Mariana Santiago and the cast of Stanley and His Demon
IMAGINE NO POSSESSIONS
Mariana Santiago's 'Stanley and His Demon' - interview by Paul Oswell
Stanley and His Demon is a new original play by New Orleans writer and director, Mariana Santiago. it follows the success of last year's Human Troubles, and opens at the New Marigny Theatre on Jan 1st. We caught up with Mariana to see what demonic drama is in store.
Out All Day: Hi Mariana! You have a new play coming up, Stanley and His Demon, opening at the New Marigny Theatre. How have rehearsals and general preparation been going?
Mariana Santiago: Rehearsals for Stanley and His Demon have been a joy. The cast and crew members have all been such a pleasure to work with; it’s always amazing when you can say you love spending time with the people you’re making art with. I’m not going to say I’m surprised with how funny this show is turning out to be, but I am delighted about it. I think we’ve created a production that’s going to be enjoyable for both us AND the audience, which is always the goal. Tickets are available now at poppettheater.org/stanley!
Tell us a little bit about the play itself - what are some of the themes and who are the main protagonists?
Stanley and His Demon is about faith, fraud, and the existential horror of being a human. That makes it sounds a little heavier than it is, but I think the play handles some heavy themes with something of a light touch. Stanley and His Demon is about two grifters, Stanley and Esme, who are respectively the pastor-in-charge and first lady of the Church of Stanley. They’re happy to perform exorcisms on people they believe to be more deluded than actually possessed for the right price – after all, the car note isn’t getting any less expensive. One day, Stanley accidentally performs an actual exorcism on a truly possessed woman and the demon decides to follow him and Esme home. The play discusses the nature of humanity, some of the contradictions of organized religion, and references the only two sureties in life: death and taxes. It’s dark, certainly, but it’s also a bit of a romp.
You’re also the founder of the theatre company. Last year you were the Streetcar Collective, this year Poppet Theatre. Tell us a bit about the rebranding?
Necessity is the mother of (re)invention. It was time for a new name and to reorganize. The rebranding’s gone smoothly enough – but we’re still the same goofballs who produced Out of the Boil and Human Troubles!
We reviewed your play Human Troubles last year - tell us about that experience. What did you learn from that production that will carry through to the new play?
Human Troubles went beautifully! Stanley and His Demon (and, again, get your tickets today at poppettheater.org/stanley) feels lighter than Human Troubles, which is nice. Sometimes, you just want to play around instead of cursing the medical establishment of our country. Things that ring true for both Human Troubles and Stanley and His Demon are the importance of working with people you like and trust, in addition to the importance of whimsy even when you’re dealing with heavy subjects. Stay weird. Stay goofy. Stay smiling. Theater’s supposed to be fun for everyone involved.
Do you have any other projects coming up in 2026 that you can tell us about?
There’s a documentary I’ve wanted to film for a while now – and it looks like 2026 might be the moment. I’ll have more details in a few months!
You're returning to the New Marigny Theatre - what do you like about the venue and the team there?
There’s so much to like about the New Marigny Theatre! First, the venue itself: gold doors, gorgeous lighting system, space to work with. Believe me when I say the irony of producing a play about a demon in a venue that was once a Catholic church has not been lost upon me. It’s also ever-so-slightly off the beaten path in the Marigny, which is perfect for us. The team there, especially Cameron and Paul, have been so supportive of all of our quirky ideas and ambitions. I’m beyond grateful for them.
How was your New Orleans cultural life in 2025? Did any performances or productions catch your eye especially this year?
What a year indeed! I can’t believe it’s almost over. I really loved The Moors, which played at UNO – the acting was sublime, the set perfectly facilitated the story, the house band killed it.
The theatre scene here seems relatively healthy despite the many challenges artistic work faces these days, and it looks like The Fringe might return in 2026. Do you feel like part of a growing, dynamic scene?
I do indeed! The return of Fringe is going to be an amazing thing for our community. I just went to their fundraiser at the New Marigny Theater, and if the festival is going to be anything like that production, we’re all in for a treat. I was lucky enough to be a part of the first three InFringe Festivals – it was always chaotic, but it was always more than worth it. New Orleans is a theater city. Our population is a creative bunch. Seeing all the opportunities new creatives have to get their work out there is lovely.
