Tara Forseth as Mary (left) and Adriana Alvarez as Jo in “Mother Mary.”

Opposites attract in timely ‘Mother Mary’ from Boston Playwrights’ Theatre

“Mother Mary,” at the Boston Playwrights Theatre, opens on Boston in 1968. Confident taxi driver Jo Cruz, a queer Latina utterly at home in her identity, meets Mary O’Sullivan, an Irish American Catholic schoolteacher facing a pivotal life change. When they embark on a risky road trip together, they learn they have more in common than they ever could have imagined.

For Adriana Alvarez, who plays Jo, both characters strike a relatable chord.

“I was born in Boston. I was raised between East Boston and Plymouth, Massachusetts, and I’m half Irish and half Colombian,” said Alvarez. “So, it’s been really interesting doing this show, which is about two girls, one who’s Irish Catholic and one who’s Latina, and seeing so much of myself and job, but also really empathizing with Mary.”

Alvarez says the characters find common ground in their longing for their respective islands, Jo for Puerto Rico and Mary for Ireland. Both are also rooted in spirituality in different ways as well. They bond on a road trip as Jo drives Mary to receive abortion care and the two unlikely friends fall in love.

Though the story takes place more than 55 years ago, the themes are startlingly relevant to our current moment. Women are still fighting for bodily autonomy and control over their own destinies, immigrants of Latino descent are still ostracized and discriminated against and queer rights are still in jeopardy.

“What I like about this show is that we see a queer Latin woman thrive,” said Alvarez. “There are things that she struggles with, there are internal conflicts, but there’s never a doubt in the sense of her queerness, in the sense that she loves being herself.”

“Mother Mary” runs at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave., through Oct. 26. General admission tickets are $40 but there are senior and student discounts and pay-what-you-can ticket options.

Though there are many weighty themes, playwright and Massachusetts native KJ Moran Velz notes that “Mother Mary” is ultimately a love story and one that’s meant to be enjoyed as much as it is meant to inspire thought. Joy can exist in the same space as struggle.

“I think that a lot of times when people hear ‘abortion play’ or even ‘lesbian play,’ there’s an assumption that there’s going to be death. There’s an assumption that there’s going to be a sad ending,” said Velz. “This is a rom com. It’s a happy story.”

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