Beliza Torres Narvaez’s “Resabios de Amargura or that bitter cabaret” and Javier Morillo’s “Broken English, Mother Tongue.”

A Benefit Performance for the Coalición de Boricuas en Minnesota, which will use all funds to support continuing efforts for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican community of Minnesota has rallied to help our island recover from the disaster of Hurricane Maria. In this benefit double-billing, two local Puerto Rican artists will perform their solo shows about island and its relationship to the United States.

Beliza Torres Narváez is an Assistant Professor of Theater at Augsburg University, writer, actor and theater director. She wrote and performs Resabios de Amargura or that bitter cabaret, a campy mixture of song, comedy, and social critique that follows the story of Lola Amapola, a singer-performer-TV diva-wannabe that loves her country Puerto Rico but feels attracted to afuera, or the outside. After realizing she cannot achieve her highest potential if she stays on her island, she leaves for the more promising and glamorous U.S mainland, but things don’t turn out quite as planned. Will she stay in the U.S.? Will she go back home? Is there a home to go back to?

Javier Morillo is a labor leader and activist, writer and storyteller. His solo show, Broken English, Mother Tongue, takes the audience on a ride across continents, languages and cultures. He weaves personal stories of growing up on a US Army base in Puerto Rico with the history of the Island’s complicated relationship to the United States. This show was an audience favorite of the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival, winning an encore performance. The Pioneer Press said, “Morillo makes it all captivating, thanks to a lot of humor, affection and an assist from pop singer Ricky Martin,” while the Star Tribune wrote Morillo “shares personal stories about family and identity with wit and earnestness.” Note: the audience may be quizzed on its knowledge of Puerto Rican history—but don’t worry—like Puerto Rico, all answers are, well, complicated.

Tickets are $20-$50 sliding scale. (Proceeds will be contributed to aid efforts for Puerto Rico. Higher donors will get a special gift.)  Purchase advance tickets at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3178758