WOLF AT THE DOOR Comes to PCPA This Month

Inspired by Latino folklore and mythology, Wolf at the Door is a part of a cycle of gothic fairy tales by Marisela Treviño Orta (The River Bride) that asks, who is the real wolf at your door? Wolf at The Door plays in the Severson Theatre, from February 29 through March 17, 2024.

After an unthinkable loss, a mysterious woman appears at Isadora and Séptimo’s hacienda.  The stranger may just be carrying the answer to Séptimo’s expectations for an heir.  But she may also be carrying the key to Isadora’s liberation. WOLF asks who the real monster in our stories is, and peers into the illness that can grow inside marriages, the immense power of the survival instinct, and the life-giving strength found in solidarity.

Wolf at the Door marks the second play in Marisela Treviño Orta’s on-going cycle of “grim Latinx fairytale plays,” following PCPA’s beautiful production of The River Bride last year in 2023.  Wolf at the Door is inspired by Latinx mythology, particularly the Aztec afterlife and the myth of the luison, originating with the Guarani, an indigenous people from Paraguay, which is the likely origin of the European myth of the werewolf.  Additionally, Orta’s play is informed by the European fairy tale canon—specifically the stories collected by The Brothers Grimm.  Like most fairytales, Wolf at the Door is rich with symbols, explores fantasy, shape-shifting, and wish-fulfillment themes, and personifies cultural fears and taboos. 

Director Marilet Martinez notes “I have had the deep privilege of being involved in Marisela Trevino Orta’s poetic and culturally defining works throughout my career. From living room readings to full-stage productions across the country, I have worked on, watched, and obsessed over her words and characters since we met in 2012. I gas her up to anyone who will hear me because I believe wholeheartedly in the importance and beauty of her work. Marisela writes plays for women and femmes. What I mean by that is she creates nuanced, complex, profound female characters that showcase our vulnerability, our pain, our joy, and our strength. While she also writes her male characters with equal care and depth, I am acutely aware of what an incredible force Marisela is to the Sisterhood and how she champions women.”

“Wolf at the Door is an examination of how bravery, sisterhood and solidarity can create life altering empowerment and positive change. This play asks us to pick each other up in the face of violence and fear, and to do it with our whole chest. I dedicate this play to the power mansions of women and femmes who have blessed me with their unabashed support, endless laughter, sage advice, tears over meals, and howls at the moon. Ahwoooooo!” Says Martinez.

The creative team includes Director Marilet Martinez, Costume Designer Tracee Bear, Lighting Designer Jennifer ‘Z’ Zornow, Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Sound Designer Ben Lechtman, Intimacy Director and Fight Director Celina Lee Surniak, and Stage Manager Jack D. Myles*.

The intimate cast includes Resident Artist Christen Celaya* as Yolot, guest artist Kevin Rico* as Séptimo, second year acting student Edella Oroz Westerfield as Isadora, and guest artist Wilma Bonet* as Rocío.

Join in for a prologue and talkback with the playwright, Marisela Treviño Orta, on March 8th after the show and on March 9th at 1 pm. Additionally, don't forget to stick around for a moderated post-show talkback on March 10th with the cast of Wolf at the Door, accompanied by special guest Director of Programs and Client Services from Domestic Violence Solutions, Veronica Cubillo.