Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT
April 17 – May 10, 2026
by Nechama Katan
In a cultural moment when conversations about race, class, and identity too often flatten into competing slogans, Karen ZacarÃas' "Native Gardens" arrives at Hartford Stage like a breath of fresh air from an overgrown garden.
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| T. Charles Erikson (photo credit) |
Directed by Nicole A. Watson, this sharp contemporary comedy follows two neighboring couples in Washington, DC whose shared dream of replacing an old chain-link fence spirals into something far more revealing than a property dispute. What looks like a comedy of manners turns out to be one of the most layered, humane, and deeply funny explorations of how those with diverse backgrounds relate, especially in recent years.
At the heart of the conflict are young couple Tania and Pablo, newly arrived in the neighborhood, and their established neighbors Virginia and Frank, guardians of an aspiring to be prize-winning English garden. When a fence replacement on a tight deadline goes wrong, the audience watches in anticipation to see what happens between the two couples.
Playwright Karen ZacarÃas is too skilled to let this remain a simple, unfriendly neighborhood issue. Race, class, age, gender, and entitlement all take root in the soil of this story, and what grows is a portrait of four complicated, fully realized people. Nobody here is entirely right, and nobody is entirely wrong, and that recognition alone makes the play remarkable.
Alina Collins Maldonado is deeply authentic as Tania, a very educated woman of firm conviction still tethered to her roots. Bradley Tejeda's Pablo radiates the polished confidence of a man building his future in a new country by any means necessary. Judith Lightfoot Clarke's Virginia is a revelation, every chip on her shoulder earned and visible, yet softened by unexpected depth. Greg Wood's Frank, old school and garden-devoted, anchors the production with quiet wit and a love for his garden, sprinkled with a lot of old-fashioned competition. Lawrence E. Moten III's split-yard scenic design is a delight, and there is not a bad seat in the house.
What sets "Native Gardens" apart is its refusal to take sides. Every scene carries layers beneath layers, and when you are not laughing you may find yourself crying, sometimes both at the same time. In a world that has largely forgotten how to let neighbors be complicated, this play insists on exactly that. The insistence feels necessary and deeply hopeful.
Hartford Stage follows with "Sweeney Todd," a historic partnership with Theater Works Hartford.