By Edna Horton/nw news editor
The creation of humans from corn and a mud boy who didn’t get destroyed makes up the storyline of NW Campus’ newest play.
Miguel and the Magic Rain is a children’s folklore play making its debut Nov. 30-Dec. 6. Directed by Yvonne Duque and written by Rob Bosquez, it tells a story of Aztec gods making humans.
The story imagines that before deciding on corn, the gods made people out of different items such as gold, sticks, seashells and mud. Before the mud people are destroyed, a small mud boy chases a butterfly and runs away. Thousands of years pass, and he meets a puppeteer named Pablo.
The mud boy reminds Pablo of his dead brother Miguel. The two become friends and perform in the circus together. At the end of the show, the gods try to destroy the mud boy because they think he has no soul, but Pablo knows he does and tries to save him.
Dean Phillips, a student at Haltom Middle School, plays the mud boy. Phillips went to a summer camp at the Rose Marine Theater in Fort Worth and was asked by Duque to perform in the play. Playing a character in a college play is exciting for the middle-schooler.
Phillips said his character is the first successful creation of the Aztec gods. He hides in a forest before the gods make humans from corn and then comes out of hiding when he follows a butterfly dancer in the circus.
“The one mud boy is the only survivor of the civilization. Finally, the gods create people out of corn, so the mud boy is really the first successful creation,” he said.
NW Campus student Arturo Ramos plays Pablo the puppeteer. Ramos said his character comes from a long line of puppeteers. Pablo tries his best to be good at his job, but no one ever likes his puppeteering until he meets the mud boy.
“His grandfather and his father were the greatest puppeteers in the circus, but I don’t do well. My performance is off,” he said. “Aldemar is always yelling at me and getting angry with me because I am always doing things bad.”
Aldemar is the ringleader of the circus played by Stefanie Williams. She said her character is always in control and tries to show a nice face to the public. But backstage, Aldemar is incredibly mean.
Williams said each character has something to do with Aldemar. Aldemar’s relationship with Pablo is like an overbearing stage mom, Williams said.
“I’ve always wanted to play a villain, and it’s harder than I thought,” she said. “For me, it’s hard because I don’t like to be angry at people, and I have to hit Pablo, but I don’t want to. He’s too cute to hit.”
The performance debuts to an entire audience of children 10 a.m. Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in the WTLO Theater. A public performance begins 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 with a reception after the show for all the art students and faculty who provided sets and props for the play. A final public performance will be 2 p.m. Dec. 6.
Ticket prices are $6 for general admission, $3 for children and students and free for TCC students, faculty and staff.
Contact the box office to make reservations at 817-515-7724.
