Fort Worth performer Aaron Knowles Dias was on stage one summer afternoon 40 years ago, but nobody could see her.
She was tucked away inside her mother’s belly like a butterfly inside of a cocoon. Her parents both performed in the 1981 adaptation of “El Maleficio de la Mariposa” at Hip Pocket Theatre.
More than four decades later, Dias is playing “Butterfly” in this year’s interpretation of the bilingual production.
The play is called the “Butterfly’s Evil Spell” in English. Her performance and part parallel a full-circle moment for her family.
Mildred Ellis-Farmer, an administrative assistant at Hip Pocket, has seen Dias perform and knows how important the production is for Dias and her family.
“She was a chrysalis, and now she’s a butterfly,” Ellis-Farmer said.
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Patrick Dias as “Boy Beetle” and Paula Knowles as “Sylvia Beetle” in the 1981 adaptation of “El Maleficio de la Mariposa” at Hip Pocket Theatre. (Courtesy photo | Hip Pocket Theatre) -
Audience members line up for tickets at the Hip Pocket Theatre’s performance of “El Maleficio de la Mariposa” on July 7, 2023. (Marcela Sanchez | Fort Worth Report) -
Hip Pocket creative director Lake Simons on the Hip Pocket Theatre stage before “El Maleficio de la Mariposa” performance on July 7, 2023. (Marcela Sanchez | Fort Worth Report) -
“El Maleficio de la Mariposa'' performers during a show. The play is in its fifth run at the Hip Pocket Theatre’s for its 2023 season. (Courtesy photo | Wesley Kirk)
Dias’ father, Patrick Dias, played “Boy Beetle” and her mother, Paula Knowles, was “Sylvia Beetle.” Her cousin also performed in the 1981 adaptation, and her aunt crafted the masks.
If you go…
What: “El Maleficio de la Mariposa”
When: Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Live music starts at 7:45 p.m. July 14-16.
Where: Hip Pocket Theatre, 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth
Cost: Adult tickets are $25 on Fridays and Saturdays and $20 on Sundays. Reduced prices available for seniors, military, teachers, students and children under 12.
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 817-246-9775.
After the womb, Aaron Dias’ next appearance on the Hip Theatre stage was at 8 months old. This year’s performance is one of her favorite roles and productions.
“I think the main reason I love it so much is because the role itself just really allows me to bring a lot of my unique gifts as a performer,” Dias said.
“El Maleficio de la Mariposa” first ran at the theater in the summer of 1981, and now is in its fifth run at Hip Pocket. Johnny Simons, Hip Pocket co-founder, loved the playwright so much that he named his eldest daughter Lorca after Federico García Lorca, the Spanish poet and dramatist.
The original play by García Lorca was in Spanish. Yvonne Duque-Guerrero, the guest director and a drama teacher at Southwest High School, decided her adaptation would be in English and Spanish.
She worked with composer Darrin Kobetich to musically represent the cultures on stage.
“My vision and my concept was to honor the Aztec, Mayan and Central American cultures,” she said.
Dias sees the performance as a collaborative process. Each performer had a say in the development of the play.
“It’s a lot of amplifying each other and a lot of collaboration. Yvonne creates an amazing environment where it’s very positive and free to bring things in play,” Dias said. “This show is an incredible example of what’s possible in a Hip Pocket show.”
Marcela Sanchez is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcela.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.