Based on the novel “Viva Max!” by Jim Lehrer
A new adaptation by Alicia Mendez & Fred Landau, with songs by Skip Kennon
(There's also the 90-minute TRU Actors Temple from Jan. 2018, jointly written with Julie Miller, MAC VP.)
CHARACTERS [this list is not in specific order of importance here]
MAX (Mexican General Maximilian Rodriguez de Santos), mid-30’s
CARMELA CONTRERAS, 30 or so, Max’s fiancee, she and Max fell in love in her home town, Saltillo
LIEUTENANT SALAZAR, 25-35, younger than Max, confident swagger and career potential, attentive to duty to obey Max, but tries to influence Max to be pragmatic when Max is idealistic
SARA VELASQUEZ, 25 to 30, Alamo tour guide & gift shop clerk, perpetual grad student, character is American-born Latina
GENERAL LORENZO CONTRERAS, 50 or more, still vital and not ready to retire; celebrated Mexican General, started to feel strong obligation to protect his daughter Carmela’s future when his wife (Carmela’s mother) died three years earlier.
LULU (Louella Longstreet Daniel), Sara’s boss at The Alamo, very devoted to the place where she works. Dressed very sensibly when we meet her while at work, but becomes more glamorous once she knows the reporters' cameras are there.
PRIVATE UNGARO, 30’s, Mexican soldier, happy to be Max’s assistant and at times valet. (background: Ungaro is generally know by the other characters to be gay, but that never comes up publicly. In the show, he conforms to some stereotypes that he's happily embraced at first, so that we can challenge those stereotypes later in the show.)
{POLICE CHIEF GEORGE SYLVESTER, any age, bigoted trigger-happy Texas police chief
{PRESIDENT LBJ (only act 2, strong singer-comedian; written to be able to double with Sylvester)
FEATURED ROLE THAT CAN ALSO BE IN THE ENSEMBLE: [not in first act at all]
LADY BIRD JOHNSON (mainly featured top of of act two, a strong singer-comedienne part)
OTHER ENSEMBLE:
Trio of Mexican Soldiers (one of them can be Private Ungaro), John Wayne, Farmers, Future Farmers, Mexican soldiers, Texas Police, Head of Future Farmers, Texas Rangers, Highway Patrolman, Luci Johnson, Lynda Bird Johnson, Governor, Sheriff, Waiter, Farmer’s Wife, Reporters
Based on the novel “Viva Max!” by Jim Lehrer
A new adaptation by Alicia Mendez & Fred Landau, with songs by Skip Kennon
(There's also the 90-minute TRU Actors Temple from Jan. 2018, jointly written with Julie Miller, MAC VP.)
