The script came straight from Colorado headlines and court records documenting the abbreviated life of Edgar Chocoy, a Nicaraguan teen killed 17 days after his appeal for asylum was denied by a Denver immigration judge.
“Pretty much every word of the script, with the exception of the opening, is, word for word, from Edgar’s court documents, interviews and letters,” said Jeff Solomon, who wrote “De Novo, Part 1: Lil’ Silent,” the play based on Chocoy’s life and death.
“Edgar was on this Earth such a short time but left, as many immigrants do, this huge paper trail.”
Edgar Chocoy’s story began in Nicaragua, where he was being raised by relatives as his mother worked in Los Angeles. At age 10, he got involved with Mara Salvatrucha, a Central American gang that preys on young boys. A few years later, he tired of that life and wanted out. The gang leaders demanded money, and set a bounty when Chocoy, then about 13, failed to pay up.
To escape them, he stowed away on trains until he made it to L.A., but fell in again with a gang. Police arrested him and sent him to a Colorado youth detention facility.
There, he seemed to be improving. In classes, his math skills went from a second-grade to a seventh-grade level. His teacher praised his “impeccable” classroom behavior. A Fort Collins immigration lawyer, familiar with Mara Salvatrucha’s inclination to kill uncooperative teens, urged Chocoy to apply for asylum.
“In interviewing people during our research for the play, what came up as a universal experience was the cost of parents leaving Central America intending to help the kids they left there,” Solomon said.
“Regardless of those good intentions, the kids feel abandoned. The play, I hope, really captures that. From everything in Edgar’s life, you’d think there was no way this kid could turn out to be good. But I think he really had a chance. I see a kid who really wanted to find a way out.”
Solomon acknowledges the irony of a paper trail telling the story of an undocumented immigrant.
“How come we call them undocumented when we have so much paper on them?” he asked. “We really have reconstructed a whole life from paper. It’s very poignant and overwhelming.”
The play debuted in a Queens, N.Y., community theater earlier this month. There will be two Colorado performances next week.
“De Novo, Part 1: Lil’ Silent”
Presented by Houses on the Moon Theater Company. Written by Jeff Solomon. 7 p.m. Monday, Lory Student Center Theater, Shields and Elizabeth streets, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, courtroom at Wolf Law Building, 2450 Kittredge Loop Road, University of Colorado, Boulder. Both shows free.
This weekend’s theater openings
“The Curious Savage” A wealthy and charitable widow gives away much of her family’s wealth, to the ire of her greedy stepchildren who have her locked up. Through April 19. Gaslight Theatre, 7287 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, 720-232-7285 or .
“Defending the Caveman.” Colorado native Cody Lyman is back for another run of the one-man show that offers insights into contemporary feminism, masculine sensitivity and erogenous zones. Through April 20. New Denver Civic, 721 Santa Fe Dr., 303-309-3773 or the new denver civic’s home page.
“Dinner With Friends.” When one couple sets up another, only for it to years later fail, the first pair find that their trust in their friends — and each other — is threatened. Through April 20. Vintage Theatre, 2199 E. 17th Ave., 303-839-1361 or .
“In the Belly of the Whale.” Jonathan Bender plays nine characters in this one-man investigation into what it means to be Jewish in America today. Through April 13. At the Mizel Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-316-6360 or .
“Luau for King Lear” In this Pat Cook farce, a theater company mounts a luau-themed tragedy to save their building. Through April 12. Arvada Festival Playhouse, 5665 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., 303-422-4090 or .
“The Merry Wives of Windsor.” A 1920s take on Shakespeare’s comedy. See story, above. Through April 19. Denver Center Theatre Company, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or .
“Reefer Madness.” Inspired by the notorious 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film, this campy musical follows the trials and tribulations of adolescent Jimmy Harper as he falls into the wacky depths of “the demon weed.” Through April 27. Backstage Theatre, 121 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge, 970-453-0199 or .
“Wings.” Company co-founder Wendy Ishii plays a daring aviatrix who suddenly finds herself coping with the debilitating aftermath of a stroke. Through May 4. Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-498-8949 or .
Complete theater listings. Go to our complete list of all current productions in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page.
— Compiled by John Moore
Weekly podcast
Running Lines at … The 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays. John Moore’s guests from Louisville, Ky., include Bruce Sevy, Wendy Goldberg, Chip Walton, Gina Gionfriddo and, from the cast of the Colorado Springs-based “This Beautiful City,” Emily Ackerman, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brad Heberlee and Stephen Plunkett. March 21, 2008. Running time: 26 minutes. . You will be taken to a miniplayer, where you have two options: Click on the small triangular “play” button, and the podcast will begin playing without your having to download. Or right-click on the “download MP3” option to save a copy to your own desktop
