ECAS (Educational Center of Arts and Sciences), is currently presenting Yo Soy Minerva running through March 23. Written by Mu-Kien Sang Ben and adapted by Francis Parra, Director and Artistic Director of ECAS, the play begins with a Minerva who returns from the dead 54 years later after she and her sisters were murdered under the order of the Dominican Republic’s dictator president Trujillo. This is the life of Minerva Mirabal and her sisters in Ojo de Agua, Salcedo, their hometown. Through the memory of Minerva’s returned spirit, the story is a recollection of what happened to them as they led a revolution against a tyrannical dictator until their assassinations.

In a world where voices are often silenced, Yo Soy Minerva dares to speak truth with passion and power. This breathtaking play takes you on a journey through the struggles, triumphs, and untold stories of a woman who refuses to be defined by anything other than her own strength.

During the Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961), unspeakable crimes were committed in the Dominican Republic, but the exact amount is still unknown. One of the most widespread and reviled crimes was against the Mirabal sisters: Patria, Minerva, María Teresa, and Rufino de la Cruz, their chauffeur and protector.

In Yo soy Minerva, Mu-Kien Adriana provides a recounting of Minerva Mirabal, and her life based on the human dimension. To achieve this work, this author uses a rarely used method: she gives life to the spirit of Minerva and, 40 years after the crime, brings this fighter for the country’s freedom into the world. Minerva relates the events and places but especially the house where the sisters grew up and where they lived during their last years. Patria, Minerva and Maria Tersa were often thrown in jail and tortured until their brutal murders. They are often referred to as “The Butterflies,” (Las Mariposas); which symbolizes a fight for freedom and independence.

The cast of Noelia Parra (Minerva - spirit); Jahaira Suarez (Minerva - present); Anna Delgado (Maria Teresa); Betsy Montes (Patria), Yamel Castillo (Dede - past), Jose Luis Suazo (Rafael Leonidas Trujillo); Franklin Solano (Manuel De Moya); Sylvia Bernal (Dona Chea y Dede - present); Juan Carlos Parra (Enrique and Rufino) and Miosotis Ihelefeld (Violeta and Sina) under the direction of Francis Parra, bring this moving and difficult work to life as a cohesive, dynamic ensemble.

Noelia Parra as the spirit of Minerva, offers dauntingly sustained, moving and passionate monologues in her narration of the events that took place. Jahaira Suarez, as Minerva (present), displays a courageous and convincing young revolutionist unmoved by the danger that awaits her.

This is more than just theater. It is an invitation to reflect on our own identities, our place in the world, and the battles we fight within ourselves. Yo Soy Minerva will move you, challenge you, and ignite a fire within your soul. Whether you are witnessing Minerva’s fight for justice or connecting with her moments of vulnerability, you will find something in her journey that resonates with your own life.

Yo Soy Minerva is also ECAS’ tribute to March’s Women in History Month. The Mirabal sisters have become such a symbol of women’s struggle that, in honor of them, in 1999 the United Nations made November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

What:        Yo Soy Minerva

                 Performed in Spanish

                 with simulcast supertitles in English

Where:      Teatro ECAS

                 679 Valley Street, Providence

When:       March 13 thru March 23

Box Office: 401-421-3227

                 www.teatroecas.org