MURDER BY MANGO
Ricardo Pérez González’s Don’t Eat the Mangos—a tragicomedy brimming with revelation, rage, and retribution—transforms the Calderwood stage into a site of reckoning. Directed by David Mendizábel, this gripping family drama unfurls within the walls of a Puerto Rican home, where three adult sisters contend with the burdens of caregiving, long-held grievances, and the unspoken histories that have shaped them.
Yesenia Iglesias
Evelyn Howe
At the heart of the play is their ailing father, Papi (José Ramón Rosario), whose imperious presence dominates the household, and Mami (Susanna Guzmán), who is battling cancer. The sisters—each navigating life through a distinct lens—offer a compelling study in contrasts. Ismelda (Jessica Pimentel), the eldest, remains bound to the family home, bearing the weight of responsibility. Yinoelle (Yesenia Iglesias), the middle sister, seeks escape and reinvention on the mainland. Wicha (Evelyn Howe), the youngest, channels her frustrations into activism, fighting for Puerto Rican independence.
Jessica Pimentel
From the moment the lights come up, the family dynamic crackles with tension. Papi’s incessant brass bell punctuates the household air, an emblem of his relentless demands. But as the play progresses, the layers of obligation and resentment peel away to reveal a chilling family secret—one that explains why the mangos from the tree in their yard, lush with fruit, have always remained uneaten.
Jessica Pimentel, Susanna Guzmán
The performances are riveting, slipping seamlessly between Spanish and English in a rhythm that mirrors the fluidity of identity and heritage. Tanya Orellana’s set—a rotating structure that offers glimpses into different rooms—grounds the play firmly in its Puerto Rican setting, reinforcing the claustrophobic intimacy of a home steeped in unresolved trauma. Cha See’s lighting design and Jake Rodriguez’s sound design and original music add to the electric atmosphere and the sense of possible violence simmering just beneath the surface until, in a stunning act of rage, a murder is committed—by mango.
Evelyn Howe, Jessica Pimentel, Yesenia Iglesias
Yet, even after this climactic moment, the play refuses the easy resolution of a final blackout. Instead, it lingers in the reverberations of the act, leaving the audience with an unsettling awareness of how history—both personal and political—imprints itself upon a family. In the final scene, Pimentel delivers a masterclass in silent storytelling, her face conveying a world of emotion as she absorbs the weight of what has transpired.
Yesenia Iglesias, Jessica Pimentel, Evelyn Howe
With Don’t Eat the Mangos, González crafts a searing exploration of familial duty and buried trauma, delivered with a potent mix of humor and heartbreak. The result is a production that does not simply tell a story—it demands to be reckoned with.
photos by Marc J. Franklin
Don’t Eat the Mangos
Huntington Theatre Company
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont St. in Boston,
ends on April 27, 2025
for tickets, call 617-266-0800 or visit Huntington
for more shows, visit Theatre in Boston
