Then, we were reintroduced to you through the play “Dorothea Puente Tells All!” — first staged at California Stage in 2020, then at Sacramento Theatre Company, and now in its current iteration at Big Idea Theatre.
The play and the lead actress who portrays Sacramento’s most notorious landlady remain virtually the same through all three productions. Janis Stevens embodies the dual personalities and multiple layers of Dorothea Puente so convincingly that I wouldn’t want to meet Stevens in a dark alley after the show.
First, the real backstory: In the early ’80s, the old gray Victorian on the 1400 block of F Street was a nondescript house that provided a roof for poor tenants living on their Social Security payments. Dorothea was the quiet, thin, gray-haired landlady offering housing for the down-and-outers.
Her unassuming manner let her blend in while also letting her get away with murder — multiple times. All so she could continue to cash her victim’s Social Security payments by making up stories on why her tenants were not at her home when social workers inquired about their whereabouts.
It’s one of Sacramento’s most famous true crime stories, which intrigued playwright Mark Loewenstern about the many scams and manipulations Dorothea pulled, not just on her victims, but on many other people including government officials.
“I was interested in how she got so many people to love and admire her while she was doing so much damage,” said Loewenstern in a previous interview. “And the terrible hunger she had for people to believe the exalted image of herself that she’d created.”
Loewenstern went with the fascinating choice to have the character of Dorothea come out, face the audience with her deflecting charm and declare that it’s her story to tell.
The play goes back and forth from Dorothea justifying her side, to the cast of eight actors portraying other real people involved; including victims, social workers, a parole officer, a policeman, a neighbor and a reporter. The strong supporting cast provides a way of sharing the accurate stories that counterbalance Dorothea’s versions. Stevens accomplishes a complete fait accompli, who draws you in with her unnerving smiles, roving eyes and sweet demeanor.
Director Jackie Martin uses the small theater space well, including a basic set, relatable costumes, which includes Dorothea’s famous red coat, videos that honor the victims and real local news stories of the unfolding crime.
So Dorothea, you have once again infiltrated our city, but the truth of your dastardly deeds will always be exposed — this time through the storytelling of “Dorothea Puente Tells All!”
“Dorothea Puente Tells All!” plays through Nov. 1; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.; Big Idea Theatre,1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento.
This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, CapRadio, Hmong Daily News, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
By Patti Roberts
