Altar

About the play:

Eugenio is a queer young immigrant living in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. Since moving from Mexico less than a year ago, he has experienced deep love and even deeper heartbreak when Benjamin, his new boyfriend, inexplicably “ghosts” him. Looking to the traditional Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos and his father’s previous experience with paranormal activities, Eugenio decides to build an altar in the hopes that he will be able to summon his boyfriend’s ‘ghost’ and gain the closure he so desperately desires. Through the altar, Eugenio realizes that he has been something of a ghost himself to those left behind in Mexico. Will setting up an altar be enough to heal these relationships or is there more to find out?

About the creator:

Santiago Guzmán (he/they) is an award-winning playwright, dramaturge, performer, and director originally from Metepec, Mexico, now based in St. John’s, NL. He is the Artistic Director of TODOS Productions & the Interim Artistic Director for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre.

Santiago’s work as a writer aims to put local, under-represented narratives and characters on the frontlines, whilst inviting audiences to appreciate the vibrancy of Newfoundland and Labrador from a diverse perspective.
Their work has been supported, developed and/or produced by theatre companies and festivals such as TODOS Productions (NL), Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company (NL), White Rooster Theatre (NL), Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland (NL), Poverty Cove Theatre Company (NL), Rising Tide Theatre (NL), Neighbourhood Dance Works (NL), Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Eastern Front Theatre (NS), PARC (pan-Atlantic), Ship’s Company Theatre (NS), Theatre New Brunswick (NB), Boca Del Lupo (BC), Paprika Festival (ON), Banff Playwrights Lab (AB) and the National Theatre School of Canada’s Art Apart Program (QC). He is a member of Playwrights Canada Press’s inaugural editorial committee.
His play ALTAR was produced by the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company in 2021 and toured across high schools in Newfoundland and Labrador as a digital offering, as well as national presentations at Prismatic Arts Festival, (NS) and Aluna Theatre’s RUTAS Festival (ON). ALTAR will receive a second production by Theatre New Brunswick in the winter of 2023 and tour their province alongside the world premiere of his new TYA play, S.T.O.P.
Santiago’s play Urn received the Senior Dramatic Script Award of the Newfoundland and Labrador 2022 Arts and Letters Awards & was shortlisted for the NLCU Fresh Fish Award 2022. Most recently, Santiago has been awarded the inaugural John Palmer Award 2022 through the Playwrights Guild of Canada for being a change-maker in the theatre industry with his advocacy in the arts regarding equity, diversity, and anti-racism.
Santiago’s work is very gay, very brown, and very real. Representation matters.