Teatro Paraguas To Present ESPERANZA By Carlos Morton

Teatro Paraguas will present the premiere production of Esperanza, a play with music written by Carlos Morton in conjunction with the company, beginning March 6, 2026, and running through March 22. Performances will take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Inspired by the 1954 independent film Salt of the Earth, Esperanza recounts the true story of the 1951 strike by Mexican-American miners and their families against the Empire Zinc mine in Bayard, New Mexico. The 15-month strike by Local 890 of the International Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers Union became the first successful mine strike in U.S. history. When the Taft-Hartley Act made it illegal for the miners to continue striking, their wives and mothers stepped forward to take over the picket line.

The play examines systemic prejudice and labor exploitation while foregrounding themes of community, resilience, and social justice as families fight for dignity and safer working conditions. Morton’s adaptation draws from the historical events depicted in Salt of the Earth, a film produced under extraordinary circumstances during the height of the McCarthy era, when its creators were blacklisted and the production faced harassment, deportations, and industry-wide refusal to cooperate.

The production will be directed by Paola Vengoechea and Elsa López and will star Dalia Melendez as Esperanza, alongside Joaquin Rodriguez as her husband and union leader Ramón. Original music and songs are by Luis Moreno and Tony Ybarra, with music direction by Jonathan Harrell.

Morton’s body of work includes The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales, Johnny Tenorio, and Dreaming on a Sunday in the Alameda. He holds an M.F.A. in Drama from the University of California, San Diego, and a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Texas at Austin, and is currently a professor of theater at the University of California, Santa Barbara.