Ecstasy Celebrates Doomed Women in Ciudad Juarez - A Play By David Hernandez

For years now women have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez and vicinity, and its causes remain a mystery to the general public, most of it because the American public has not taken the trouble to learn about its southern neighbor, its culture and history, much less its very different values than American ones.  This play presents characters little familiar in American life, though the male and female protagonists are an American (Barry) and a beautiful Chicana (Soledad).

The term “ecstasy” takes on a double meaning in this play: it refers to ecstasy, the deadly drug and the pleasure the drug dealers take in torturing, raping, and killing their victims.  The American is a businessman taking advantage of the two cultures on either side of the border, but his Mexican competitors, who have been outwitted by the American, are constantly vigilant in searching for some way to compete with him, especially if they can find a way of running him out of town.

Opening the play is a scene where Barry and Soledad have just enjoyed a sexual interlude and are expecting some of his business competitors.  But along comes a corrupt Mexican highly ranked cop who accuses Barry of spying for the CIA, which could mean nuisance meddling in Mexican commercial and police affairs.  The plot revolves around these accusations and denials and the unexpected plea by some Mexican women, seeking asylum in Barry’s home, because they believe that Soledad, known to be Barry’s “woman,” could be sympathetic and aid them.

As the police investigations come close to proving that Barry is the CIA spy, he gets Soledad’s confession that she is the spy as they both discover that their “fling” has developed into a deep mutual love.  The collusion between the cops and dealers produces the information that reveals that the fugitive women have been staying in Barry’s home.  It is also discovered that Soledad is the CIA spy and is dragged out with the other women, all sure to meet with the same fate of the known murdered women in Ciudad Juarez.  Out of love, Barry takes gun in hand to go rescue his Soledad with little hope of reaching her before his body is riddled with holes.

This play is available from digilibro.