Student Written and Produced Play ‘How to Say Bowl in Spanish’ at Center Stage Theater

UCSB Students Look to Bring a New Play into the Santa Barbara Spotlight.

'How to Say Bowl in Spanish,' a new play written and produced by UCSB students, will debut at the Center Stage Theater on May 24 at 7 p.m. | Photo: Courtesy

A new and original play is stepping onto the Santa Barbara stages, and it’s entirely written, directed, and produced by UCSB students. The play, How to Say Bowl in Spanish, will debut at the Center Stage Theater on May 24 at 7 p.m. Although the play will only be performed for one night, the production team is looking to expand its reach in the future.

The production crew of How to Say Bowl in Spanish includes the playwright and recent graduate Faith Talamantez, third year undergraduate Miranda Guzman-Shrake as the director, and third year undergraduate Arpie Hakobyan as the stage manager. For the past few months, the three have worked together to gather a team of actors and stage crew to bring Talamantez’s play to life.

“It’s moving to be in the room knowing that everybody here has committed to being a part of a project that means so much to me,” Talamantez said.

How to Say Bowl in Spanish was written as part of her Senior Capstone Project for the College of Creative Studies. What started as an idea in her first year, with some drafting starting her second year, is now in the process of being fully produced onstage. After being awarded the Garret M. Tinney Writing Fellowship for this current academic year, Talamantez has been working to bring the play from paper to stage.

“It’s a story that is supposed to catch an audience off guard and teach something about the world that we’re currently living in,” Guzman-Shrake said. “[It’s] a world where Latinos can feel like they belong and that mixed-race children can also feel like they belong.”

The play is set in San Diego during the 2016 Trump administration and follows Maria, a high school student with a Latino dad and white mother. The audience follows Maria inside the classroom and with her family, struggling to navigate various experiences and emotions. For Talamantez, Maria’s story reflects how being a mixed race family can influence dynamics and experiences.

“Without giving away too much, it’s about a girl trying to find herself in her community and feeling like she doesn’t fit in with the people who are on the white side and the people who are Latino,” Talamantez said. These are all feelings she’s experienced.

Writing and producing her own play is a completely new experience for Talamantez. She was involved in UCSB’s production of Zoot Suit last year, where she played the role of Della Barrios, which helped the writing process of her own play. Guzman-Shrake and Hakobyan have also played significant roles in visualizing the stage version of How to Say Bowl in Spanish.

Guzman-Shrake came across Talamantez’s play through email circulations through the school.

“[I saw] something that was Latino based and talking about being mixed-race,” Guzman-Shrake explained, “and I was like, ‘This is very interesting. It’s something I can relate to.’”

‘How to Say Bowl in Spanish’ will debut at the Center Stage Theater on May 24 at 7 p.m. | Photo: Courtesy

Both Guzman-Shrake and Hakobyan were involved in various roles for UCSB student productions of Sweeney Todd and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Their experiences in theater and production have translated to directing an enthusiastic cast and designing a unique set for the play.

After Talamantez sent out a casting call for the play, she set about securing a space. With the Tinney fellowship, she rented Center Stage Theater for a night and has continued to work with her production team to design the right set for the location.

As they get closer to the play’s debut, Talamantez pointed out that the entire crew has been working hard to make the play the best it can be right now. She noted how surreal it’s felt to watch the actors recite lines that she’s been writing for the past couple years. Many of the actors expressed their own personal connection to the play’s content, and Talamantez hopes that the audience will also find their own connections as well.

“We need stories like this right now,” Guzman-Shrake said. For her, there are specific moments in the play — no spoilers yet — that she’s looking forward to the most. But most importantly, she’s excited for the audience reaction.

The same goes for Talamantez. There are many scenes based on her and her sister’s experiences, making the play feel very close to her and those around her.

“I’m most looking forward to the moment where we’ll be sitting in the audience and the lights go down, and I can just look around in the audience and get to see everyone’s reactions,” Talamantex said.

Tickets are available for purchase here. For more information about the play and all the involved crew members, visit their Instagram @how2saybowl.