Centre Stage in Greenville is set to showcase two workshop performances of a new musical called ‘La Zafra,’ following the story of a Mexican sugarcane worker who leaves the fields of Mexico in search of new opportunity in South Carolina. The theater is partnering with the Hispanic Alliance to present the show as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, with tickets priced at just $10.
According to a Greenville Journal report, ‘La Zafra’ is a new musical written by Mario Suarez, with compositions, arrangements and orchestrations created by Iliana Rose, a Greenville-based composer of Cuban-American descent. The workshop production will feature a professional cast performing a semi-staged version of the show, rooted in the experiences of Mexican immigrants in the South and inspired by true events. In a statement included in a Centre Stage release, the production asks audiences to consider both the promise of the American dream and the personal cost of pursuing it.
The character at the center of the story, Moises Juarez, leaves the sugarcane fields of Mexico for new opportunities in South Carolina, navigating resilience, resistance, and an unexpected romance along the way, according to a creative interview video released by the theater. That narrative arrives with roots already planted at Centre Stage: the musical received an initial live staged reading featuring select songs at the venue in October 2025, as noted in a Facebook post from Centre Stage.
Two Performances, One Community Conversation
The workshop performances will run October 9-10, 2026, at Centre Stage, located at 501 River St. in Greenville. The October 9 show starts at 7:30 p.m., while the October 10 performance begins at 3 p.m., per the Greenville Journal. Both performances will include English and Spanish captioning, giving audiences an inside look at the development of a new production as the score and story continue taking shape.
Following the October 10 matinee, Suarez and other guests will take part in a conversation about the story and creative process behind ‘La Zafra.’ Tickets for either performance cost $10, and more information is available through Centre Stage's website, centrestage.org, or by calling the theater at 864-233-6733.
Backing From Local Philanthropy and a Growing Hispanic Community
The October 2026 workshop presentation is supported in part by grant funding from the Jolley Foundation, alongside local sponsors including Chattooga Belle Farm and The Miller Law Firm, according to Centre Stage. That backing reflects a story with real resonance in the Upstate: nearly 60,000 Greenville County residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, with more than 100,000 living across the 10-county Upstate region, based on 2020 U.S. Census figures cited by the Hispanic Alliance. The organization began as a grassroots community initiative in 2005 before growing into a statewide non-profit network coordinating health, education, financial stability, and legal services.
Part of a Bigger Institutional Push
‘La Zafra’ also fits into Centre Stage's broader push to develop original work. The theater's 24th Annual New Play Festival takes place in October 2026, presenting staged readings of three finalist scripts, with one selected for a full mainstage production the following season, according to Visit Greenville SC. That development pipeline comes as Centre Stage enters its 2026–2027 season fresh off its highest-grossing year on record, fueled by a 109% jump in individual donor giving and a more than 30% rise in season subscriptions.
During 2025, the theater employed 143 local artists while staging two world premieres and one regional premiere in Greenville, and it's now planning a new facility for completion in 2027 that will add dedicated rehearsal and storage space alongside its main downtown venue. Founded in 1983 by Douglas P. McCoy, Centre Stage has operated out of its 10,000-square-foot home at 501 River Street since 1997 and remains South Carolina's only professional thrust-stage theater, with seating that wraps around three sides of the stage for an intimate audience experience.
