I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ performance of I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, encourages audiences to lean in and engage with a captivatingly beautiful and emotionally complex story.

We see Julia (Steppenwolf ensemble member, Karen Rodriguez), a fifteen year old aspiring writer, learning how to navigate life with the loss of her sister. Being a second born-daughter, the pressure to be as perfect as the first can be an overwhelming, but as time goes on, you find the cracks in the perfection and understand that all humans have flaws regardless of how they present themselves.

We are led on a journey with Julia, and she shows us everything she is going through. The play is clever, and written with perfectly timed asides, so we know exactly what our heroine is thinking along the way. From the new family dynamic, to recognizing the hardships of immigration, I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter brings to light a lot of current issues so many people are reminded of everyday.

This story gives audiences the chance to breathe. To breathe through grief, the flutters of new love, depression, anxiety and healing. The show was a glimpse into the complexes of emotions that one person can feel, and how healing is a process and not a destination.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed By Samantha Behen

Play: Isaac Gómez
Book: Erika Sánchez
Presented February 28 – April 5 at Steppenwolf Theatre at 1650 N. Halsted, Chicago. All performances of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter are currently sold out. Call Audience Services at 312-335-1650 to learn more about standby tickets and waitlists.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.