Samantha Cantu/THE RIDER
Set in the quiet deserts of northern Mexico, “Mariela in the Desert” focuses on the struggle between following artistic dreams and meeting family responsibilities. Tension is at the center of the story, according to director Jennifer Ann Saxton-Rodriguez.
The production will take place at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre on the Edinburg campus.
The play will also feature live music by the student group Los Ecos de la Ciudad, performing a set before the house opens and transitioning through the show’s emotional shifts.
The Rider attended a rehearsal and got a firsthand look at the early stages of bringing a performance to life.
Even in sweatpants and casual clothes, the actors brought to life characters with messy, complicated lives.
Samantha Cantu/THE RIDER
Written by Karen Zacarías, an American playwright, the play tells the story of Mariela Salvatierra and her husband, Jose Salvatierra. They were once celebrated in the Mexican art world but, now, they live in isolation.
Kiana Saldaña, a theatre senior who plays Mariela Salvatierra, deals with a web of lies that starts to come apart as Jose Salvatierra nears the end of his life. This leads her to face the sacrifices she made for love and legacy.
“I think the past haunts the present in the play, but the future also haunts it,” Saxton-Rodriguez said. “[Jose Salvatierra] is dying; he doesn’t have long to live. So then, what’s the after for her? I think she’s haunted by the future as well as the past.”
Saxton-Rodriguez said she wants to direct stories that go beyond stereotypes and highlight the joy, success and shared humanity of the Latino experience for her students.
Although she grew up in Michigan, she said her strong connection to the Rio Grande Valley inspires her to support voices like Zacarías’, making sure the community sees its own lively language and rich, complicated family relationships on stage.
During rehearsal, Jose Salvatierra, played by theatre senior Diego Sifuentes asks Mariela Salvatierra to pose nude for his friend, the famous muralist Diego Rivera.
She objects but tries to compromise, suggesting that if she poses for him, he should also pose nude for her.
Jose Salvatierra turns down her request and tells her that, after he showed her paintings to Rivera, the muralist said he hoped she was a better lover than a painter.
After a lot of pressure, Mariela Salvatierra reluctantly agrees.
According to the director, deception is central to the plot.
To help the actors handle these layers, Saxton-Rodriguez encouraged Saldaña to create a “tell,” a physical gesture that signals lying and is kept secret from the rest of the cast.
“I told her not to tell anyone,” Saxton-Rodriguez said. “Don’t tell me. Don’t tell your cast members. Don’t tell anyone. But there’s some things in the lines that are like, ‘Oh, I know when she’s lying now.’ Like by the time you get to the end, you’re like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s a lie!’”
The director said she enjoys how the play’s lies give the audience a chance to figure out when Mariela Salvatierra is not being truthful.
“I think it’s exciting for the audience to try to solve the mystery as they watch,” she said.
Saxton-Rodriguez explained humor brings the play to life and described it as a “pressure valve” for the audience, helping balance some of the heavier themes, so viewers are not left feeling only the sad or oppressive moments.
She added she does not see the play as simply sad but as a true reflection of life.
“It’s sad and happy at the same time, which is kind of my favorite thing, sad and happy together,” Saxton-Rodriguez said.
For tickets, visit showpass.com
Samantha Cantu/THE RIDER
