Image courtesy of the Vortex Theatre

In the Rudolfo Anaya play, The Farolitos of Christmas, there is a distinct difference. The luminaria is a small bonfire, while the farolito is a small bag of sand and a lighted candle inside. In the setting of San Juan, New Mexico where The Farolitos of Christmas takes place, the tradition of putting out small-bonfire luminarias on Christmas Eve has been nixed, and the young teenage Luz (Makenzi Reyes) is crushed. It's 1944, and her father is serving in World War II. Her grandfather is too sick to cut the wood for the luminarias, and Luz is discouraged from cutting the wood herself because of her young age.

This is the setup for The Farolitos of Christmas now running at The Vortex Theatre in the hands of veteran director RayRey Griego. To overcome the absence of luminarias, Luz and her Native American friend Reina (Matilda Bohnhoff) create farolitos, or paper lanterns, which require no heft while accomplishing the same effect: lighting the way for the Christ child on Christmas Eve.

The story is a dramatic version of Anaya's 1995 children's book of the same name. The theme of the story is the disruption of long-held traditions. With dad off at war, Luz's mother takes a job at the newly opened Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. While the San Juan villagers are uncomfortable with a working mother, she insists it's what she needs to do to earn an income while her husband is away recuperating from a battleground injury. The other major disruption to the village is the migration to Los Angeles as villagers leave to find work.

Anaya doesn't spoon-feed his English-speaking audience. At least half of the play is in Spanish. Oddly, this is not a barrier to non-Spanish speakers like me. Much like Anaya's classic novel Bless Me Ultima, the story in The Farolitos of Christmas is perfectly comprehensible even if you don't understand much of the dialog. Such is the charm of Anaya's writing.

This is an ensemble cast of more than 20 actors. We don't get to know them all; we don't need to know them all. Each is part of the village, which is the real character in the play. We get comedy in the form of Father Felix Rael (Jesse Liesveld) getting chased around the church and plaza by an amorous parishioner. We get Luz's teenage friends, and we get older villagers who lament the breakdown of traditions. It all builds into the awe of the Christmas in a small and devout New Mexico community.

The music, directed by Vivian Fernandez, is central to the story, providing both the mood and beauty in this Christmastime village. The songs are lovely, warm and sweet, sometimes in the voice of the villagers, sometimes sung by Fernandez in her quiet melodic voice. The Farolitos of Christmas is a holiday tradition in New Mexico going back decades.

Griego's production well delivers this holiday gem, capturing the charm and struggles of a small Northern New Mexico village in the throes of change. The set design by Mary Rossman, the props and decor by Claudia Mathers, and the costume design by Louisa O'Neill all ring New Mexico true. Kudos to all the actors and the production crew.

The Farolitos of Christmasruns through December 22, 2024, at Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque NM. The show starts at 7:30 pm on Thursdays (Except Thanksgiving), Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 2:00 pm on Sundays. General admission is $24, $19 for AFTRA, SAG, and students. On Black Friday, all tickets are $12. For tickets and information, please visit vortexabq.org or call 247-8600.