Minerva Mena (September 11, 1930 – December 10, 2004) was a Mexican actress and university professor. She was founding teacher of the Faculty of Performing Arts at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and an influential icon in the theatrical activity of Nuevo León.

Biography

Early years

She was the daughter of Jesús Mena Gutiérrez and Felisa Peña Martínez, who formed the musical comedy duo Mena-Peña, performing zarzuela and operetta. They were itinerant variety singers, announcers, and pioneers of radio entertainment in Monterrey, Nuevo León, where they decided to settle in the mid-1930s. According to family accounts, Minerva was born in the city of Los Angeles, California on September 11, 1930, and later became a Mexican citizen, although it should be clarified that the birth certificate, promoted by Minerva herself before the Civil Registry of the state of Nuevo León, states that she was born in Monterrey on the same day. She was the youngest of three siblings. Her brothers, Raúl Rubén, a director and choreographer closely associated with musical revues, and Jesús Daniel, a set designer and visual artist, were very involved in the theatrical scene of Monterrey and collaborated on several projects together, but they never formalized a theater company. Minerva Mena grew up in an environment filled with artistic expressions but had a childhood marked by economic hardships. Her parents set up a variety tent called "Carpa México," located on Calzada Madero in the city of Monterrey, which burned down a couple of times. After these financial setbacks, they decided to leave the business and seek a stable income as announcers and commercial singers on local radio to provide a better education for their children. Her first studies were received from a teacher who, being an actor, traveled with the zarzuela company. Her early theatrical performances were playing child roles in the shows her parents produced, alongside her brothers. At the age of 11, she enrolled in a dance academy, and her dream was to become a classical ballet dancer, but it was shattered when her father died in a car accident. After this event, and still very young, she accepted a position offered by the same dance school to teach newly admitted students. She even used her home to give classes. During her childhood and early youth, she played various roles in theater, radio dramas, and participated in various radio commercials.

Professional life

At the age of 16, she was invited to assist in the staging of a musical revue at the then-University of Nuevo León, where she was in charge of choreographing, as the production was purely student-driven. She also had a small role in the production and received praise from the local press, marking her formal debut in what would become her lifelong career. She received numerous awards and recognition from local and national critics. Even the renowned and influential American actress Helen Hayes, who saw her perform only once, invited her to Broadway and offered to be her mentor. However, Minerva Peña rejected this offer, as well as others made by important figures in the theater scene in Mexico City, such as Manolo Fábregas and Rafael Banquells. She was praised by Ofelia Guilmáin, who called her the "young girl from Monterrey." An influential theater critic from Monterrey stated: "She had natural talent, intense vitality, and temperament. She explored various theater genres and worked in different areas. She was involved in all aspects and activities of the theater, so nothing was unknown to her. From acting and directing to makeup and costume design. She also participated in dance, radio, film, and television, but it was in theater where she achieved dozens of triumphs and national recognition." She had a role in the first Mexican soap opera, "Agonía de amar" (The Agony of Loving), produced in Monterrey, where she shared credits with Susana Alexander. She gained the most recognition for her character roles. Her most widely known image is as Bernarda Alba in Federico García Lorca's play "The House of Bernarda Alba." She ventured into production as well and, alongside Architect Refugio Luis Barragán, her husband at the time, they purchased a theater they named "Mayo." They remodeled it and dedicated it to experimental productions. Later, it was handed over to the University of Nuevo León, which renamed it "Teatro Lope de Vega," and years later, it was transferred to the Universidad Regiomontana. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a fire. She was contemporary with a renowned generation of actors and actresses from Monterrey. She was the founding teacher of the School of Performing Arts at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, where she worked as a lecturer in the specialization of Biomechanics and Corporal Expression until her retirement in 1996. On June 11, 2009, her name was perpetuated as one of the pillars of Theater in Nuevo León through a tribute paid by UANL, naming one of the classrooms at the Faculty of Performing Arts after her and unveiling a commemorative plaque.

Personal life

In 1966, she married the architect Refugio Luis Barragán, who also excelled in the theater scene as an actor and director. In the 1970s, the couple decided to separate, and they made the decision official by signing the divorce papers. From this union, three children were born: Marcela (1966-2024), José Luis (1969), and Gabriela Guadalupe (1972), the latter known as Gálu. Marcela, the eldest daughter, gave Minerva Mena Peña her only two grandchildren: Arturo (1994) and Andrés (2002). On December 10, 2004, she died in Monterrey after suffering the physical and neurological consequences of a cerebral embolism for nine months. Her death occurred just four days after the passing of her ex-husband, who had lost his life to cancer in the city of San Antonio, Texas. Minerva Mena Peña has received numerous posthumous tributes from civil, cultural, and educational authorities in the state of Nuevo León.

Awards

Revelation of the Year, El Heraldo de México Newspaper, 1965. Public Recognition for Civic Merit, Presea Estado de Nuevo León, 1990 (Theater category) UANL Arts Award, 1991 (As an actress). Recognition - Tribute, CONARTE, CONACULTA, INBA, UANL, 2000

Appearances

Television

"Agonía de Amar" Soap opera.

Film

"El Destierro" (1976), short film directed by Jesús J. Torres * La casa de Bernarda Alba (1982), a Mexican film directed by Gustavo Alatriste. * The House of Bernarda Alba (1987), a Spanish film directed by Mario Camus. * The House of Bernarda Alba (1991), a TV movie.

Theatre

Some plays she performed in include: * "''Prohibido Suicidarse en Primavera''" by

Alejandro Casona Alejandro Rodríguez Álvarez, known as Alejandro Casona (23 March 1903 – 17 September 1965) was a Spanish poet and playwright born in Besullo, Spain, a member of the Generation of '27. Casona received his bachelor's degree in Gijon and l ...

* "''

Suddenly Last Summer ''Suddenly Last Summer'' is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams, written in New York in 1957. It opened off Broadway on January 7, 1958, as part of a double bill with another of Williams' one-acts, '' Something Unspoken'' (written in London in ...

''" by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

* "''The Flies''" by

Jean Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French phi ...

* "''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

''" by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

* "Los Mangos de Caín" by Abelardo Estornino * "''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

''" by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

* "''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mo ...

''" by

* "''

A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with '' A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, ...

''" by

. 1930 births 2004 deaths Mexican stage actresses Mexican television actresses Actresses from Monterrey Actresses from Nuevo León {{Mexico-actor-stub