A hope-filled journey for the end of days

The UTRGV Theatre Department is currently in the final stages of preparation for the opening night of the play, “Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days” written by Marisela Treviño Orta. 

Performances start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a final performance at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre on the Edinburg campus.  

Directed by UTRGV Associate Professor Jennifer Saxton, the play is about two siblings who travel the country tracking the last kaleidoscope of butterflies after all insects in the world died out. Along the way, the pair meet complex and interesting people who have their own share of problems at the end of the world.

Saxton was first introduced to the play when she decided to use it for a script analysis course she was teaching at the beginning of the pandemic.

“And then it [became] a student favorite,” she said. “… They really loved it, and they responded really well to it.” 

She said the story is timely and important, and though it’s grim, it remains hopeful. 

“I was shocked how many people there were at auditions,” Saxton said. “I was really happy. I had non majors and majors and dancers, and all kinds of people showed up.”

Saxton said the cast and crew are coming up with nice collaborations.  

“I love how excited they are to tell a story and how cool some of the ideas they’re coming up with are,” she said. 

Saxton said she hopes people come see the play.

“The story is fantastic,” She said.  They’re doing a great job of telling it. I’m excited to see all the visual elements come together. … If you’re hungry for a musical … there’s some sung elements. 

“It’s also part of Earth Fest starting next week through the Office [for] Sustainability. [Chief Sustainability Officer Marianella Franklin] and her team have given us so much support. We really wanna thank them for the support they’ve given us in developing the project and advertising it.”

There was an emphasis on ensuring resources used for the play were made from recycled materials because it is part of Earth Fest. Once the production is over, she hopes to turn the set into compost.

Leo Benavides, a kinesiology junior, plays the role of “Paris” in the production and said it is the first in-depth play he has been a part of. 

“Usually, most [other characters] are two dimensional, but ‘Somewhere’ has so many layers,” Benavides said. “We’ve had hour talks with our directors and amongst each other about [our characters].” 

He said the play has direct parallels and connections drawn to Greek mythology. 

“Drawing those parallels and looking into–I’m not a history person, but this play has really driven me to deep dive into Alexander the Great, the Trojan War, all that great stuff,” Benavides said. “It’s amazing.”

Dominique De Los Reyes, a biomedical science and theatre senior who also plays the role of “Cassandra,” shared similar sentiments. 

“This is my first time being in a lead role in one of our main stage plays, so it’s the first time I’ve taken up a responsibility like that,” De Los Reyes said. “ … It’s just nice because I kinda relate to Cassandra a lot.” 

She said she would like more people to see that science and theater can work well together and believes the play embodies that notion. 

“This is a play somewhat about science entomology,” De Los Reyes said.

The depth of the characters and their interactions was developed through long discussions as far back as January. 

“That tablework helped a lot in finding that depth to kinda help us portray that as well,” De Los Reyes said.

She encourages the campus community to come watch the play.

“It really is something everyone can relate to,” De Los Reyes said. “There’s a lot of  sibling relationships, different types, brother-sister, sister-sister, brother-brother. I think it’s something everybody can learn from … or at least it’ll get them thinking.” 

Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors and military personnel, and $5 for the UTRGV community with ID. 

For more information on ticket, showtimes and the production, visit utrgv.edu/theatre/productions/box-office.