Contested elections, protests and political violence between the entitled and the working class threaten the lives and liberties of the women in the middle improvising to survive. The Asylum Theatre boldly presents an exclusive event; U.S. premiere and international book launch of Sophie Stevens’ English translation of The Anemone and the Boar, a play by Mónica Maffía about the 1936 Spanish Civil War- or is it the USA in 2026?
Sarah O’Connell directs Gigi Guizado, Jackie Hoopz, and Lizette Hunter in a story about Paquita, Encarnación and Carmen. Three women present a weekly radio program together about life, culture, and news; reciting poetry, provide updates on international events and artists – including Federico García Lorca. As censorship, violence and conflict become increasingly present in their daily lives and at the radio station, the three women, each with differing affiliations and motivations, must decide how to respond. Will they give up their jobs? Will they join the democratic resistance, or go into exile? Can they find ways to subvert censorship and help other artists? For tickets, visit asylumtheatre.org.
Free Limited Seating are available for two performances in the black box theatre at 7:30PM on Thursday, 21 May 2026 and Friday, 22 May 2026 at: Positively Arts, 4465 W Sunset Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118
The Asylum Theatre is honored to celebrate the launch of its 30th Anniversary season with the support of women leaders in the arts who opened their doors to bring this international collaboration to southern Nevada including Pilita Simpson (Positively Arts), Heather Addison (UNLV School of Cinematic Arts, Women in Film NV), Leah Devora (Art Therapy Café), Alisha Kerlin (UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art), and Catherine Boyle (Out of the Wings Collective at Kings College, London).
A free public, hybrid in-person Las Vegas and virtual international book launch event will be held with light refreshment on Friday, 22 May 2026 at 10AM/PST at: UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89119.
The Asylum was founded in 1996 for the development of new ideas and emerging artists to connect audiences to new work, and artists to each other. We are a haven in Southern Nevada for partners, both nationally and internationally; providing the public access to tools which empower us to create, heal, and communicate.
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Cast
Creative Team
Mónica Maffía
Sophie Stevens
Sarah O'Connell
Meet the Company
Gigi Guizado
Gigi Guizado is an award-winning actor, director, translator, and writer. Her original plays, theatre translations, and adaptations have been staged in San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, and London. Her critically acclaimed acting career spans film, voiceover, regional theatre and off-West End. Her translations of Latin American plays have been published by Inti Press, Another Chicago Magazine, Asymptote Journal, The Mercurian, and featured on Performing International Plays. Her poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net and published in The Emerson Review, Rogue Agent Journal, Salamander Ink Magazine, The Bluebird Word, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry chapbook Hourglass is published by dancing girl press & studio.
Jackie Hoopz
Jackie Hoopz Lakoudis left North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles at age 25 to pursue acting professionally. She built her career gradually through community theatre before moving into commercials, film, and stage productions. The experience taught her resilience, adaptability, and patience — qualities that continue to shape her artistic voice. For Hoopz Lakoudis, storytelling is fundamentally about connection and representation. She is especially drawn to projects that challenge traditional expectations and expand the perspectives audiences encounter onstage.
Lizette Hunter
Lizette Hunter is a Las Vegas-based performer. She was born in Juárez, Mexico, and raised in Las Vegas. Hunter discovered storytelling through music videos, cinema, and creative writing. Hunter's emotional honesty grounds the production and she gravitates toward intense, emotionally charged roles that challenge both performer and audience. Audiences may also recognize her from Session, a recent selection at the Nevada Women’s Film Festival.
Mónica Maffía
Mónica Maffía is a respected Argentine scholar, musician, and theatre artist. Maffía studied at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Middlesex University before earning a Doctorate in Literature from the University of El Salvador. Her work often blends poetry, music, political history, and theatrical experimentation, giving The Anemone and the Boar its lyrical structure and emotional complexity.
Sophie Stevens
Sophie Stevens is the English translator of the play The Anemone and the Boar. This production marks the U.S. and international launch of her translation of The Anemone and the Boar.
Sarah O'Connell
O'Connell assumed the role of The Asylum's Artistic Director in 2003. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she served as the Associate Artistic Director of Impact Theatre. She holds an MDra in Directing from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). Her work includes several regional and world premieres. O'Connell is an alumnus of the Director's Labs in Los Angeles and Chicago, and La Mama ETC in Umbria. In addition to teaching at UNLV, she has worked at American Conservatory Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the SF Mime Troupe, and Glasgow's Theatre Cryptic. O'Connell is also the founder and publisher of Eat More Art.
Photos
Gigi Guizado and Jackie Hoopz in rehearsal
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