Center Stage

When the academic year concluded in May, it marked the end of Melinda Lopez’s term as the Rev. J. Donald Monan, SJ,  Professor in Theatre Arts. As part of the professorship, the renowned playwright had spent the previous two semesters teaching courses and staging productions on campus, essentially turning the University into a stage for her unique vision. 

Lopez, who is known for her nuanced investigations of character and identity, came to Boston College after writing a string of well-regarded plays performed around the country. A daughter of Cuban immigrants who grew up in Bedford, Massachusetts, Lopez first attracted national attention in the early 2000s with plays that put an underrepresented group center stage, one she described as “complex and flawed Latina women.” 

Lopez’s works include Sonia Flew, in which a Cuban woman reflects on being sent to America as a child; Becoming Cuba, which takes place in Havana on the eve of the Spanish-American War; and Mala, a one-woman show inspired by Lopez’s experience caring for her aging mother. “I didn’t start writing plays because I knew that I had something important to say—I started writing because I was interested in discovering what I had to say,” she said. “The process of investigation is the most interesting part.” It’s an ongoing process, one she’s continued during artistic residencies in Boston, New York, and beyond, including serving as playwright-in-residence at the Huntington Theatre Company from 2013 to 2019. Along the way, the social services agency La Alianza Hispana has named her a Woman of Courage, the radio station WBUR has called her “one of Boston’s most important writers,” and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh ’09 even designated October 29, 2016, as Melinda Lopez Day. 

“Melinda has all the qualities we look for in a Monan Professor,” said BC Theatre Department Chair Crystal Tiala. “Her work addresses tough human issues with creative nuances and empathy. She writes plays that resonate with your soul in a way that few playwrights can achieve. And most of all, she cares to her core about the education and well-being of our students.”

Devyn Etula ’22 agreed. “Quite honestly, she’s Superwoman,” said Etula, who took Contemporary American Theatre with Lopez last fall and acted in her play Back the Night at Robsham Theater Arts Center in January. “She’s the epitome of an extraordinary artist, but she also makes every single person she comes into contact with feel valued and seen.” 

And that, Lopez made clear, is no accident. “I take it personally when my students don’t thrive,” she said. “I try to make connections with people where they are, knowing that they all spring from different places of origin and inspiration.” 

Lopez, who is also an actress, is the latest in a line of acclaimed theater professionals who have served as the Monan Professor. The professorship was established in 2007 with a gift honoring the late J. Donald Monan, SJ, the former University chancellor and president; the position also commemorates the late trustee Paul Robsham. Past recipients have included producer Nick Scandalios ’87; playwright Tina Packer; playwright, actor, and director Robbie McCauley; and composer and music director Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

Of course, Lopez’s tenure included a teaching challenge unlike anything her predecessors had faced. When the BC campus closed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lopez had to bring her Playwriting I class online. Watching students read scripts on a computer screen via Zoom was new for Lopez, who is fiercely committed to small classes and one-on-one attention. Yet, she and her students found the experience to be an antidote to isolation. Indeed, Brian Ward ’21, a student in the course, remembered Lopez discussing “how art can be a solace during dark times.” Lopez’s guidance helped him find his voice. “She led me from having never written anything even vaguely resembling a script to considering Playwriting one of my favorite courses at BC,” he said. Regardless of the platform, Lopez encourages all students to embrace the best versions of their playwriting selves. “In my work as an artist, I have a very strong philosophy,” she said: “You should always leave the room better than you found it.” Whether that’s a packed auditorium or a Zoom conference call. ◽