A six-person cast, an uncommon stage, and dense Hispanic cultural love. These ingredients create something close to magic: Presented by Upstage Theater and set to premiere this Friday, March 14, “Sonia Flew” is a performance straight from the heart.

The play, adapted from the book many LAHS students read as part of their sophomore English curriculum, follows Sonia in two parts of her life: Her youth as a Cuban refugee fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime, and her years as a mother of an only son who wants to enlist to fight in Afghanistan. Directed by Foothill Middle College senior Kaiden Louis, the show covers themes of immigration, family, and sacrifice — many of which Kaiden himself can relate to.

“My father was a first-generation immigrant,” Kaiden said. “As a Hispanic kid, there aren’t very many people who share my ethnicity in theater spaces, and it’s not something that’s usually marketed to the Hispanic community.”

“Representation in acting is really important to me,” San Jose State University freshman Karen Hernandez, playing adult Sonia, said. “As a Theater Arts major, I’d like to see more people who look like me, whether it’s in community organizations or professional stages.”

To Kaiden, “Sonia Flew” was the perfect opportunity to involve underrepresented students — and shed light on issues often unseen in theater — by telling the story through a fully Hispanic cast. 

“There’s a strong fear of immigrants who are coming here through a search for safety,” Kaiden said. “I wanted to put this story of fear being overcome by family and love on stage, through the lens of kids who are facing these fears currently. At the same time, I want to make sure that people understand Upstage is a resource for everyone and anybody, no matter your background.”

“Kaiden had a phenomenal pitch for ‘Sonia Flew’,” Upstage Artistic Director and Kehillah High School senior Zoe Stern said. “Where other directors were more passionate about being a director, you could tell by the way he talked about the show that he was emotionally attached to his show and knew what he wanted to do.”

Sonia Flew is performed by six actors, each of whom are double-cast in the two time periods. The cast is comprised of Karen, Santa Clara High School senior Kai Vader, Homestead High School seniors Yoni Savransky and Jackie Pagan, Los Altos High School senior Brisa Garcia, and Leigh High School junior Marie Levkovich.

“We have a wonderful hodge-podge of people all from different Hispanic backgrounds,” Kaiden said. “There’s a certain shared understanding of values and experiences across cultures that makes it really special.” 

“Sonia Flew is a middle ground that all of us can connect to,” Karen said. “I was initially worried because I didn’t know if people were going to be on the same page, but everyone really wanted to be part of the storytelling experience — and we all got along because of it.”

But the actors don’t just share similar backgrounds — they share a passion that fuels their drive to put on phenomenal performances.

“Everything that you see — directing, choreographing, casting, set designing — everything is done by students,” Upstage photographer and LAHS senior Julia Fung said. “It’s all volunteer-based. And witnessing it at all is incredible, because teens can do quality work.”

“There’s so much love in this production,” Stage Manager and Fremont High School senior Rose said. “You can definitely feel it when you watch them perform.” 

Each actor’s commitment translates in different ways. Where some travel half an hour to rehearsals, others step outside their comfort zones through monologues. To Marie, who plays young Sonia, caring about the show means forging a personal connection with her character. 

“I’m certainly not in communist Cuba,” Marie said. “But I resonate especially with young Sonia. There’s moral complications where, from an outside perspective, this character could seem ignorant or obnoxious. As a young woman who’s also growing up, though, it gives me so much more empathy.”

On-stage, both actor performances and directorial choices are made with care and intention. Where small details like Cuban-inspired fashion meant to look like hand-me-downs draw the audience in, prominent features like the way dialogue is executed bring the characters alive.

“We’re loud people,” Kaiden said. “We talk fast. Our culture is rambunctious, it’s colorful, the dialogue is fast and overlapping and careless but we understand it comes from a place of passion and love.”

“It doesn’t feel like a scripted show,” Marie said. “It feels like we’re a family talking over each other. I’ve never done anything like it before.”

The stage, too, is out of the ordinary: As a three-quarter thrust, actors are visible from three sides of the surrounding audience as opposed to just one. 

This requires every aspect of staging — from lighting to actor placement — to consider multiple viewing angles. Mistakes are harder to hide; each decision mandates deliberacy. 

“It’s truly like, how can you take an unconventional theater and make it a professional production?” Julia said. “It’s part of the scrappiness of Upstage. We learn how to think smarter, not harder.”

The show has few set changes thanks to the openness of the stage. Instead of treating that as a limitation, though, the Sonia Flew team utilized it to further storytelling.

“In Hispanic culture, the kitchen, the living room, the dining table, are all communal, sacred spaces,” Kaiden said. “It’s important to me that we have all of our big, heavy arguments and monologues in the heart of the house. If you’re in your own room, you’re off-stage.”

For Lighting and Sound Designer senior Nathan Coleman, the challenge is twofold: the quarter-thrust stage makes executing his signature “asymmetrical” lighting style difficult, and the play format needs more subtlety than the dramatic musical style he’s used to.

“This show is very down to earth, but that’s been the hardest part — designing both realistically and creatively,” Nathan said. 

In line with the stylistic emphasis on dialogue as opposed to special effects and music, Nathan’s goal with Sonia Flew is to “take a step back.”

“There’s 150, 200 cues, but you’re only going to notice five or ten of them,” Nathan said. “And that’s really the point of this design. It’s supposed to put the story first.” 

Working on the production gives members the opportunity to take away a diverse set of skills, experiences, and worldviews from one another. Rehearsals become more than practice – they become a space to grow.

“At Upstage, it’s like a domino effect of meeting people who each bring in something different,” Brisa said. “Everyone knows everyone.”

“We’re all just kids,” Marie said. “It makes rehearsals a lot more comfortable. And sure, it’s easier to goof off, but surprisingly also easier to get it together because we’re the ones holding ourselves up.”

No matter their role, each person involved has played a monumental role in creating an unforgettable production of cultural pride, emotion, and love.

“I’m thrilled for the show,” Kaiden said. “Sonia Flew is really, really intimate and my actors are truly, gut-wrenchingly talented. Our technicians are excited, our costumers are excited. We’re ready. We’re here.”

To purchase tickets, visit upstagetheater.net or get them directly at this link. To get involved with upcoming productions, be on the lookout on their Instagram, @upstage.theater.