Area Stage proudly presents the Spanish World Premiere of Las Marcas Del Mar (Seamarks) by Gardner McKay, translated by Maria Banda-Rodaz and Constanza Espejo. The Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play Award winner, Las Marcas Del Mar (Seamarks), first captured the attention of Maria Banda-Rodaz back in 1993, when the play enjoyed the South East premiere and won a few Carbonell Awards, including Best Director. This production will take place at Area Stage’s Black Box Theatre in Sunset Place and will run from September 19th through the 29th, 2024.
This is the touching story of a fisherman living on a remote Irish island who has fallen in love with a woman he’s glimpsed only once. Unschooled in letter writing, he tries his utmost to court by mail and after a year and a half succeeds in arranging a rendezvous. Starring award-winning actors Mariano Chiesa and Constanza Espejo, Las Marcas Del Mar (Seamarks) is the first of its kind to be performed in Spanish with English subtitles.
Directed by Maria Banda-Rodaz, Set and Lighting Design by Giancarlo Rodaz, Sound Design by Michael Cruzata, and Costumes by Maya Maradiaga. Tico Chiriboga is the Stage Manager.
SHOWTIMES: September 19th – 29th, 2024 (Showtimes: Thursday-Sunday at 7:00PM)
LOCATION: Area Stage Black Box 5701 Sunset Drive, Suite 286, South Miami, FL 33143
ABOUT AREA STAGE
Area Stage is a non-profit theatre company founded in 1989 on principles of artistic innovation, education and inclusion. Throughout its 35 year history, this award winning organization has striven to bring extraordinary theatrical experiences to members of the Miami community, consequently becoming one of South Florida’s most influential cultural institutions. In addition to its acclaimed mainstage productions, Area Stage houses a world-class Conservatory, which provides professional training to hundreds of young aspiring artists each year, as well as the Inclusion Theatre Project, a program that offers similar opportunities to participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
ABOUT MARIA-BANDA-RODAZ
Maria Banda-Rodaz (Director) was born and raised in Ecuador, and moved to NYC in 1980 to continue her performing arts training at Columbia University and Kean University. After a career in production in Ecuador, she returned to the U.S. in 1989 as the Managing Director of the critically acclaimed Area Stage theatre company, where she worked with and later married, John Rodaz. Maria has also been involved with the TV and fi lm industry, first as the Associate Producer of We Shoot ‘Em, later independently, working for companies such as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony, 20th Century Fox, HBO, Disney, and NBC. This award-winning director graduated Summa Cum Laude from FIU’s School of Modern Languages and holds certificates in Nonprofit Management (UM) and Arts in Education (Kennedy Center). To date, Maria is the only Hispanic woman to receive the Carbonell Award in the Best Director category for the play Seamarks. Other awards include the 2017 Woman of the Year in Public Service by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce as well as the 2020 In the Company of Women Award from the Miami Dade County Parks Foundation.
Maria Banda Rodaz
ABOUT CONSTANZA ESPEJO
Constanza Espejo is an Argentinian actress, director, and producer with a distinguished career in the audiovisual and cultural fields. Film and television acting credits include productions such as Tu parte del trato (Netflix), Argentina, tierra de amor y venganza (Polka), Pequeña Victoria (Prime Video), and Once (Disney+). Constanza has trained with great theater masters such as Daniele Finzi Pasca, Pippo Del Bono, and Ricky Pashkus. This comprehensive training has shaped her artistic vision and versatility. In the theater world, she has shone in productions such as Noche de Baile by Gerardo Litbak, Ausente con Aviso, and Palabras con sentido, both directed by the renowned Argentine director Ricky Pashkus. She has also participated in the international project Cammino Popolare by the Italian Virgilio Sieni. In 2023, her performance in the play El Huevo, presented at the Brisk Festival in Los Angeles, earned her the festival’s top award. Beyond her work in front of the camera, Constanza has directed and produced a wide variety of cultural projects, demonstrating her multidisciplinary artistic ability. Her leadership also extends to organizing cultural events, with a special focus on promoting women in the arts.
CONSTANZA ESPEJO
ABOUT MARIANO CHIESA
Mariano Chiesa is an Argentine actor and voice-over artist with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Widely recognized in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking community in the United States as one of the most iconic voices in advertising, his voice supports major brands like Telecom-Personal, Quilmes, Frávega, and Mercadolibre, as well as memorable characters such as the Raid mosquitoes, the Toyota Etios dog, and the Air New Zealand kiwi. Additionally, his mastery of the neutral Spanish accent has made him the institutional voice for global brands like Sony Entertainment Television, Subway, Jeep, Nike, and Disney+. Mariano began his theatre career in 2006 with productions for young audiences such as Lazy Town and Back Yardigans. His breakthrough came in 2011 with Avenue Q, which earned him multiple awards, including Best New Actor and Best Play of the Season in Buenos Aires. Credits include also Next to Normal, Marco Polo, and Los Monstruos, receiving accolades for each. In 2018, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber cast him in the lead of the musical Sunset Boulevard, receiving the highest honors in Argentinian musical theater. TV credits include NBC Telemundo series such as Armas de Mujer and La mujer de mi vida, solidifying his presence in the U.S. Hispanic market.
