Greenway Arts Alliance presents the world premiere production of The Circle, A Tragicomic Play written by Stacey Martino Rivera at the Greenway Court Theatre next to Fairfax High School. It runs through February 22, 2026. The play is directed by D.W. Jacobs, with an accomplished cast that includes well-known character actors Michael Brainard and Alma Martinez.
It is the story of a three-generational family told by sixteen-year-old Anna, played by Ava Rivera. She is the daughter of a Mexican American actor, Ronnie Medina (Lakin Valdez), and his 8-months-pregnant Caucasian wife, Molly Medina (Victoria Ratermanis).
The play starts with Anna at 16, describing how The Circle is a story about a group of individuals, their relationships, and how each contributes to the story’s outcome, and how it impacts their lives. Director Jacobs equates it to Dante and “The Book of Memory.” “We’re all susceptible to surprise pilgrimages down to the deepest circles of Hell, up the spiral mountain path of Purgatory, and finally, if we’re lucky, we expand out into the greatest spheres of Paradise.”
Anna, at age 12, Ronnie, Molly, and Molly’s Mother, Maeve Mohoney (Lisa Richards), arrive at the Medina home in San Antonio, Texas, in the summer of 2016 after the funeral of Molly’s father in Philadelphia, to visit Ronnie’s ailing and aged mother, Eva (Alma Martinez)
They are met, with some hostility, by Ronnie’s brother José (René Rivera), as Ronnie and his family live in Los Angeles and haven’t visited for several years.
Right before their arrival, José accidentally hits Bud (Michael Brainard), a drunken Trumper in full “Make America Great Again” attire, with his truck. Bud is slightly injured and still drunk, so José takes him home to sober up. When faced with Bud’s prejudice toward Latinos and the fact that Bud may call the police, he ties him up in his mother’s wheelchair and hides him in a closet.
As the play begins, the TV is blasting the news that Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed police officers in Dallas, killing five of them, injuring nine others, and wounding two civilians. BLM protests are also in full swing. Two weeks later, Donald Trump is formally nominated for President of the United States at the RNC. It was a volatile time for people of color, to say the least.
Themes in the play touch on racial justice, environmental justice, immigration, restorative justice, and dealing with profound grief.
The production is labeled a tragicomedy, with many comical as well as emotional moments.
Alma Martinez aces the role of Eva, the invalid mother dying of cancer and dementia. She captures the ups and downs of a patient dealing with pain and confusion with volatile as well as soft moments.
Michael Brainard as Bud embraces his comical MAGA role, but also the depth of a person who has been wiped out financially and emotionally when he loses his farm due to price collapses and loan delinquencies. He turned to MAGA to find hope.
Bud alerts the family of poisoned water in the area and offers to help despite the family’s distaste for him.
Lakin Valdez is Ronnie, an actor working on a TV series in Los Angeles who loses his role because he was freezing and forgetting his lines, due to childhood trauma.
Victoria Ratermanis portrays his pregnant wife, Molly, as an emotional wellness facilitator. She, herself, is traumatized from previous miscarriages, but gives birth early at the Medina home, with the help of Eva (Martinez), who suddenly perks up from her dementia and comes to the rescue to help.
Lisa Richards, another longtime accomplished actress, plays Maeve, the Catholic mother of Molly, who insists the couple get married to legitimize the upcoming birth of their child. She plays the part in a soft-spoken, but funny way that reminded me of many clueless white women living their lives far from urban strife.
René Rivera as José is a man attempting to redeem himself after spending time in jail. He is also the only sibling at home available to take care of his mother and all her needs. Though he harbors resentment toward his brother for leaving the area to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, he is also the heart and soul of the family dynamic.
Anna is played by two sisters, Ava Rivera (at 16) and Luna Rivera (at 12). Both are effective and engaging in their roles.
Graciela Rodriguez is tasked with portraying several minor roles as a service worker, Mari, Neighbor, and Tonantzin.
My only criticism of the production is the length, 130 minutes, which could accomplish the same goals if it were cut by at least 30 minutes. However, I believe plays that focus on burning issues like those in this production are important, especially during these trying times.
Greenway Court Theatre – 544 North Fairfax Ave (at Melrose Ave.) Hollywood, California 90036 – Parking is free at Fairfax High School, except on Sundays when a 3-hour free valet service next to the theater is available.
For tickets and more information, click here.
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