommended for adults, and it is not recommended for YOUNG children as there are intense themes that could be disturbing. Publicity Steve Moyer Public Relations moyerpr@earthlink.net
The running time of the show is 135 minutes, not including intermission. Free Parking for the performances on Fridays and Saturdays is available in the parking lot in front of Fairfax High School located at the intersection of Fairfax Avenue at Melrose Avenue; the parking lot can be accessed from Fairfax Avenue. Limited Valet Parking is available at Sunday performances, or on streets surrounding the theatre.
Tickets can be purchased by E-mailing boxoffice@greenwayartsalliance.org or calling the Greenway Court Theatre at 323-655-7679, ext. 4. For further information about the play and to buy tickets online, please visit https://greenwaycourttheatre.org