Bringing Lorca’s Yerma to Life in El Paso
By Alexander Wright
Yerma is a tragic play written by Federico García Lorca. Lorca is one of Spain’s most important 20th-century playwrights and poets. It was first performed in 1934 and is the second in Lorca’s famous “Rural Trilogy,” alongside Blood Wedding and The House of Bernarda Alba.Yerma tells the story of a woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage and is desperate to have a child.
The play follows the titular character’s growing frustration and obsession with motherhood. Her husband, Juan, is distant, practical, and uninterested in children. Yerma, on the other hand, sees motherhood as her only purpose and identity as a woman in her traditional society. This conflict drives her into emotional turmoil, leading to a tragic and shocking climax.
Lorca wrote his tragedy with an emotional intensity and poetic restraint. His language is spare but charged; every line carries weight. It takes a deep dive into themes of desire, repression, and the haunting silence between spoken words. There’s something universal in the struggle between societal expectation and personal longing, especially for women, that still resonates today.
Yerma will be brought to life by Los Actores de El Paso, which was founded by the late Héctor Serrano. It welcomes everyone — whether familiar with Lorca or not. Their production is focused on amplifying the unspoken — the space between dialogue, the tension in stillness. The staging leans into minimalism to let the characters’ inner lives speak louder than any set piece ever could. The cast has worked closely to ensure that these themes aren’t just acted, but felt.
Set to be performed at Cathedral High School from October 17 through 26, Friday through Sunday. Be prepared to listen, to reflect, and to sit with your thoughts. It’s a story that lingers long after the curtain falls – 91 years to be exact.
From Shakespeare under the stars to Broadway musicals, local stages are buzzing with creativity this fall.
Theater is thriving in El Paso. Both established companies and fresh voices are rolling out their fall seasons with productions that celebrate drama, comedy, music, and community storytelling. Whether you’re seeking a timeless classic or a borderland twist, this season’s lineup has something for every theatergoer.
Featured Performances
El Paso Playhouse
🌐 theelpasoplayhouse.com
El Paso’s longest-running theater opens its season with Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize–winning dramedy Crimes of the Heart.
📅 Sept 12–14 | ⏰ 7 PM
📍 2501 Montana
KIDS-N-CO
📲 FB & IG: @epasokids-n-co
El Paso’s children’s theater presents Luchadora, a story that blends wrestling, heritage, and heart.
📅 Sept 13–28 | Fri–Sat 7 PM, Sun 2:30 PM
📍 First Presbyterian Church, 1340 Murchison
✨ Special Event: Free performance Oct 20 at 2 PM at the new Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC).
Madeline Park Shakespeare Festival
🌐 madelineparkshakespearefestival.org
A bilingual, modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, staged outdoors under the night sky.
📅 Sept 19–20 & 26–27 | ⏰ 6:40 PM
📍 Madeline Park
💡 Includes an open-air market with arts, crafts, food, and drink.
Teatro Neplanta
📲 FB & IG: @teatroneplanta
Back for its 4th year, the 24-Hour Play Festival challenges playwrights, directors, and actors to create a show in just one day.
📅 Oct 11 | ⏰ 7:30 PM
📍 Delgado Legacy Borderplex
Los Actores
🌐 edenperformingarts.org
This veteran bilingual troupe stages Federico García Lorca’s passionate drama Yerma.
📅 Oct 17–19 & 24–26
📍 Cathedral High School Auditorium, 1309 N. Stanton
UTEP Department of Theatre & Dance
🌐 utep.edu/liberalarts/theatre-dance
The award-winning young adult novel comes to life in I Am NOT Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.
📅 Oct 24–Nov 2 | Fri–Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM
📍 Wise Family Theatre
Star on the Mountain
📲 FB & IG: @star_on_the_mountain_ep
🌐 staronthemountainep.weebly.com
Opens its season with The Continuum Tales, part of the Jewel Box Series.
📅 Nov 9 | ⏰ 2:30 PM
📍 Philanthropy Theatre, Plaza Theatre Complex
Next Stage Theater Co.
📲 FB: @nextstagetheaterco
This emerging company delivers Shakespeare’s hilarious farce The Comedy of Errors.
📅 Nov 14–23
📍 First Presbyterian Church
EPCC Theater Department
🌐 epcc.edu/Academics/Theater | IG: @epcc_theatre_discipline
Students stage Henrik Ibsen’s revolutionary classic A Doll’s House.
📅 Nov 14–23 | Fri–Sat 7 PM, Sun 2 PM
📍 EPCC Transmountain Theatre
UTEP Dinner Theatre
📲 FB & IG: @theutepdinnertheatre
Celebrating its 40th season, the beloved dinner theater presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical Cats.
📅 Nov 14–30
SOMOS Performance Group
🌐 somosep.org | FB & IG: @somosperformancegroup
El Paso’s newest theater company stages a borderland twist on a holiday favorite with A Christmas Carol en la Frontera.
📅 Dec 11–20
💬 With experimental festivals, children’s theater, bilingual productions, and Broadway magic, El Paso’s fall theater season proves the arts are alive and thriving on our stages.
About David Mills
David Mills has been working in the performing arts in El Paso for over 45 years as a
producer, presenter, and performer. In his current role as executive director of the non-
profit Eden Performing Arts, he produces plays by Los Actores, Shakespeare on-the-
Rocks, and dance productions, notably Zapateados. He has done extensive educational
outreach with both the Ysleta and El Paso IDSs, the Chamizal National Memorial, and
numerous community organizations. He is the former producer of the outdoor drama
Viva EL Paso!
