by Maria Irene Fornés
Directed by BJ Dodge, this play is a loving tribute to the Late Mother of Avant Garde Maria Irene Fornés. Fornés was born in Cuba and later emigrated to the United States in 1945 at the age of 15. Writing stretched from the 80’s to the mid 90’s, her works include Danube (1983), Mud (1983), Abingdon Square (1987), What of the Night? (1989) and Enter the Night (1993). Like many artists, much of her recognition did not occur until after her death.
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Maria Irene Fornés was an immigrant, and had the ambition and drive to succeed in the realm of arts, as a practical manifestation of making a home in this country, and in the arts. She understood the ambition of Mae, to better her condition, regardless of what she might need to do to accomplish that. In an interview with Bomb Magazine, Fornés talks about her frustrations with the treatment of playwrights by directors and the miscommunication regarding translating her thoughts into directions for the actors to follow. Because of this, Fornés decided to become a director herself, and is widely regarded for her utterly unique style.
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A year after her death, CSULB hopes to honor Maria Irene Fornés with this production, and to recognize her not only as an extraordinary writer, but also as a champion for women’s rights and immigration reform, using her artistic platform to uplift the disfranchised towards a brighter future. As you journey within her world, as you experience the lives of Mae, Lloyd, and Henry, we ask you to consider demanding of yourself not to be satisfied.
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Synopsis
Hopeful, hard-working Mae lives in bleak rural poverty, but she is going to school, and plans to better her life through the refined magic of reading and arithmetic. Lloyd, who lives with Mae, spends his time caring a little too much for the farm animals; he scorns to learn from a book, and treats Mae with angry disrespect. When Lloyd becomes ill, Mae goes searching for a diagnosis, and brings their simple, yet eloquent, neighbor Henry home with her, in order to help her read the difficult medical language. The ensuing love / hate triangle that brews between the three creates a toxic environment
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Source: StageAgent
Characters
Mae
A spirited young women. She is single-minded and a believer. She has also gone back to school in order to gain a better life.
Lloyd
A simple and good-hearted young man. He is ungainly and unkempt. Currently suffering a debilitating illness
Henry
A large man. He has a natural sense of dignity, a philosophical mind. He is mid-fifties. He is able to read and give prayer.
White: description by the playwright.
Green: added.
The Player's Theater
The Player’s Theater is CSULB’s black box theater. A black box theater differs from a proscenium theater (which is the kind of theater space we tend to think of... like a concert hall or movie theater). In a proscenium theater, the audience is seated directly in front of the stage, and while you might get absorbed over the drama there is always some distance between you and the action. A black box theater, on the other hand, is much closer and more intimate.
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Often, a black box theater production wants the audience to become a part of it. The front row varies is only a couple feet from the action. Also, you will have the option to sit facing the stage from the front, left, or right side. Depending on where you sit, you will have a different perspective of the show. But remember, the director is very aware of this, and has created a production that can be enjoyed from any seat in the house.
The audience size for MUD is 80 seats. This is comparatively small to the 170-230 capacity of the Studio Theater or the 350 capacity of University theater.
Sources: Staging Concepts
Guiding Questions
As you watch, consider...
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What do you feel the mud symbolizes? Does it relate to what's going on in your life? If so, how?
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How do the relationships between the characters change throughout the play? How do your feelings towards the characters change?
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Discussion Questions
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How is illiteracy discussed in the play? For you, how has being able to read allowed you to get ahead? How can this skill continue to improve your present circumstances?
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What is your relationship to poverty? How is life harder for people who have less resources?
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Do you identify as male or female? Trans? Non-binary? How is gender portrayed in the play? How is this similar or different to what you see on campus?
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Why do you feel as though Mae wants to be a starfish? What specific examples in the play can you point to that support your reasoning?
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Background on Fornes
Scholarly Reviewed discussions of Fornes (access through CSULB account -> Library sign in)
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