A Conversation with the Cast of NATIVE GARDENS
BY LAURIE THOMAS | TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2025
As a director, one of the most inspiring aspects of rehearsal is witnessing the actors uncovering the interior and exterior architecture of their characters. You can prep intensively, but it isn’t until the actors enter the collaboration that the characters take on a fullness, a three dimensionality and the lines on the page lift off and start to sing. The added benefit of the process, is getting to know the actors as people in rich and inspiring ways. In the spirit of this collaborative process, I’m sharing a conversation I had with Ashley Deleona (Tania), Wendy Scott (Virginia), William R. Stafford (Frank), and Daniel Zuniga (Pablo).
LT: Ashley, as a theatre and spoken word artist, what attracts you to those distinct forms in expressing your creative voice?
AD: Ultimately, the underlying link which draws me to theatre and spoken word is exploring and expressing the many different facets of the human experience. As an actor, I get to explore a range of characters and their psyche, some of which may be vastly different from me, but then I can also explore the ways in which I personally relate to them.
As a spoken word artist, I get to share my own truth through my own lens—that alone is cathartic, but when an audience member resonates with what I’ve said, that moment of connection is so powerful to me. It’s a reminder of how much we have in common with each other, whether it be a friend or a stranger, and I love the many ways in which NATIVE GARDENS explores that.
LT: William, your character Frank lives in one of the great cities, Washington D.C., and it is THE government city. How have the pressures of this urban environment played on him as far as conforming to community expectations?
WS: Because of the extreme pressures of working in a government environment for so many years, Frank has become somewhat dependent on his gardening to give him solace and relaxation. Frank being very competitive in nature, he didn't realize just how much pressure competing for the best garden [in his neighborhood] would put on him over the years. This pressure and Frank's desire to WIN has also put stress on his marriage.
LT: If Frank were to retire to Albuquerque, do you think those pressures would shift?
WS: Retiring in a community as laid back as Albuquerque, Frank and Ginny would be much less stressed. Continuing his love for gardening in a southwest climate, Frank would find many different outlets to give him the solace and relaxation that retirement should bring.
LT: Daniel, the character of Virginia refers to Tania and Pablo as “young and hip” in a rather disparaging way. Usually, such statements point to a certain envy of something the other possesses. What do you think Virginia sees in Tania and Pablo that is both threatening and intriguing to her?
DZ: We are both climbing the ranks of our respective fields, and I can imagine there are young people at Lockheed slowly pushing Virginia out; forcing her into retirement. Virginia seems like she tries to be busy and is almost afraid of what would happen if she wasn't busy. She might also see our lives as full of [meaningful] busyness that she is craving.
LT: William, were Frank to walk into your restaurant, Sadie's, how would you guide him through the menu for a great NM food experience?
WS: The first thing I would explain to Frank is just how different New Mexican Cuisine is compared to Mexican Cuisine. Many Eastern transplants have a very different expectation of what New Mexican food is compared to Mexican food. The indigenous flavors of the southwest are rooted in the fiber of our lands with a Native American flair that is unlike anything in the world. Introducing Frank to the concept of Red or Green (Christmas) would be first on the list, encouraging Frank to start out slow by ordering his chile on the side.
LT: As a journalist, Daniel, you’ve written about the NM food scene. How would you distinguish NM’s cuisine from that of a large urban area such as Washington D.C. (where the play is set)?
DZ: New Mexico's cuisine is a rare combination of Native American, Spanish, and Mexican (NSM) morphed into one. The result? A stuffed sopapilla smothered in green and red chile. I would say D.C. has a little bit of everything, and is more expensive than New Mexico, but New Mexico tops D.C. in the NSM flair.
LT: Given that your character Pablo grew up in Chile, are there any dishes/specialties that he craves.
DZ: Like anyone from Chile, he can never pass up an empanada.
LT: Wendy, growing up in the era of second-wave feminism, the words of your character Virginia cry out to me with the focus on equal opportunity, wage parity, career engagement, and breaking glass ceilings that was so prominent at that time. In retrospect, we know that the focus was limited and limiting in many respects. But, what do you think Virginia’s lens offers us right now as we look back on the 70’s and 80’s and look forward into the next ten to twenty years?
WS: Virginia, growing up as a "blue collar Polish girl from Buffalo" had to fight to have equal access to higher education and a place in a STEM career. She worked overtime while pregnant, with their one child, to stay competitive in her field. Virginia had to fight the tokenism of being the only female engineer in her division while being considered "ambitious and determined... or bitchy. It's so unfair". Perseverance has been her modus operandi and I think it speaks to us all now in our current social climate. Virginia's advice to Pablo, and our audience at large, is worth repeating. "Be fearless. Do everything you say you will and then, do more. And don't let those bastards get you down."
LT: Ashley, is there a poem or piece of writing that you’ve created that speaks to the essence or perspective of the Tania you bring to the stage?
AD: I’m an outwardly very positive person, so my poetry usually reflects the more “yin” part of myself which doesn’t often get expressed in my day-to-day, so it’s difficult to think of a piece I feel resonates with what I’ve explored and brought to life with Tania. But one poem does have a sprinkle of Tania in it, and not just because it’s my “flowers” poem. Community is incredibly important to me, and to Tania as well. My “flowers” poem is about giving people their flowers in life while they are still with us, and it celebrates the communities I’ve begun building and continue to fortify in my life, especially here in Albuquerque. From Kristin, who adopted me in the poetry community here, to my Burque Babes Book Club girlies (some of which already saw the show!), and to old friends, who have seen me through many different stages and continue to support my growth.
LT: Wendy, you have an apple orchard that you tend. How has that orchard given you an understanding of growth? How does that experience connect up with NATIVE GARDENS for you?
WS: I am so fortunate to have returned to my childhood community of Corrales, and to be living on a piece of a larger orchard. Consistently, I am reminded of the interrelations of the trees. They do not recognize our neighborhood fences and boundaries, but instead have an underground support network or "the wood wide web". The health of our individual fruit trees is absolutely dependent on the health of the greater community of trees. Of course, this relates to our two houses/couples in NATIVE GARDENS for me!
The remaining performances will be from April 3–6 on Thursday & Friday at 7 PM, Saturday at 2 PM & 7 PM, and Sunday at 3 PM. Individual tickets and Two Show EZ Passes (including FUSION's productions of NATIVE GARDENS and THE SEVEN Short Works Fest) are available for purchase!
Thanks to the City of Albuquerque, Pay What You Wish ticketing is available.
