NY Review: 'Chimichangas and Zoloft'

Two fathers and their respective teenage daughters find themselves confronting a plethora of complicated personal issues in Fernanda Coppel's "Chimichangas and Zoloft," which takes its title from the Tex-Mex dish and the antidepressant that are favorites of the wife who has just fled from one of the dads to sort out her emotions. It's a hefty tale to cram into 80 minutes, and while Coppel's brevity does not always serve her well, the show, directed by Jaime Castañeda, brims with zestful performances that almost atone for the work's shortcomings.

The play alternates between monologues delivered by Sonia (Zabryna Guevara), the woman who has left home, and scenes featuring Sonia's husband, Ricardo (Teddy Cañez); her daughter, Jackie (Carmen Zilles); her neighbor, single father Alejandro (Alfredo Narciso); and his daughter, Penelope (Xochitl Romero). Sonia has picked an opportune moment to bolt: Jackie is experiencing a growing awareness of her homosexuality, while Penelope, who sees Sonia as a surrogate mother, is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. While the girls cope—awkwardly—with these issues, Ricardo and Alejandro also have their own personal messes to work out.

A chief problem is that Sonia's monologues, which Guevara delivers with a cunning combination of bluntness and vulnerability, stall the dramatic momentum. Further, the characters' problems are an uncomfortable mixture of adult nighttime serial drama and afterschool special.

Nevertheless, Coppel's rich use of language—which matches quick, unexpected zingers with poignant uses of lyricism—and the terrifically detailed and deeply felt performances exert a pull. In addition to Guevara's fine work, Zilles' sharply etched turn is a standout, bringing Jackie's insecurities and almost unnatural maturity to life with remarkable skill. When daughter finally confronts staid father, it's difficult to tell who is the parent and who is the child.

Cañez is equally impressive, navigating Ricardo's shifts between his private and public selves with felicity and gently combining both sides to pitiable effect at the climax. As Alejandro, Narciso blends fussiness with machismo to wry effect, even as he communicates the character's deep warmth for his daughter, whom Romero plays with an appropriate (and amusing) blend of self-protective snippiness and childlike neediness.

Lauren Helpern's spare set elegantly indicates Sonia's home, in and around which most of the events take place.

Presented by Atlantic Theater Company at Atlantic Stage 2, 330 W. 16th St., NYC. June 3–24. Tue.–Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 2:30 p.m. (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. Casting by MelCap Casting.