For their first production of this year’s mainstage season, Fordham Theatre transformed Pope Auditorium to tell the powerful story of a young woman’s fight for representation.
Fordham Theatre’s mainstage production of “The Sins of Sor Juana,” a play written by Karen Zacarías and directed by Jason Aguirre, is set in the late 1600s in Mexico, historically known as “New Spain.” The play follows Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Isabelle Diaz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’27), a Mexican nun and poet who fought for her right to an education and a voice in a deeply patriarchal society. Her resilience has become, and continues to be, an inspiration to many.
Aguirre’s depiction of this heartfelt play deserves applause for showcased talent and the authenticity the cast and crew brought to the production. Their work emphasized the gender issues at hand, and ultimately tied it together to issues in today’s world.
In the play, Juana’s sacrifices — whether through hunger strikes or being punished by the Church — politicized her persistent dedication to poetry and women’s access to knowledge. She’s symbolic of all women that wanted to use their voices but were silenced.
Juana is aware that writing her poems may cause conflict, yet she takes that risk because she believes she can make a difference.
Through her striking performance, Diaz beautifully conveys feminist themes with precise dialogue and inspiring acts of perseverance.
“When I first read the script, I felt that this was an important story to tell around this time with Roe v. Wade and these other incidents where women’s power is being brought down,” she said. “Being in Juana’s body made me realize that she thinks all her sacrifices will be worth it if she’s successful.”
Juana is aware that writing her poems may cause conflict, yet she takes that risk because she believes she can make a difference. Although the play ends with her vowing to never write again, Juana’s story matters, like every other woman’s. Her feminist values may have caused her grief, but they are, and always will be remembered.
In a time where only men were allowed to have an education, Juana used her poems to express her resistance to societal norms.
Diaz took an empowering approach to her role. Her family are immigrants from the Dominican Republic, which she said connected Diaz to Juana’s determination.
“Like Juana, I strive to be successful in whatever I do because I want to make my family proud, and being successful is a way to say thank you for all the sacrifices they’ve made,” she said.
Acting is both playing the character, and being the character. Diaz’s understanding of Juana’s persistence in publishing her poems and achieving her goals helped Diaz bring the character to life.
In a time where only men were allowed to have an education, Juana used her poems to express her resistance to societal norms. Diaz gracefully depicts her role’s hardships while also displaying her passion for writing.
Peterson’s careful choice of the color red is particularly wise, as red traditionally foreshadows intensity and love. The efforts of the sound designers, Adam J. Rineer and Elijah Warrington (FCLC ’26), are extraordinary as well.
“One thing that I found to be difficult about Juana is that I go through life based on how I feel, and then how I think. She’s the opposite; brain and then heart,” Diaz said.
When Juana is deciphering how she feels about Don Silvio (Elian Rivera, FCLC ’25), she’s hesitant to confess her love for him because she thinks of all outcomes and tries to be sensible. Nonetheless, Diaz’s performance was genuine. Her portrayal of Juana’s reactions through her body language, and facial expressions made her uncertainty evident.
Besides the talented director and cast, what truly sets this production apart is its phenomenal set design and sound. The set choices enhance the play, creating an image that transports the audience to Mexico in the 17th century. Diaz said she appreciated how Kaitlyn Peterson, a New York City scenic designer, incorporated red curtains in the set, showing the contrast between the different worlds.
Peterson’s careful choice of the color red is particularly wise, as red traditionally foreshadows intensity and love. The efforts of the sound designers, Adam J. Rineer and Elijah Warrington (FCLC ’26), are extraordinary as well.
“There’s a big degree of freedom in composing your own score rather than trying to source something that fits the mood,” Warrington said. “This is a memory play, and a melodrama. The director used the term “telenovela a lot. Freeing the play up from historical accuracy allows the work to really lean into that melodrama, and that goes for the music too.”
As the scenes get more dramatic, the music raises the stakes even higher. It effectively draws the audience to the stage as the play gets more intense.
The costumes also had artisanal touches. All of the costumes were handmade by Amy Orner (FCLC, ’25) and Katie Bartlett (FCLC ’25). Each outfit took into account the symbolism underlying Juana’s character development. Diaz said that in the first act, the corset, nun costumes and skirt were made by Bartlett. The skirt is longer in the first act. In the second act the skirt ruches to reveal pops of red.
Diaz said that Orner wanted red in Juana’s costume. This color signals the characters’ statuses and foreshadows. The phoenix, a bird that represents renewal, essentially aligns with Juana’s commitment to poetry, even if she fails to recognize its influence. Her “renewal” unveils itself in the second act, hence why Orner included red lining at the bottom left side of Sor Juana’s skirt during this part of the play. Juana symbolizes hope for women’s rights, making the phoenix comparison quite fitting.
From the perspective of an audience member this play is a masterpiece, filled with a gifted group of people, and their hard work reflects a profound adherence to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s story.
“The Sins of Sor Juana” completed its run at Pope Auditorium on Oct. 18.
August Bacchus • Oct 23, 2024 at 5:59 pm
What an insightful piece!