Obsidian Theater to Present EL NOGALAR

Obsidian Theater presents EL NOGALAR, sought after playwright Tanya Saracho's intrepid interpretation of Anton Chekov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD.

With NOGALAR, Saracho relocates Chekov to the middle of the explosive drug wars in present day northern Mexico. Then she uses the essence of his work as a launching pad to explore of social class, family, identity and, much like its predecessor THE CHERRY ORCHARD, the choice between adapting to a changing world or getting left behind.

EL NOGALAR tells the story of the Galvans, an entire family struggling to hold on to their homestead-and their precarious social status. The play shadows the Galvan family's housekeeper, Dunia, as she watches the family matriarch Maite and her daughters squander their money and risk losing everything to a local drug cartel. Despite warnings from friends and family, Maite ignores her dwindling fortune as stubbornly as she ignores the sinister capos simmering at her doorstep.

Obsidian Theater is proud to produce the Houston premiere of Saracho's play. The writer is a rising star in both theatre and television. Saracho grew up in McAllen, Texas but broke into the national theatre scene in Chicago. There she worked with both the Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatres and garnered every accolade the city had to offer. While working at the Goodman she was commissioned to write EL NOGALAR with The Cherry Orchard as inspiration. Saracho has also been awarded a Project Development grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and been named "Revolucionario" by the National Museum of Mexican Art. Leveraging her theatre success, Saracho also writes for both HBO and ABC television. Her credits include The HBO hit Girls, Devious Maids, and How to Get Away with Murder on ABC.

EL NOGALAR performances are 8 p.m. July 28 through August 20 at Obsidian Theater, 3522 White Oak Drive. For more information, please call 832-889-7837 or visit obsidiantheater.org.