A red light bulb shining outside of 819 Iturbide Street has become an unlikely symbol of a new chapter in Laredo community theater. Evolving from their ambitious production of John Logan’s RED, Sin Nombre Theater Lab has established itself as a nonprofit dedicated to creating bold, socially relevant theater experiences meant to engage Laredoans.
Founded by local theater director Marco Gonzalez, alongside fellow artists Leann Bernal, Allyson Tellez, Pepe Treviño, and Katelyn Kahn, Sin Nombre Theater Lab was born from the shared desire to create work that challenges both artists and audiences.
For Gonzalez, whose background includes studying Radio/Television/Film at UT Austin, teaching Audio/Visual Production at VMT, and serving as Artistic Director of Laredo Theater Guild International, the organization provides a novel opportunity.
“[Sin Nombre] needs to be a space where experimentation can happen,” Gonzalez said. “We have to be allowed to try something risky or to fail. This is how we grow as artists and as a community.”
This spirit of experimentation is directly reflected in the organization’s ethos, as well as in the name itself. With its chosen name, Gonzalez is embracing the nontraditional structure of his theater organization. Sin Nombre’s ability to remain undefined allows for it to become a creative hub for passion projects that can evolve from one production to the next.
The fluidity that is the backbone of Sin Nombre was inspired by Gonzalez’s experiences with theater around the globe and his desire to bring that level of artistic impact back home.
“We aren’t just trying to entertain; we want to give people an experience,” he said. “We want to elevate the theater programming in Laredo by offering deeply relevant work.”
With their recently acquired 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, Sin Nombre is preparing to launch a fundraising campaign with the goal of every dollar raised being used to support its upcoming programming, helping the organization produce meaningful stories that encourage audiences to think critically about the world around them.
“Ultimately, our mission is to create socially relevant theater that wakes people up and gets them thinking and feeling,” he said.
The organization’s home base at 819 Iturbide is also a special point of significance as it was the birthplace of RED, a production that introduced many in the Laredo community to the kind of intimate theater that Sin Nombre Theater Lab hopes to continue to cultivate. While the group is currently working with property owners to develop the space into a year-round performance venue, they remain open to staging future productions throughout the city.
Upcoming events include The Pillowman this October, the interactive Acting Out series inspired by Drunk Shakespeare, and even a community coffee rave. Yet, beyond any single production, Sin Nombre’s mission is to deepen the relationship between audiences, creators, and live performance.
“I’ve seen Laredo theater evolve in the last 20 years,” Gonzalez said. “My focus, and the focus of Sin Nombre, is on going deeper. Let’s strip it down, sit in a room together, and share a moment of profundity.”
For a city rich with creative talent, Sin Nombre Theater Lab hopes to prove that transformative theater can be made right here in Laredo, and that our local artists are ready to lead the way.
“The top priority should always be the show itself; this is pure creation,” Gonzalez said. “When storytellers are given resources and freedom to create, anything is going to be something. The result is going to be something personal and beautiful and wholly unique.”
(Xiomarra Milann, recently named the City’s Poet Laureate, is a borderland storyteller, multidisciplinary artist, activist, and educator whose roots lay in Laredo. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UTEP, and her writing has been published in Sybil Journal, Querencia Press, and Acentos Review, among others. She has been the recipient of fellowships with MoveTexas, the Rowan Foundation, and The Heart of It. She was nominated for Sundress Press’ Best of Net 2025, a finalist for the Jack McCarthy Book Prize in 2024, shortlisted for the 2024 Peach Pit Grant, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2023. Follow her journey on Instagram @90strashpop.)
