Based on a true story.

I really enjoyed the play De Novo (a production of Houses on the Moon Theater Company), which I saw over Mother’s Day weekend last month.  The show ran from April 28 through May 16 at 59 E. 59th Street Theatre, a very small space with no assigned seating.

De Novo is about an illegal teenage immigrant seeking asylum in the United States, and the court process that unfolds.  It’s a true story, based on transcripts from real court documents of Edgar Chocoy-Guzman, and about his quest to seek asylum from deportation.

“De novo” means “to start anew” or “refresh.”  In legal terms it also means “new trial,” allowing a complete retrial based upon new evidence.  I think this title is fitting because Edgar, the main character, escaped from his native Guatemala to come to the United States to find his mother, who as a baby left him with relatives so she could find a better life and send money to support him.
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At 14 he entered the country illegally, fleeing from his gang infested neighborhood.  The gang had a hit on him for wanting to leave the gang.  If he went back to his country he would be killed because there is no way out of the gangs there once you join.  Once in LA, he did not fit in because he could not speak English and soon fell into gang activity here.
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The author, just after the show.

Even though Edgar and his attorney fought for months so that Edgar could stay in America, in the end, his asylum wasn’t granted.  He grew disillusioned, suicidal and was tired of being locked up.  He did not appeal the decision.

I liked the sound, lighting effects and photographs, and the way the characters transformed.  I also thought that the actors played their parts with a lot of emotion, and they played several different characters onstage.

There was a discussion with the actors afterwards, which I found helpful because I did not realize that there were complex asylum laws regarding children, with little protection.  Some of them go through this process alone.

I recommend this show to anyone wanting to get another side of the illegal immigration debate: the children’s side.