by Dalt Wonk, 2008
Rio Seco tells the story of three rich elderly sisters living in a Texas town on the Rio Grande. The eldest and richest of them owns and lives in a motel. This is considered both an eccentricity and a disgrace.
Nonetheless, during one frantic week, all the sisters — plus, a daughter, her fiancé and a priest — end up seeking refuge in the motel.
Inconvenient? Yes, but worse than that — a scandal! In an election year! For Lena, the most imposing and haughty of the sisters (and the central character) is married to a judge, who is running for re-election. And he cannot afford a scandal!
The comedy, like the town it’s set in, has a spicy south-of-the-border flavor, but no Spanish is necessary to follow the shenanigans.
Rio Seco was produced to critical acclaim at the renowned American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, as well as at le Chat Noir in New Orleans.