Bocon!

by Lisa Loomer

Full Length Comedy ~ Drama / Bocon, a fable filled with humor and mysticism and song, tells the story of twelve year old Miguel who flees a repressive military regime in Central America for Los Angeles. A natural storyteller and irrepressible big mouth or bocon, Miguel loses his voice when his parents are taken and begins a metaphorical journey north to the City of Angels. Along the way he meets up with an unusual traveling companion, La Llorona, the legendary Weeping Woman of Mexican and Central American mythology. Through their magical friendship, Miguel finds his voice and the courage to cross the border to a new life. Miguel's story is relevant to immigrant children from all parts of the world and to any child who is learning the many meanings of finding one's own voice. ( 6 actors, with doubling)

Genres: Plays, Theatre

41 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Lisa Loomer is an acclaimed American playwright and screenwriter whose work often explores family life, cultural identity, and pressing social issues. She is best known for The Waiting Room, a widely produced play examining body image and societal beauty standards across different cultures and eras. Her powerful storytelling also shaped the screenplay for the film Girl, Interrupted.
Born in New York, Loomer later moved to Mexico, an experience that deepened her connection to Latina and immigrant narratives, which often appear in her work. She studied theatre at Brandeis University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, beginning her career as an actress and stand-up comic before turning to playwriting.
Loomer's plays, including Roe, Living Out, Distracted, and Homefree, have premiered at major theaters such as the Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with many receiving national and international productions. Her work has been honored with awards such as the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the American Theatre Critics Association Award.
In addition to her plays, Loomer has written for television and film, with credits including Girl, Interrupted, Nappily Ever After, and TV pilots for HBO, CBS, and Showtime. She served as a supervising producer for the second season of Love Is… on OWN. In 2023, she adapted Real Women Have Curves into a stage musical.
Her writing is widely studied in university drama, Women’s Studies, and Latino Studies programs. An alumna of New Dramatists, Loomer’s work is celebrated for its wit, heart, and incisive social commentary, making her one of the most important voices in contemporary American theatre.

Reviews

[Zachary Pareizs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad I don’t have the cast to do this, but perhaps in the future. The refuge story, La Llorona, personal journey? It all works!

[Chris Permenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite scripts.

“Who can live without a voice in this world” is a powerful line that lives rent free in my head.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely one act play with the theme of immigration, losing and finding one's voice and the journey of young adulthood. This play beautifully combines magic realism, folk tales and Spanish to tell Miguel's story.