Memories Feed Tradition: Open your Wings & Fly

Alvaro Saar Rios | Photo: Joe Mazza, Brave Lux

Most of my plays start with a question.

 “Why did my grandmother love wrestling?” turned into LUCHADORA!

 “What do we miss if we never look up?” turned into THE MOLE HILL STORIES, an adaptation of Lois Ehlert’s children's books.

ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA, my adaptation of Wisconsin author Barbara Joosse’s “Ghost Wings” was different.  

My mother-in-law had visited us from Texas. A few weeks after she returned home, my then seven-year-old son went to play in the guestroom she stayed in. He loved taking his toys in there.  

Later, I went to check on my son and he declared, “This room smells just like Amá Bel.”  (That’s his special name for his grandmother.)  

I inhaled and was instantly transported to my mother-in-law’s house in Spring, Texas. I saw tortilla dough waiting on the kitchen counter. I smelled the pork tamales she makes every Christmas. I even felt her warm hugs.

Coincidentally, around this time, I was trying to figure out how to adapt “Ghost Wings” for First Stage. This children’s book follows a young Mexican girl as she recounts memories of her abuelita (grandmother). It also highlights a small town’s connection to Day of the Dead and the migration of the monarch butterflies.  

While carrying me to Texas, Amá Bel’s scent had me thinking about the abuelita in “Ghost Wings.” In the book, there’s an illustration of her wearing a handmade shawl. I was sure she wore it constantly so it definitely smelled like her. Maybe this was how the little girl connected to her special memories with her abuelita. Watching butterflies. Making tortillas. Dueling with monsters under the bed.

I also thought about my son and why he loved playing in the guestroom. Maybe playing in that room connected him to his own special memories of his grandmother.  

Think about it. It’s hard to miss someone if you can relive memories of that person.

With Amá Bel’s aroma on my mind, I let my son continue playing while I sat down to write ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA.

Story submitted by Alvaro Saar Rios, First Stage Playwright in Residence.