Philly Fringe 2026: Cannonball Festival presents Joel De Jesus-Pacheco’s Amor/Libertad Part 1

“This piece is inspired by the lives of many Puerto Ricans who have, who are, and who will experience and be affected by centuries of colonization,” reads the playwright’s statement.

Mesmerizing and emotional

Set partially in 2040, the show introduces Valentina (Camille Halais) and her father, Cesar (De Jesus-Pacheco), Puerto Rico’s former governor, in their living room. He recounts how he met her mother, Alba (Rosabella Precario-Soler). This is a clever love story that illuminates how political pressures shaped their lives. Although the dialogue in the first act competed with the AC humming overhead on opening night, once it shut off, I was mesmerized.

Oscillating between the 2020s and 2040s, Amor/Libertad is an emotional ride through nostalgia paired with political and familial heartache. The throughline: two people with different political views fall in love. Rather than an us-versus-them story, De Jesus-Pacheco introduces nuance by presenting us with a hypothetical: Puerto Rico finally achieves independence.

Mixing past, present, and future

Despite a nearly bare stage, thanks to well-timed prop swaps and costume changes, I was transported from living space to party atmosphere, and to a beach “with soft sand” on the island. The cast serves a vivid picture of community tension and political corruption.

The staging, cadence, and choreography are imaginative, reminiscent of Golden-era musical films. A brilliant montage illustrates what Valentina sees as she flips through a family album. Cast members swirl around her, mimicking each picture.

Past and present interplay beautifully, complemented by lighting designer Jon Patrick Troy. Time and place are clear: warm hues represent Loiza sunsets while bluer lights denote a dance club.

A complicated political movement

What is missing is why the fight toward independence is so important yet contentious. The independence movement of the 1940s was the second-largest political movement on the island, and once criminalized and suppressed by the FBI. Adding one line for Alba would anchor the gravity behind the movement. Nonetheless, the show artfully weaves education with romance.

Themes such as political power, cultural erasure, and family migration are no longer abstract concepts, but very relatable.

When Alba and Cesar begin to fall in love, much to the chagrin of their respective friends, their worlds begin to enmesh. It becomes clear that their relationship will only get more complicated the more serious they get.

An authentic family

For many Puerto Rican families, political division is prickly and often explosive. In this show, that is the case as Rodrigo, Cesar’s father, gets into an arresting shouting match about political responsibility.

The script delicately explores the fissures of political division within family networks. Couched within the stories of political strife are themes of deeply entrenched cultural stigmas that embrace patriarchy and reject queer love and independent thought. I heard people sigh and begin to cry, as I did.

For me, this show drummed up familiar feelings: when family squabbles got heated and I heard quintessential Boricua curse words used in times of intense debate. This might have gone over some folks’ heads, but to me these details told me this writer wanted to curate an authentic experience, an insider “if-you-know-you-know” moment.

Amor/Libertad is both a literal and metaphorical love story, the kind you want to know more about. I’m just glad this is part one of two, because at the end I wanted to know what happened next when the lights shut off. The bones of this show are strong, and poised for a larger stage.

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