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THE STORY OF MENJIVAR by José Menjivar

In The Comedy of Errors, Antipholus of Syracuse goes on an epic quest in search of his twin brother – and his own identity. José Menjivar shares the story of his own search for identity, in connection with his last name.

“The Story of Menjivar” by José Menjivar

Ladies and gentlemen, with your permission, I am going to tell you a story which hopefully will tie in identity, confusion, and maybe even some level of overall foolishness. And mysticism! Don’t forget that. I love mysticism.

Let me begin. My name is Jose Menjivar. It is a strange name. The arrangement of it has always seemed to me more tropical than rural. It is a name I’ve always enjoyed because as kids we would all tease each other and one brilliant young friend of mine called me, “Jose Made-a-fart.” Once again, brilliant.

Anyways, you get it. It’s a silly name.

So I got older and never really dug around – until one day, deep in the shadows of the California desert many years ago. I was enlisted in the Marines and one someone came up to me and told me they “knew a guy.” Moments later, he is standing in front of me. His name is Menjivar, too! Awesome. He told me a story. Would you like to hear it?

He told me about four brothers that traveled from Spain across the oceans, over the waves, into the tropical bosom of Sout America. These brothers supposedly populated this area and I kept that story with me for a while. I had no way for researching it, but I kept the story with me. As Antipholus of Syracuse says:

“Until I know this sure uncertainty, I’ll entertain the offered fallacy.”

Then, months later, I am in Iraq. A chubby little man with a moustache named Randy Kaggle came up to me and asked me about my last name. He tells me that his was Salvadorean and she is a Menjivar. I told him I had no ties to the name. I never knew my father. He tells me there’s a governor there and wealthy socialites, and most importantly, he tells me the same story about the brothers! Maybe not word for word, but the same epic journey and the name is Menjivar.

So, a few years after that, I return home, live my life, and decide to do my own research. My gray started to come in so I needed answers fast! I found them! I found the town of “Mengibar” in Spain, and there’s a sword of Menjivar. All of a sudden, I’ve already decided I’m going to steal this sword of Menjivar. But that’s a story for another event. I also found a website for people with the name Menjivar and I dug into the journals of the men who made the passage with Cortez. I find variations on the name.

I began telling everyone else the story. It was such an incredible experience that had traveled the expanse of the entire globe only to find me. One day, I decided to head out to meet with my mom. I had the story memorized in my head and it was worth telling her every detail because I wanted her to see how far this story had come. I told her everything. At the end of the story my mother gave a quiet sigh. Do you know what my mother said to me?

She said, “That’s not even your real name.”

Clearly this was the onset of some form of dementia. Perhaps the diabetes and arthritis were finally affecting her thought process. But it wasn’t. My mother then told me the story of how I was named after my first step-father. It was a shock to the system. My biological father’s name was Saucedo. A name that meant nothing to me. I thought I had a reunion but really-

“I to the world am like a drop of water
That in the ocean seeks another drop,
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself.”

– Antipholus of Syracuse

Recent News

Sun 7/24 Performance Time Change – 6pm to 7pm

Due to the current heat advisory, the start time of the Sunday, July 24 performance will be moved from 6pm to 7pm. This will allow the majority of the performance and audience area to be in shade by the beginning of the performance, with the remaining areas soon following. If any patrons currently holding tickets […]

TWELFTH NIGHT Authors Look Forward to Sharing with Audience

Co-writers Liz Filios and Tanaquil Márquez share their excitement and hopes before this weekend’s concert presentation of TWELFTH NIGHT, O LO QUE QUIERAS. Q: You’ve been developing this piece for 2 1/2 years. What gives you excitement about sharing the music with audiences for the first time next weekend? LIZ: It’s hard to believe it’s […]

Singing at Rodney Square – A Short Interview with Daniel L. Melo

Daniel L. Melo, Sebastian in the upcoming TWELFTH NIGHT, O LO QUE QUIERAS in CONCERT event at Rodney Square shares a few thoughts about preparations for the program. DEL SHAKES: We’ve been developing this musical for 2 1/2 years, but this is your first experience with it. What are some of things that you’ve appreciated […]

Help plan Del Shakes’ future – take this survey

Del Shakes is beginning a strategic planning process to imagine what’s possible for the company as we serve the community over the coming years. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of Del Shakes! Your experiences and ideas can help shape the path forward. PLEASE TAKE THIS 10-MINUTE SURVEY Survey respondents may choose […]

Reflections: Del Shakes’ Monthly Antiracism Learning Discussion

As part of its Antiracism, Access, and Equity Policy, Delaware Shakespeare committed to ongoing antiracism training for Board and staff. In 2021, the training took the form of an eight-part monthly Antiracism Learning Discussion. The discussions were focused on approximately 20 hours-worth of articles and videos originally compiled for New Repertory Theatre (Watertown, MA) under […]

Sponsors

    • New Castle County

      Matthew S. Meyer, County Executive. New Castle County's Rockwood Park is the summer home of Delaware Shakespeare. www.rockwood.org

    • Delaware Division of the Arts

      Delaware Shakespeare is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on delawarescene.org.

    • Janssen's Market

      Delaware Shakespeare is delighted to have Janssen's Market as our Picnic Sponsor. www.janssensmarket.com

    • Swigg

      Swigg is our Wine Shop Sponsor.
      www.swiggwine.com

Summer Festival Location

Rockwood Park
4651 Washington Street Extension
Wilmington, DE 19809
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4 S. Poplar Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-468-4890
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About Del Shakes

We envision a Delaware where people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean works.
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