Islena means islander. For Victoria Perez, being an islander is part of who she is and always will be. It’s in her soul.

Islena is also the perfect title for her original one-woman show, a glorious celebration of her life as an islena transplanted at a young age to Buffalo.

This is exuberant, boisterous celebration, a collaboration between Victoria and her sister Maria Perez Gomez (who directs the show), includes a quintet of musicians and a rotating cast of musical guests. Victoria uses her considerable stage chops to portray all her family members in this fast-paced hour: with a tilt of her head and a change in her voice, she wraps you in the circle of love that is her family.

The show begins in her feast-for-the-eyes kitchen. Victoria is about to celebrate her 40^th birthday and while she dances around cooking up a favorite family dish, she’s telling her story about her family’s move, from home to here. As you would expect, it wasn’t easy. She was different. She didn’t speak the same language. The local food had no flavor! But her twin brother made her laugh at his little boy antics and she had the love of her big sister to help her through. For this special birthday, her husband is surprising her with a trip home. Home! She’s grown comfortable here, built a beautiful life, launched her Raices Theatre Company…but her island, Puerto Rico, is in her heart.

It’s hard not to love this show. It’s full of Victoria’s natural energy. I don’t speak or understand Spanish or Spanglish even, so some of the dialogue was lost on me, but I felt her joy and (and sometimes her pain) with every word. There are plenty of fun little bits, too, like the song her uncle would sing about her bland food complaints, and the sound of island frogs, how her brother taught her the proper salsa rhythm for dance. Tiffany Jaramillo designed a dream kitchen set with lots of red accents, that shares the stage with her floral, peaceful bedroom. It’s the perfect backdrop for a woman with a foot in two places.

You’ll walk out smiling. Maybe you’ll even dance a little…try a salsa…just remember, 1-2, 1-2-3.

Islena is a fast hour performance, no intermission, at Road Less Traveled Theater’s Main St. home, to July 3. Find more info at http://www.raicestheatercompany.com.