Our house

   Dim lights and melodic strums of a Spanish guitar set the atmosphere for the opening scene where two Esperanzas, one an adult and the other a 12-year-old girl, stand on the stage, remembering all the streets they used to live on before they moved to the house on Mango Street.
   The theatre department’s production of The House on Mango Street, based on the book by Sandra Cisneros, is written in little vignettes. Each vignette serves as a scene in the play.
  The House on Mango Street is not what you would expect. The first thing that comes to mind when you think about The House on Mango Street is the actual red house with crumbling bricks and “windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath.”
   But the theatre department proves that there is more to a play than elaborate sets. Minimal props allow the actors to use every bit of their talents to bring their characters to life. Once in costume and make up they are no longer students; they’re the people who live in Cisneros’ book.
   The use of emotional and physical acting is what brings the play to life.
   Guadalupe Correa, who plays the older Esperanza, is nostalgic toward her adolescent years. She interacts with her younger self, played by Bernadette Martinez, and shows through facial expressions and body language how she felt when her life events were taking place.
   When the actors simulate riding a bicycle, you can picture them riding a real bike. The three girls sway with excited expressions on their faces, sharing their joy with the audience.
   The play ends as it starts, with both Esperanzas reminiscing about the street they used to live on and realizing that you can never forget where you came from or who you are.