Stanley and His Demon runs at the New Marigny Theatre from Jan 1st-12th. For more details and ticketing, click here
Stanley and His Demon is a new original play by New Orleans writer and director, Mariana Santiago. it follows the success of last year's Human Troubles, and opens at the New Marigny Theatre on Jan 1st. We caught up with Mariana to see what demonic drama is in store.
Out All Day: Hi Mariana! You have a new play coming up, Stanley and His Demon, opening at the New Marigny Theatre. How have rehearsals and general preparation been going?
Mariana Santiago: Rehearsals for Stanley and His Demon have been a joy. The cast and crew members have all been such a pleasure to work with; it’s always amazing when you can say you love spending time with the people you’re making art with. I’m not going to say I’m surprised with how funny this show is turning out to be, but I am delighted about it. I think we’ve created a production that’s going to be enjoyable for both us AND the audience, which is always the goal. Tickets are available now at poppettheater.org/stanley!
Tell us a little bit about the play itself - what are some of the themes and who are the main protagonists?
Stanley and His Demon is about faith, fraud, and the existential horror of being a human. That makes it sounds a little heavier than it is, but I think the play handles some heavy themes with something of a light touch. Stanley and His Demon is about two grifters, Stanley and Esme, who are respectively the pastor-in-charge and first lady of the Church of Stanley. They’re happy to perform exorcisms on people they believe to be more deluded than actually possessed for the right price – after all, the car note isn’t getting any less expensive. One day, Stanley accidentally performs an actual exorcism on a truly possessed woman and the demon decides to follow him and Esme home. The play discusses the nature of humanity, some of the contradictions of organized religion, and references the only two sureties in life: death and taxes. It’s dark, certainly, but it’s also a bit of a romp.
You’re also the founder of the theatre company. Last year you were the Streetcar Collective, this year Poppet Theatre. Tell us a bit about the rebranding?
Necessity is the mother of (re)invention. It was time for a new name and to reorganize. The rebranding’s gone smoothly enough – but we’re still the same goofballs who produced Out of the Boil and Human Troubles!
We reviewed your play Human Troubles last year - tell us about that experience. What did you learn from that production that will carry through to the new play?
Human Troubles went beautifully! Stanley and His Demon (and, again, get your tickets today at poppettheater.org/stanley) feels lighter than Human Troubles, which is nice. Sometimes, you just want to play around instead of cursing the medical establishment of our country. Things that ring true for both Human Troubles and Stanley and His Demon are the importance of working with people you like and trust, in addition to the importance of whimsy even when you’re dealing with heavy subjects. Stay weird. Stay goofy. Stay smiling. Theater’s supposed to be fun for everyone involved.
Do you have any other projects coming up in 2026 that you can tell us about?
There’s a documentary I’ve wanted to film for a while now – and it looks like 2026 might be the moment. I’ll have more details in a few months!
You're returning to the New Marigny Theatre - what do you like about the venue and the team there?
There’s so much to like about the New Marigny Theatre! First, the venue itself: gold doors, gorgeous lighting system, space to work with. Believe me when I say the irony of producing a play about a demon in a venue that was once a Catholic church has not been lost upon me. It’s also ever-so-slightly off the beaten path in the Marigny, which is perfect for us. The team there, especially Cameron and Paul, have been so supportive of all of our quirky ideas and ambitions. I’m beyond grateful for them.
How was your New Orleans cultural life in 2025? Did any performances or productions catch your eye especially this year?
What a year indeed! I can’t believe it’s almost over. I really loved The Moors, which played at UNO – the acting was sublime, the set perfectly facilitated the story, the house band killed it.
The theatre scene here seems relatively healthy despite the many challenges artistic work faces these days, and it looks like The Fringe might return in 2026. Do you feel like part of a growing, dynamic scene?
I do indeed! The return of Fringe is going to be an amazing thing for our community. I just went to their fundraiser at the New Marigny Theater, and if the festival is going to be anything like that production, we’re all in for a treat. I was lucky enough to be a part of the first three InFringe Festivals – it was always chaotic, but it was always more than worth it. New Orleans is a theater city. Our population is a creative bunch. Seeing all the opportunities new creatives have to get their work out there is lovely.
Stanley and His Demon runs at the New Marigny Theatre from Jan 1st-12th. For more details and ticketing, click here