“Yo, la peor del mundo” makes its U.S. Debut

Audience watching the screening of “Yo, la peor del mundo” in the CSULB Auditorium. Photos by Emily Urias

It is the 17th century, and you are a poet who writes about love and religion, but also feminism and women’s rights. You are a nun, who has religious responsibilities, but you disguise yourself as a boy in order to attend university, as that is the only way you can learn. You started reading at the age of three, read through your grandfather’s entire collection of books, and wrote your first poem at the age of eight. You are a woman who is oppressed in society, yet wishes to learn and grow as a writer.

This is the story of an iconic figure in Spanish literature, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a story Spanish author and writer Antonio Muñoz de Mesa chose to highlight in his play, “Yo, la peor del mundo.”

Muñoz showcased a recording of his play recounting the life of Sor Juana for the first time in the United States on Monday, Oct. 7. 

The premiere took place at California State University, Long Beach inside the Beach Auditorium. Bonnie Gasior, a Spanish professor at CSULB, organized the event alongside Muñoz to recognize this important figure in history in light of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“For me, the United States is super important because culturally it is a place where everything regarding film and theater has thrived, and I am super excited,” Muñoz said when discussing how he felt about the play’s premiere. 

Sor Juana was a well-known writer and poet in Spain and what is now known as Mexico during the Baroque period. She was one of the first feminist voices to be heard in Spanish literature, as being a nun allowed her to publish her works. 

However, Muñoz’s play showcases Sor Juana in a different light. “Yo, la peor del mundo,” illustrates Sor Juana as a rebellious lesbian nun who learns to stand up for herself. The production was inspired by the #MeToo movement, a social movement against sexual violence that originated in 2006.

“A production manager called me and told me to write a play in which the backbone was the #MeToo Movement. I told her, ‘In order for #MeToo to be highlighted, you should have called a woman to write the play instead,’ but she insisted that I be the one to write it,” Muñoz said. 

The play celebrates the independence and curiosity of a woman through several musical numbers and vivid emotional scenes that illustrate how Sor Juana was able to use her platform.

“I would love it if the public left the theater thinking to themselves, ‘What else can I imagine about myself that I would like to go out and do?’” Muñoz said. 

After the screening, Gasior led a Q&A segment with Muñoz, “The people wanted to interact with him, and I saw, especially among our Mexican students, a tremendous sense of pride in their shared heritage with Sor Juana,” Gasior said. Many audience members were eager to provide comments and ask questions about what inspired Muñoz’s work. 

“If you dare to imagine, you gain liberty. I want the public to feel more free after watching ‘Yo, la peor del mundo,’” Muñoz said. “I think as human beings, stories are at the center of our interpretation of reality.”