Ofrenda

Remembrance, devotion, and the power to heal.

Its nearing Día de los Muertos and Macaria, an immigrant mother, has prepared an ofrenda to honor her deceased husband. Her daughter Pina shows no interest in taking part and starts to express doubt about her future while Macaria reminds her of the sacrifices made so that Pina could have what she didn’t.

While on the bus heading to her custodial shift at the hospital, Macaria has an encounter with death (La Señora). Moved by Macaria’s kindness, Señora sheds a tear of life into Macaria’s water bottle, giving her the power to heal anyone. She returns home to find an ill Pina and applies the elixir—by morning, her daughter is lively once again. Macaria begins tending to other ailing patients, but the price for such power will eventually catch up with her.

As the story unfolds, Ofrenda reflects the hopes and sacrifices we make for our children’s well-being, and a daughter’s journey toward understanding and honoring those who came before her.

Show Details

Sung in Spanish & English with projected English titles

Ofrenda is made possible by the Butler Fund for Spanish Programming and support from OPERA America.