Gio Quezada in The Suitcase at Orlando Fringe Credit: Courtesy Photo

Right now there are millions of emigrants to America — documented and otherwise — who simultaneously feel angry, sad and terrorized, and are wondering whether their journey to the USA is worth being trapped inside the nonstop survival cycle of working and spending. Countless souls are striving for something unattainable, suffering in silence lest they speak out and get deported. Peruvian writer-performer Gio Quezada gives these people a voice in The Suitcase, an impassioned monologue which shines a searing spotlight on the immigrant experience. 

It’s impossible for me as a white-presenting U.S. citizen to fully comprehend the sacrifice that a green card represents, and I doubt I’d have the cojones to uproot myself and cross continents like she did. But Quezada drives those lessons home with urgent passion, reminding us that it’s not a piece of paper that defines a human being, but their effort and resilience. 

Quezada is a graceful mover, and the character, “Lucia,” she portrays is described as a professional ballet dancer, so I wish director Jorge Bazalar didn’t keep her rooted to her chair quite so much. But even seated, Gio radiates a superpowered sort of energy, and her heart-wrenching words land with the impact of a grand jeté. 

No matter your politics, it’s impossible not to be moved by the raw emotions as Gio shares not only her own odyssey, but the untold stories of Cuban refugees, Mexican migrants and other fellow members of diaspora communities. And even though their rich cultures are too often reduced to Taco Tuesday, immigrants like Gio are still dreaming the biggest dreams and working hard for them. It’s hard to describe hearing story after story of inhumane detainments, family separations and similar atrocities “entertaining,” but if shared burdens truly become lighter, then The Suitcase carries a weight that’s well worth bearing. 

Ayni Performing Arts (Orlando, FL)
Orange Venue, Lowndes Shakespeare Center
60 minutes; 18 and up
Tickets: $15

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This article appears in Orlando Fringe 2026.