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MSU Theatre and UCLA Partner on World Premiere of Golden Age Latin American Play

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre will present the world premiere of the English translation of Love is the Greater Labyrinth by 17th-century Mexican playwright/poet/philosopher Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, at the Arena Theatre in the MSU Auditorium.  

Director Oscar Quiroz, an Artist-Educator and MFA Acting Candidate in the Department of Theatre who hails from the Republic of Honduras, was surprised to learn that de la Cruz, a national icon of Mexico who is considered to be the first great Latin American poet and who is even pictured on the 200-peso bill, was not largely recognized here in the United States. He wanted to introduce the MSU community to the work and legacy of this important Hispanic literary figure.

A composite of two pictures. On the left is a man with short black hair in a black sweater. The picture on the left is a painting of a person with dark black hair
MFA Acting Candidate Oscar Quiroz (left) and a portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (right), the famous 16th-century Mexican poet, philosopher, and playwright of Love is the Greater Labyrinth.

“I have always been fascinated by Sor Juana and her work,” Quiroz said. “She was a nun who wrote poetry and comedies in 17th-century colonial Mexico, and in her work, she usually denounces the double standards of her society over women and advocates for a woman’s right to be educated.”

Love is the Greater Labyrinth was de la Cruz’s final play for which she reimagined the classical Greek myth of Theseus (Teseo), a legendary hero of ancient Athens, and the monstrous Minotaur. This swashbuckling adventure where Teseo confronts the Minotaur, a bull-headed beast living deep inside the labyrinth of his palace, also includes romantic entanglements and moral dilemmas involving the princesses Fedra and Ariadna. 

“I have always been fascinated by Sor Juana and her work. She was a nun who wrote poetry and comedies in 17th-century colonial Mexico, and in her work, she usually denounces the double standards of her society over women and advocates for a woman’s right to be educated.”

Oscar Quiroz, MFA Acting Candidate

The MSU production is a part of the Department of Theatre’s Storefront Series, which provides dynamic roles to showcase and challenge acting students. Creative teams are challenged to work with limited resources and shorter rehearsal periods, with an emphasis on writing, acting, and directing. 

Quiroz forged both cross-country and cross-college collaborations for this project. His desire to shine a spotlight on de la Cruz’s words began by connecting with the UCLA Working Group on the Comedia in Translation and Performance and their Diversifying the Classics project, which translated the play from Spanish to English.

Group of four people, three females and one man. One female with back turned talking to the man. The other two females in the background.
Jhon Govaere as Teseo during rehearsal for Love is the Greater Labyrinth. In the background are Nicole Merchant (left) as Ariadna and Olivia Hagar (right) as Cintia. Govaere, Merchant, and Hagar are all Theatre majors. (Photo by Rachel Kramer)

“I came across this translation of Amor es más Laberinto through UCLA´s translation group Diversifying the Classics, a group dedicated to expanding the so-called classical theatre cannon,” Quiroz said.

Through this connection, Quiroz, Storefront Artistic Director Alexis Black, and Department of Theatre Chair Stephen DiBenedetto gained permission to stage the world premiere performance of this translation at Michigan State University.  

“In the United States, there appears to be a narrow focus on classical theatre, mainly centered around well-known names like Shakespeare and Moliere,” Quiroz said. “Latinidad is seldom associated with these long-standing literary traditions, and playwrights like Sor Juana often lack a platform for performing classics, despite their significant role in Latin American culture over the years. I aim to encourage people to appreciate art for its intrinsic value.” 

Two people - one man and one woman. Both wearing masks that cover the top half of their face. Woman sitting on the ground with one leg stretched out. Man sitting on a black cube.
Theatre major Zach Deande (left) as Lidora and Journalism major Ava Ballagh (right) as Laura during rehearsal for Love is the Greater Labyrinth. (Photo by Rachel Kramer)

In addition to the collaboration with UCLA to access the translation, MSU’s Department of Romance and Classical Studies (RCS) provided support to bring this work to the stage and to document the experience.

“The Department of Romance and Classical Studies is delighted to collaborate with the Department of Theatre on this production,” said Dr. Anthony Grubbs, Chair of RCS. “It is refreshing to see Colonial Latin American theatre represented on the modern stage. The playwright, Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, was a prominent intellectual in the 17th century and this adaptation and translation of her play will certainly please all audiences.” 

Three people - one wearing a face mask, one playing a guitar, one standing and smiling.
Theatre majors Sebastian Barnett (left) as Tuna, JaNyah Meadows (center) as Minos, and Nicole Merchant (right) as Ariana during rehearsal for Love is the Greater Labyrinth. (Photo by Rachel Kramer)

Tickets for Love is the Greater Labyrinth are $10 for general admission and are available online at whartoncenter.com, at the Wharton Center box office, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.  

Performance Times: 

  • Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m. 
  • Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. 
  • Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. 

For more information on the show and other MSU Department of Theatre productions, visit: https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/category/dept-of-theatre.  

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