In this first article, playwright Luis Valdez offers his thoughts on the historical background of “Adios Mama Carlota.” A second article will explore the performers and production.
Lea este artículo en español aquí.
A new production of Luis Valdez’s “Adios Mama Carlota” opens May 10 at San Juan Bautista’s El Teatro Campesino playhouse. The play depicts Mexican Emperor Maximilian I’s short reign and dramatic fall as seen through the troubled mind of his wife, Empress Carlota.
“Their story is such a central part of Mexican and American history,” Valdez said, “and it’s even more relevant in our time because of the persistence of the imperial mentality and threats to democracy that we’re seeing in the United States and all over the world.”
Maximilian was installed as Emperor in 1864 during the French occupation of Mexico, which began in 1862. He reigned in opposition to the Mexican Republic, led by Benito Juárez, which the United States recognized as the legitimate government.
“Like Abraham Lincoln,” Valdez said, “Juárez represented the populist point of view. The ultra-conservative section of the Mexican populace was still enamored with royalty. Fundamentally, they missed the whole point of the American Revolution.“
Valdez said that while Maximilian was forced on the Mexican people against their will, he was humane and fairly liberal for his time.
“He was interested in developing aspects of civilized society,” Valdez said. “He wanted to improve the infrastructure of Mexico, bring in railroads and the telegraph, establish libraries, theaters and parks.”
According to Valdez, Maximilian’s humanity in the face of the volatile political landscape kept him from imposing some of the more oppressive measures, such as declaring martial law, that his advisors including Carlota recommended. Ultimately, her cohort prevailed.
“She was the power behind the throne,” Valdez said, “and put pressure on Maximillian. This was his downfall. He killed a lot of people in Mexico using that law, which led to his being condemned to death.”
As Napoleon III began withdrawing French support for Maximilian, Carlota traveled to Europe to plead her husband’s case for aid and assistance. Failing in her mission, her mental health declined, and she was confined in various castles and palaces until she died in 1927.
Maximilian refused to abdicate as his situation worsened, partly on Carlota’s advice. He was deposed and executed in 1867, the same year that Carlota was declared insane.
“He was offered many opportunities to leave,” Valdez said. “The French were trying to get him out of there. The Mexicans told him, Go now and we’ll spare your life.’ But because of his pride, he did not abdicate until it was too late.”
Colonialism and Freedom
“Adios Mama Carlota” was commissioned by the San Jose Stage Company in 2018 and first performed there in 2019 after being workshopped in San Juan. Valdez had become aware of the events around the French incursion into Mexico during the Vietnam War era and became interested in the parallels between the conflicts in the two countries.
“Around the same time the French went into Mexico,” he said, “they were going into Southeast Asia and they stayed until the 1970s. Americans stepped in and lost, just as the French did, and Vietnam is now free. It underscores how similar the events are.”
Valdez spent more than 20 years researching the history behind the play before writing it, working with as much primary source material as possible.
“The characters speak in words that were spoken by Maximilian and Carlota,” he said, “I was able to pick up some fascinating letters and speeches that they gave and so I incorporated all of that into the play. So it’s theatrical but literary at the same time.”
The pivotal moment for Valdez came when he started looking deeper into Carlota’s life after she was declared insane, which provided the theme and setting for the play: The former Empress awakens in the bedchamber in which she is confined, with the action there played out by ghosts from her past.
“I deal with the contradictions in her character through the character of a madwoman,” he said. “She was kept isolated from everybody, living in a castle among her memories and fantasies of the dead people in her life. And she lived that way until the middle of the 20th Century.”
Valdez said he sees the play as offering a new perspective by telling the history of the era while, at the same time, exploring the infrastructure behind that history.
“This play required a different level of preparation,” he said, “and a different level of commitment by the actors. It has been a challenge, but I think in some ways we’ve helped to humanize Maximilian and Carlota. And we’ve had fun doing it.”
Performance dates for “Adios Mama Carlota”
- Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 8 p.m.
- Sunday May 11, 2025 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, May 16, 2025 at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
- Sunday May 18, 2025 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, May 23, 2025 at 8v
- Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
- Sunday May 25, 2025 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, May 30, 2025 at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 2 p.m. /&8 p.m.
- Sunday June 1, 2025 at 2 p.m.
El Teatro Campesino is located at 705 4th Street in San Juan Bautista. Tickets are available through Eventbrite or Monday-Friday from 12-5 p.m. by phone (831-623-2444) or at the Teatro Box Office. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more.
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