Personal Belongings

I directed a university production Personal Belongings at William & Mary’s Department of Theatre & Performance in Spring 2026. This rarely produced one-act monologue by Argentine feminist playwright Diana Raznóvich was written in 1975, anticipating the military coup that would install a dictatorship, which waged a “dirty war” on its citizens (1976-1983), supported by the US. The play is a satire on political detention and exile, taking audiences through a whirlwind of tragic, absurd events, as a “Diva” loses her sense of place and self. Seemingly on her own, she searches for her belongings among piles of suitcases in a baggage claim, where she remains trapped.

With her comedic dramatic works, Raznóvich creatively resisted repression at a time when censorship was the norm. This production was an opportunity to honor Latin American voices at William & Mary. We chose to produce this play bilingually, in both English and Spanish, to reflect an in-between space inhabited by first and second generation immigrants – between cultures, languages, worlds, and perspectives. The nine students involved in the production all contributed their skills and interests, inquiries and concerns, while learning about the historical context of the play. We explored theatre as a form of social justice and symbolic reparation, based in principles of community and solidarity.

Our production included a panel and talkback with invited speakers on Theatre, Memory and Human Rights in Argentina, including: Dr. Brenda Werth (Associate Professor and Department Chair, World Languages & Cultures, American University), Dr. Silvia Tandeciarz (Vice-Dean for Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies, Chancellor Professor of Hispanic Studies, William & Mary), Dr. Karina Vázquez (Senior Teaching Faculty of Latin American, Latino and Iberian Studies, Director of Community-Based Learning, University of Richmond), and Dr. Matias Oviedo (Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor of Hispanic Studies, William & Mary).

This project benefited from William & Mary Charles Center Community of Scholars Grant, a Reeves Center On-Campus Conferences Fund and a College of Arts & Sciences Annual Fund in 2025.

Creative Team:

Director: Dr. Sarah Hart

Performer: Amanda Sobrado

Production Designer: Prof. Mark Williams

Stage Manager: Kathleen Khorn

Assistant Director: Scarlett Mercier

Dramaturg: Sara Kaufman

Costume, Hair and Makeup Designer: Mayah Tiwari

Properties Manager: Jaden Grant

Lighting Designer: Ash Kelley

Sound Designer: Matthew Squadrito