Mono Riojas Aguilar, a playwright and English instructor at San Antonio College, has produced a new play — his seventh — to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. The work is titled "Lup and Lil."
His plays often focus on San Antonio’s historic West Side, with themes of family, loyalty, and revenge. But they also explore religion — an issue he brings to the forefront with "Lup and Lil," the names of two supernatural women who have answered people’s prayers for centuries.
"Lup and Lil" might also serve as a way to answer questions for people who struggle with their religious upbringings, like Aguilar does.
“I'm culturally Catholic, but I'm not a strong believer,” he explained. “Parts of what these plays are, are my own thoughts and struggles with religion over the years, and my way of answering questions and kind of changing answers so that they're more palatable, I think, to me and to many people.”
With "Lup and Lil," he intends on answering some of those questions guided by several religious readings.
“It borrows some stuff from the New Testament, a little bit from the Old Testament; some from the Jewish apocrypha. It's not in the official Jewish belief, but in the apocrypha. Lilith was Adam's first wife, and she displeased God, so she was banished, and then Eve was created. So, I'm going way back to the very, very, very first woman ever made,” he said.
Aguilar said “Lup and Lil” is a line from a Townes Van Zandt song. “He's my favorite singer, songwriter, and in his song, Lup and Lil are parakeets. In my play, Lup and Lil are two supernatural women who've been helping humanity for centuries.”
This new play also incorporates Aguilar’s previous plays.
“So, this play — it follows Lup and Lil from when they first met on the day of Jesus' death. Then it follows them throughout time to the Mexican Revolution, the Adelitas of the Mexican Revolution," he added. "Then forward in time to on the day when that set 'Chato's Bridge' in motion, and then the final scene is connecting to my most recent play, 'Hope and Camaradas.' So, there's much intertextuality in this play."
Aguilar did have concerns about portraying Jesus and Joseph and Mary and John and Judas as more relatable to people, and he said audiences may find "Lup and Lil" challenging.
“If people go in with a certain idea in mind, they might be a little bothered by the play, but I think once they listen to what is presenting, see what the actors are putting into it, process the themes, and ride the roller coasters of this with us. From Jesus’ death to descent into hell … and then Mary and Lilith appearing in the Mexican Revolution and giving advice to the women there. I think they're going to see, overall, it's a very empowering, positive play.”
Performances for "Lup and Lil" will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, at 12:15 p.m. at San Antonio College’s Moody Learning Center on the fourth floor. Another performance will be on Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. at SAC’s outdoor Fletcher Administration Building Amphitheater. A final performance will be at the Deco Ballroom Oct. 17 and 18.
Follow the play's Facebook page for more information on the cast and performance dates.
