On Oct. 10, the Moorpark College Theatre Arts department presented the sitcom-like comedy “Our Lady of the Tortilla,” on the Performing Arts Center Main Stage.
Set in 1980s New Jersey, the story revolves around the Cruz family, Cuban-Americans who navigate the realms of love, culture and finding a sense of belonging. While everyone faces their own struggles, ranging from infidelity to rivalry, the matriarch of the family Dolores sees the face of the Holy Virgin in a tortilla. This phenomenon brings many visitors to the Cruz home and explores the many forms of family love as the true miracle.
Directed by Moorpark College Theatre Arts Professor Suzanne Fagan, she highlighted the actor’s preparation process.
“They had to watch ‘Three’s Company,’ which, like, is an 80s sitcom where it’s like double takes and slow burns, and we’re really trying to get their comedic skills honed,” Fagan said. “It’s just flies, and it sings when big actors are really into the comedy and really exploring as well.”
In addition to being a comedy, the production also incorporates heartfelt themes of family love and culture that resonate with a wide range of viewers.
Valerie Morales, playing Dolores Cantù, researched the Cuban culture and incorporated qualities from her own family to enhance her character. She expressed the significance of being part of a production that brings depth to the characters.
“It means so much to me that I’m like, I’m grateful that I’m here and that I’m able to play this character,” Morales explained. “Because all these characters are like, they have so much depth, and there’s so much meaning to them, and I’m so happy that I’m able to show people, and show the world that these characters are important.”
To perfect their Cuban accents in the play, the actors collaborated with Moorpark College counselor Giselle Hernandez as the Cuban cultural consultant.
“It’s rare that my Cuban American background is called upon, especially in an academic setting,” Hernandez wrote in the play’s program. “This wasn’t just a career opportunity; it was personal – a chance to share my culture and contribute to its authentic portrayal in the arts.”
Moorpark College student Noa Walker, playing Dahlia Cruz, noted how excited she was to showcase her character’s confidence. Additionally, she shared how the production showcased Latinx culture by acknowledging various aspects of Cuban culture.
“I really hope that people can watch the show and relate to it if they are Cuban or Latin American or if they’re not, they can see what it might be like inside of a Latin American family,” Walker noted. “And we did a lot of work with our cultural consultant and things like that to make sure that it was accurate and that on top of us having fun, we weren’t doing anything offensive and like all of the good stuff.”
Nicholas Davila, a second-year student at Moorpark College, shared his experience playing Nelson Cruz in “Our Lady of the Tortilla” and how he prepared for the lead role.
“One of the things that I think got me to prepare for the role is learning things such as triplicates and learning actions in a play,” Davila explained. “We were lucky enough to know who we were gonna be within the show a while ago. So, getting to, like, know who my mom is, and just like, you know, going to get food with them or something, and get food with the cast as a whole was so important.”
Since the play was included in the 2024 Latinx Heritage Month events at Moorpark College, Davila was excited to take on the role because of its Hispanic origin. He also observed religious aspects in the production that resonated with his own life.
The technical theatre crew also played a crucial role in bringing the stage together during the production.
Faith Vom Cleff Zaarour, a technical theater major at Moorpark College, had the role of an assistant stage manager and a paint lead for the production. She spoke about what the audience can look forward to when it comes to the set design.
“I think the audiences, we took a really long time with collaborating with an actual Latin, I guess, interpreting who has been telling us more about the culture, so we’re able to be properly there,” Vom Cleff Zaarour said. “I was also one of the paint leads for the show as well, so we were able to actually paint the oriented colors and make sure that the set design was perfect for what we want to represent.”
The technical theatre crew would face challenges during the play, such as moving a small platform smoothly during a scene.
“I think one of the biggest challenges is we actually there is a scene where there’s someone coming on with the radio, and it’s three people on this little mini part that we quite literally have to pull in and out in this small compact space,” Vom Cleff Zaarour said. “But yeah, we kind of overcome it, and we added some stuff to it to make sure that, you know, we’re good, we’re moving stuff.”
The cast was able to embrace their roles by going to the Saint Rose of Lima Church in Simi Valley and exploring various types of Cuban culture and cuisines.
While the viewing of “Our Lady of the Tortilla” has come to an end, Moorpark College’s Theatre Arts department will present “Original Student One Acts” beginning Dec. 4, as well as auditions for their spring production, “Twelfth Night” in December.
