MARFA — Marfa Live Arts will bring four one-act plays to life with Marfa actors at the Crowley Theater on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. These short plays were written by Marfa High School students and were created during Marfa Live Arts’ annual Playwriting Program taught this year by El Paso-based filmmaker Joe Salinas during Donel Harnett and Linda Ojeda’s English classes.
Salinas, who resided in Marfa several years ago, spent one week instructing students through the creation of a one-act play, which were then selected by a panel of judges to be awarded prizes and performed live with local actors. “It was a great experience working with the kids of all different age levels and grades. At first, there was little eye contact, but they were listening, and I was listening to them,” said Salinas. “It was great hearing their stories and seeing their energies. By the end, it was really hard to say goodbye. Even with that short amount of time compressed, I made some meaningful relationships and really related to them, being from a small town myself.”
Salinas, who will also be acting in The Lights Keep Secret by Memo Guardiola, found that some of the more introverted students created works that hopefully helped them discover things about themselves. “It seemed like the quieter students had a lot to say,” he said. “I felt like they kind of kept to themselves, and when I read their work, they have really vivid, grand imaginations.”
“At the end, we had to grade everything, but I kind of knew how it would be going, because I was interacting with them the whole time,” Salinas said. “I didn’t just come in and give a lesson plan, I was walking around and making sure everyone received some attention,” he said. “By the end of the week, I think some of them were like, ‘I hope you guys talk to me because I have a lot to talk about.’ So I already knew about their stories and which ones wanted to break out of their shells, and start talking about their work in front of the classroom without anybody being judged. It was just a positive vibe.”
When the time came to judge the plays and pick the ones that would be performed, Salinas said choices were difficult. “At the end of the day, when I had to grade them, I was really impressed. It was really difficult.”
The winners of this year’s workshop, whose works will be performed, are: freshman Alexis Villela (The Girl with Dreams and Purpose), sophomore Giselle Torres (Family Legacy), junior Kayla Vasquez (Sammy vs. The Forces of McDonald’s), and senior Memo Guardiola (The Lights Keep Secrets). Themes include immigration, family legacy, real estate, McDonald’s and the Marfa Lights.
Second place winners who will be recognized are: freshman Miguel Gonzales (The Great Texas Freeze), sophomore Asael Zuniga (The Butter Believer), junior Piper Donaldson (Pink Pony Club), and senior Francisco Rosas (Dancing with the Devil). Honorable mentions goes to freshman Abelardo A. Marquez (Scary Mickey), sophomores Belen Soto (Secret Swap) and Dariela Munoz (The Secret), juniors Chris Huerta (Shadows of Love) and Sammy Estrada (Lights Out), and senior Andres Solis (Flamingos).
As for Salinas, his experience with the program was nothing but positive. “Marfa High School was very accommodating, and there was a lot of collaboration with the teachers. These are their students. They know the students more than anyone,” he said, adding that Marfa Live Arts was also a great organization to work with. “Marfa Live Arts is an incredible organization, and I think the community is lucky to have them. They really help foster the creativity in the youth, and I think, even help influence the adults. It’s important for the kids around here to understand that art isn’t only putting a paintbrush to canvas, but that writing and performance is out there.” The upcoming performance, he added, is an exciting prospect for him. “I can’t wait for the show. I’ll be there with my best tuxedo T-shirt,” he laughed.
For more information of past, present, and future Marfa Live Arts programs, please visit www.marfalivearts.org.