Drama ‘El Nogalar’ Makes History
The fictional play by Tanya Saracho was performed in both Spanish and English. Performers were honored by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
“El Nogalar” made history when it debuted in Anderson Auditorium in November, the first play presented in two languages by five bilingual BVU performers. Months after its three-show run, the spotlight continues to shine on this production.
The fictional play by Tanya Saracho, directed by Dr. Bethany Larson, BVU professor of theatre, was performed in both Spanish and English, a feat accomplished by bilingual students who worked with Larson and Dr. Jared White, BVU assistant professor of Spanish, who served as a language director.
“We’re trying to incorporate the community with what we do in theatre here at BVU,” says Larson, a longtime resident of Storm Lake, one of Iowa’s most ethnically diverse cities. “I read this play a long time ago, and I was taken by the realness of the characters and the struggles they face. It’s a good opportunity to shed light on the stories of those who aren’t always represented.”
“El Nogalar” follows the fictional Galvan family, which moves from northern Mexico to the United States, only to return to Mexico due to financial hardships. Upon their return, the Galvans discover their family orchard under threat from local crime. The Mexico they left behind, they learn, is vastly different, much more dangerous due to gang activity and drugs.
"I was taken by the realness of the characters and the struggles they face. It’s a good opportunity to shed light on the stories of those who aren’t always represented.”
Dr. Bethany Larson
Performers Matthew Marroquin, a sophomore from Storm Lake, and Alondra Melendez, a freshman from Storm Lake, were nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship competition sponsored by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (ACTF). Marroquin, who coaches speech at St. Mary’s High School in Storm Lake, accepted the invitation to compete for the scholarship.
“In earning this prestigious honor, both Matthew and Alondra were presented the opportunity to perform for an audience of peers from Region V, which covers Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa,” Larson says, describing an audition process that’s highly competitive.
Additionally, the final scene of “El Nogalar,” featuring Marroquin and Melendez, was nominated to participate—and will be featured—in the Showcase of Scenes at the regional ACTF in Sioux Falls, another first for the BVU Theatre Department.
Marroquin and Melendez were joined on stage in “El Nogalar” by Mariana Gonzalez, a junior from Storm Lake; Kenya Ortega, a junior from Norwalk; and Alondra Ramirez, a freshman from Storm Lake.
Larson says she and the BVU Theatre Department will continue to consider productions that bring diverse communities within the region together. “El Nogalar” represented the start. “I want to see if we can do a full Spanish play,” she says. “We’ve had several conversations around that topic. For us, it seems like a next step.”