I was in a play called The Panza Monologues
The Panza Monologues was performed in the Texas A&M University at San Antonio Auditorium. I started off the play, so I was pretty nervous. I got so many compliments after the show. It’s been 7 years since the last time I was on stage, and I really have missed it. I also performed a monologue titled, “Political Panza.”
Even though I was nervous, it felt good to get back on stage and put myself out there. Not only that, I bonded with these girls over all the long rehearsals. All the hard work we all put in really showed in the performance. Several family members told me that they loved seeing on me on stage. For some of them, it was their first time. A few people in the audience who were strangers also said my performance was very good.
It meant a lot for me to do The Panza Monologues
I wanted to be more social and more involved in extracurricular activities. I wanted to do something that made ME happy for once. I’m wearing a black feather boa, so you know I had a good time.
I have struggled with my cultural identity in the past and this play really helped me realize how I fit into the Latinx community. Taking on this character was not a big change for me. I chose this monologue because I relate to it so much. The hardest part was allowing a large group of people to see me as this person.
Doing this play has motivated me to start writing again. I am not joking when I say The Panza Monologues changed my life. It was the beginning of a transformation for me. It gave me the strength to showcase my talent for everyone to see.
I realized how much I love performing and being on the stage. I realized how much I still had to show the world. Virginia Grise makes it looks so easy, but I know firsthand that pouring your soul onto the paper is not easy.
I have taken on the task of helping my mom with her genealogy and family history. As the years go on, I started to realize that if no one else was willing to do it that I would have to step up just like my mom did and do her best to try to keep our family as close as possible. I want to write and publish stories about my family because I want to make sure their experiences are preserved forever.
Reading and performing The Panza Monologues showed me that art is eternal and will live on even after the author has passed. I want to do my part to share my stories and the stories of everyone in family. Maybe one day, I will write a play about my family and perform it once a year.
I wanted to give a special thank you to Dr. Santos because without her encouragement and guidance I might have just buried my creative talents instead of putting them out there for the world to see. I took several of her classes at Texas A&M, and I highly recommend that you take a class or two of hers as well.
She introduced me to women writers who would later become my inspiration. I might have never read their work if it wasn’t for her. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without ever knowing about these literary icons.
Photo Credit: Anjela Alvarado
If you would like to check out more of my artistic talents, check out my books and my YouTube channel.