Overview

Synopsis

In References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot, Gabriela, the wife of a soldier recently returned from the Gulf War, wrestles with loneliness, desire, and the fragile process of reconnection as she waits in her desert backyard beneath a haunting full moon. While her husband Benito struggles to shake off the brutality of combat and readjust to civilian life, Gabriela seeks solace, conversation, and escape in surreal encounters with the Moon, her pet Cat, and a roaming Coyote—each embodying her imagination, unspoken desires, and inner conflicts. These magical and symbolic figures mirror the intensity of her emotional world, contrasting the stark realities of military life with the lush possibilities of fantasy. As Benito and Gabriela clash over their needs and expectations, the play blends magical realism with searing drama to explore love, passion, and the alienation that can grow between partners divided by war, trauma, and unfulfilled dreams.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2000
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy, Romance, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A desert community near Barstow, California, during the aftermath of the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Cast Size
small
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Small Cast

Context

Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Gabriela

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Benito

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Moon

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Coyote

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Cat

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Martin

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    Absurdism is a 20th-century theatrical style that reflects the belief that life lacks inherent meaning. Playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco used illogical dialogue, repetition, and surreal situations. The genre emphasizes the futility of human struggle and the breakdown of communication.

    Anthropomorphism is when animals, objects, or natural forces are given human qualities, such as the ability to speak, think, or act like people. In drama, this technique allows playwrights to express human emotions and conflicts through non-human characters, often highlighting instincts, desires, or struggles in symbolic ways. By watching animals or objects behave like people, audiences can explore human issues from a fresh, imaginative perspective.

    A non-literal theatrical scene representing a character's inner thoughts, fears, or desires, often surreal in style.

    A literary and theatrical style blending realistic narrative with fantastical elements to explore complex truths.

    Meta-theatre refers to drama that draws attention to itself as a play, reminding audiences that they are watching a performance. This may include breaking the fourth wall, plays-within-plays, or showing the mechanics of stagecraft. By highlighting its own theatricality, meta-theatre often creates humor, irony, or deeper reflection.

    A literary device comparing two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as,' used in theatre to add symbolic meaning. Metaphors enhance subtext and deepen character understanding.

    Poetic dialogue is language in a play that goes beyond everyday speech, using rhythm, imagery, or musical qualities to express deep emotions and abstract ideas. Instead of plain conversation, characters may speak in heightened or lyrical ways that reveal the intensity of their feelings or the dreamlike quality of the world around them. This style encourages audiences to focus on the beauty and meaning of the words, not just the plot.

    A 20th-century artistic movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, often manifesting in dreamlike or illogical theatrical elements.

    A movement and technique using symbolic imagery and metaphors to express abstract ideas and inner experiences.

Videos

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Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Jason Engleman

Jason Engleman

Humming show tunes day and night.