Whitman Student-Faculty Team Stages ‘Illuminating’ Play in Peru

The passion project of Whitman College Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Carlos Vargas-Salgado was recognized with an award for supporting the arts in Peru.

Along with research assistants Eyleen Menchú Tuy ’25 and Maura Kelly ’26, Vargas-Salgado staged a theatrical production of “Camasca,” written by Rafael Dumett, in the heart of Peru’s most Indigenous region in the summer of 2024. The play explores how the legacy of the Incan Empire shapes the struggles of identity, culture and belonging.

Peru’s Ministry of Culture funded the project with the 2024 Premio Estímulo Cultural en el área de Artes Escénicas (Cultural Incentive Award in the area of Performing Arts). The honor is part of the ministry’s economic revitalization initiative, which promotes economic recovery through strengthening cultural diversity and opening up access to the visual arts, music, performing arts and theater.

Menchú Tuy, Kelly and Vargas-Salgado staged the play for the Indigenous community on the island of Amantaní—in the middle of Lake Titicaca—near the ancient site where it is believed the Incan Empire began.

“The environment was key,” says Vargas-Salgado “It’s a sacred place. Just imagine the effect of being on an island in the middle of the sacred lake, the lake in which the Incan Empire starts. It was a really, really emotional thing to be part of.”

An Illuminating Project

Vargas-Salgado has dedicated his career to exploring Spanish and Indigenous influences in Latin America. A native Peruvian, he began the “Camasca” project in 2019, after seeing the play in Lima.

“The title itself is a Quechua word that means ‘spiritual illumination,’” he says. “The play was a huge success in the capital. I was there but noticed the audience was mostly white people from wealthy neighborhoods. What I tried to do with my project was contest that.”

The goal of the project was to portray the Incan civilization from a historical perspective so that spectators could connect deeply with the real, lived history of their Peruvian ancestors. So Vargas-Salgado’s research team focused on the culture, beliefs and significance of the land. To incorporate the natural and historical setting, they held the play in an open-air space around sunset and added music and dance to transform the performance into a ritualistic experience for the audience.

The playwright was in attendance and told Vargas-Salgado that he was moved by the performance, noting the different impact it had in this setting compared to a city theater.

Building Community & Connection

Whitman students Kelly and Menchú Tuy were able to accompany Vargas-Salgado to Peru thanks to funding from the 2024 Brady Jensen Latin American Studies Faculty-Student Summer Research Award. While in Peru, they worked as stage assistants and community organizers and were part of the theater band. They also researched and documented the project from start to finish. It was a unique hands-on experience that gave them a deeper understanding of the culture and politics behind the play.

“It was an amazing opportunity for me to dive into the Latin American world—or ‘meterme en ese mundo,’” says Kelly, who is double majoring in Art and Hispanic Studies.

“The best part for me was most definitely the sense of community I experienced,” she says. “It was incredible. I really felt like a valued member of the team, and I loved being an integral part of the group that made the cultural roots of the play shine through.”

Kelly says the project inspired her to continue seeking a global perspective in her studies. When she returned to campus, she worked with Whitman’s Off-Campus Studies office to plan a semester in Mexico during her junior year.

Meanwhile, Politics and Hispanic Studies double major Menchú Tuy studied the historical and political impacts of the production and is integrating those insights into her senior thesis. But the play also had a deeply personal impact on the senior from Guatemala, who identifies as Mayan. 

“We are Indigenous people, and this connection reminds me of the power and unity we have, even across borders,” she says.

While working on the project, she recalls meeting a woman who was surprised and overjoyed to learn about Menchú Tuy’s ethnic background. 

“She introduced me to all her friends, saying, ‘She is like us! And she’s going to school in the U.S. and is here representing that college!’”

Despite being from different countries, the shared pride in their Latin American and Indigenous roots is something they both will never forget.

“I was so happy and still get emotional thinking about it. It made me realize that I’m part of something bigger,” says Menchú Tuy. “I am proud of my achievements and the people I represent.”

Check out more photos and behind-the-scenes moments.