Life, in all its messy glory, overflows the stage of the Atlantic Theater Company in this dynamically staged production of \u201cTell Hector I Miss Him.\u201d Paola Lazaro\u2019s animated ensemble piece unearths the volatile residents of a close-knit community living underground in Old San Juan, and a vibrant acting company \u2014 directed by David Mendizabal and featuring two \u201c Orange Is The New Black \u201d cast members \u2014 breathes life into every quirky character.
A dozen marginal people in this spirited city find safety and companionship underground, in the stone basement of an old Spanish fort. As the de facto leader of this alternative community, Mostro (in a muscular performance from Juan Carlos Hernandez) does his best to keep the peace. But he is constantly distracted by the sexual escapades of his hot wife, Samira ( Selenis Leyva , better known as Gloria Mendoza in \u201cOrangeIs the New Black\u201d), who is irresistible to men.
But the real sex goddess around here is Malena ( Dascha Polanco , also of \u201cOrange Is the New Black\u201d). Despite the adoration, Malena acknowledges that she\u2019s not happy. \u201cBut I have a good time,\u201d she says, making the distinction between true happiness and fun.
\u201cYou\u2019re the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen in my life,\u201d says 16-year-old Isis (Yadira Guevara-Prip, a real firecracker), so captivated that she follows this goddess around like a puppy.
The relationship of Mostro and Samira serves as the solid core of Lazaro\u2019s whirlwind of a play. But there are lots of vivid characters and plentiful subplots in this colorful San Juan underworld \u2014 enough to keep director Mendizabal\u2019s excellent ensemble on their toes and dancing like mad.
Alexander Flores shows his dramatic range as the teen-aged Tono. He\u2019s funny enough when recounting how he got kicked out of school for making sexual moves on his teacher: \u201cI really thought she loved me!\u201d he protests, and besides, \u201cI just have a lot of energy, you know?\u201d And he\u2019s sincerely moving when begging his drunk of a mother in nice performance from Lisa Ramirez) to dry out so he can leave home without feeling that he betrayed her.
Sean Carvajal is another eye-catcher. Sadly funny as Palito, a remarkably unsuccessful drug pusher whose brain was scrambled from fetal alcohol syndrome, he\u2019s incredibly moving when Palito is banished from the community for making rough moves on a woman. \u201cNobody likes me out there,\u201d he wails, in genuine fear for his life. But there are rules of conduct in this safe community, and Mostro doesn\u2019t flinch from enforcing them.
Lazaro writes characters who live and breathe on their own. There\u2019s coked-up Hugo (Flaco Navaja), who has finally noticed that his beloved Maria has been carrying her toothbrush everywhere she goes. And sexy Tati (sexy Analisa Velez), who treats Palito like her slave but grudgingly admits that she enjoys sitting beside him and watching cartoons.
Individually and collectively, the inhabitants of this protective community are no cliched caricatures but characters with multi-layered dimensions. The idiomatic dialogue Lazaro puts into their mouths is as realistically filthy as it is fluent. Every character swears a blue streak, but none of them swears in the same way. In the scheme of things, that\u2019s quite an achievement for a playwright \u2014 which makes it surprising that no one has yet claimed Lazaro\u2019s glib tongue for some TV series.<\/p>\n

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