Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College (STC) Theatre & Dance announces its 3rd Annual South Texas Latinx New Play Festival.
This festival will showcase one of last year’s stage readings, Burritos Pa’ Morir, and will run June 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. The festival will include three stage readings and a playwrights’ panel at STC’s Cooper Center for Performing Arts at 3200 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen.
The Playwrights’ Panel will be hosted on June 29 at 10 a.m. and will showcase stage readings by Maria Rodriguez Bross (LOCATION); [AS1] Franky D. Gonzalez (LOCATION) and Mayra Lerma McAllen, with a talk back with the playwright occurring shortly after. The festival plays are:
| Friday, June 28, 2024 – 4 p.m. Edgar’s Living Funeral by Maria Rodriguez |
| SYNOPSIS: The play is a modern-day tragedy that follows a deeply religious family as they gather to mourn the loss of Edgar, a father, son, brother and friend. Rosalind (Rosa for short) is most affected by her father’s death. The family is unaware that their own reluctance to seek professional help for Edgar, especially with his obsession with Shakespeare’s plays, was partly due to the religious teachings that prayer alone would be enough to heal Edgar’s mental health. By the end of the play, Rosa, who is suffering from delusions of seeing her father, confronts the family one last time. They have the opportunity to help her, but will they let extreme religious beliefs and misinformation get in the way? |
| Saturday, June 29, 2024 – 1 p.m. Escobar’s Hippo by Franky D. Gonzalez |
| SYNOPSIS: A Colombian town along the Magdalena River plunges into chaos after a flatulent, destructive, easily offended and adventurous hippo comes to town and wreaks havoc. The crisis worsens when people begin transforming into hippos themselves causing, not only chaos, but the beginnings of a revolution where humans are trampled by these new Hipposapiens. As this shifting of civilization unfolds, three friends try to figure out how to deal with the transforming population and solve the connection between the hippos and a notorious drug lord. An homage to the works of Ionesco (namely Rhinoceros and The Killer), this play explores through absurdity and comedy the very serious and deadly consequences that come with the surrendering of humanity in favor of bestial urges and self-gratification. |
| Saturday, June 29, 2024 – 4 p.m. Cempoalxóchitl by Mayra Lerma |
| SYNOPSIS: When young Xochilt loses her beloved during the attack of the Aztec Empire she runs to the Sun God, Tonatiuh and implores him to unite her forever with her love. Not getting what she desires she travels to the lowest and northernmost part of the underworld in an attempt to get Mictlantecuhtli, the God of Death, to bring him back. When even that fails and she destroys Mictlantecuhtli and gives back the Sun God everything he desired, she is then struck by the Sun’s rays and becomes a beautiful flower. Eventually a humming bird arrives and settles in the center of the flower. It was her beloved who had transformed into a beautiful hummingbird. Instantly the flower opened into 20 petals, with an intense and mysterious aroma … Lovers would always be together as long as marigolds and hummingbirds existed. This is how the marigold flower was born, the flower of the dead. |
Festival passes are available for $15 and can only be purchased online from May 27 to June 26, which includes one ticket to attend Burritos Pa’ Morir and the Playwrights’ Panel. After June 26, a $5 cash only entrance fee will be charged for each festival event at the door.
The plays contain mature language and adult themes. Parental discretion is advised.
To register for the festival, go to southtexascollege.edu/go/theatre or call 956-872-2301.
For additional information about the festival, call 956-872-2301 or email jleal5@southtexascollege.edu.
