Nevada Conservatory Theatre is proud to present the 40th anniversary of MUD by María Irene Fornés on March 22-31 in the Black Box Theatre. Written in 1983, MUD showcases Forens at her finest. Writer, director and master playwriting teacher, she is considered the mother of Latinx playwriting. Norma Saldivar directs.
In this uncompromising drama about a people living in bleak poverty, a hopeful young woman is determined to overcome insurmountable circumstances.
Tickets are $30 and available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787).
“Mud is a brave, sometimes irreverent story about the desire to better one’s self and escape to a better world," said Saldivar. "Mae has dreams of educating herself and leaving behind the hardship of her world, but she is tethered to her past and to familial obligations. She longs for paradise and believes she finds it in a well meaning neighbor. However, life doesn’t always go as planned and Mae must face the difficult choice of remaining or chasing her dream.”
The cast includes Kate Critchfield as Mae, Drew Callahan as Lloyd, and Dylan Omori McCombs as Henry. Scenic designer is Emily Whatley; costume designer is Katie Gould; lighting designer is Jordan Hall; sound designer is Mary Alice DiRienzo; technical director is Mitchel Statler; stage manager is Cameron Cox, and Sean Boyd is intimacy director.
Saldivar arrived to Las Vegas in July 2017 to chair UNLV’s Department of Theatre and serve as executive director of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre from 2017 to 2023. Originally from Chicago, she has worked as a freelance stage director and member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre artistic staff, and has served as casting director, dramaturge, and producer for productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Milwaukee. Saldivar is a proud member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Her work as a director has been diverse and included classical, contemporary, musicals, opera, and new works.
As an educator, she spent nearly two decades at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she was a professor in the Department of Theatre and Drama. During her time in Madison, she served as the head of the Graduate Directing program and director of Theatre Production. Later in her time at UW, Madison she served as executive director of the UW-Madison Arts Institute. Recognized for its interdisciplinary arts residencies, under Saldivar’s leadership the Arts Institute sponsored performers, writers, composers, and artists from a variety of disciplines such as Tony Award-winning composer Stew and the Negro Problem and actress and director Rhodessa Jones. Her passions also included presenting and producing special arts events such as concerts, curated programming, and performances for stage, radio, and broadcast and the internationally renowned Wisconsin Film Festival.
Saldivar earned her MFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with an emphasis in directing, and BFA in acting from Illinois Wesleyan University.
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The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
