Tacones: The Sins of the Father — written by M. Cristina García and directed by Mediombo Singo Fofana, now playing in a Wowdacious Theatre production — starts off on a positive note, with laugh-out-loud funny comedy from the narrator, DJ Gaston, before we’re transported to a bar.
Owned by the protagonist, Blanca (played by Guatemalan actor Edwin Bernal), who lives a double life as a gay immigration attorney by day and a drag queen by night (tacones means “high heels”), the club serves as the backdrop of the story, the meeting place where friends gather, dance, and indulge in shots of tequila. It’s reminiscent of everyone’s favorite hole-in-the-wall spot where the music is loud (sound design by Neptune Pringle III), and there’s a strong sense of camaraderie. We’re first introduced to the characters as patrons, customers, and employees having a reprieve from a long day of work or a night out on the town. As the story unfolds, we see the bar become more than just a place but a community, where people can exist in all their complexities, where words such as gay, queer, and immigrant — often reduced to one-dimensional labels, things meant to be hidden from society — come to life as friends and family just trying to survive.
This bar, with its warm and inviting appeal (set design by Steven Malone), functions as a safe space from the ills of the outside world, intertwined with community — that is, until an ICE raid changes everything.
Admittedly, it was hard for me to keep up with the storylines at times, particularly after the initial raid, as the characters (played by Declan Cashman, Juan Carlos Cartos, Jhakye García, and Briten Lollie) all began monologuing about their experiences as immigrants in America. Yet, despite this, and despite being born and raised here, I found myself able to relate.
For many of us, the “American Dream” and all the perks and privileges it supposedly comes with have been so close to touch, yet still completely out of reach, dangled in front of our faces like a dog or cat begging for a treat. It’s a harsh reality, one where you can work the typical 40 hours a week, pay taxes, contribute to America’s global economic stability, and still be both too much and not enough simultaneously.
Tacones: The Sins of the Father reaches a breaking point when Blanca ends up in a holding cell with Chacho (played by David Dixon), as long-kept secrets emerge from the darkness into the light, forcing the audience to confront hard truths about loss, love, and redemption. Inspired by the real-life crimes committed by Battalion 316 in Honduras, the show spotlights, both literally (lighting design by Maurya S. Sorokes) and figuratively, America’s unsung heroes and tells their stories — the immigrants and the laborers, the ones who dared to dream, even if it meant paying the ultimate sacrifice.
Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes, with no intermission.
Tacones: The Sins of the Father plays through October 18, 2026, presented by Wowdacious Theatre, performing at the Sitar Arts Center, deLaski Theater, 1700 Kalorama Street NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets ($35, with discounts available) online.
This show contains sexual violence, brutality, and offensive language. Audience members must be 15 years of age or older.
