Carol St. John, published in the Tubac Villager, March 2010 wrote:

In the past few years I met Patty Willis and Mary Lou Prince. These two women from Amado have genius, too. It’s revealed in their art, their writing, their music and theatrical vision. (Why is is so many remarkable people don’t settle for jut one gift?)

For months, I tracked their collaborative effort as they composed a theatrical piece based on an incident that happened two years ago in the Santa Rita Mountains. It was an event that took on Biblical proportions as it concerned tragedy, choice and ultimate sacrifice. The result is a production called The Man From Magdalena. It debuted in Amado in January and will take to the road this spring. But before they leave, there will be at least one more opportunity to see it locally on March 20th.

Not only is the music haunting, the tale itself takes hold of your heart and mind. Its simple truth gives the audience a wider understanding of the human drive that goes beyond borders and beyond simple judgments. It reacquaints us with the issue of poverty that forces an impoverished man from Magdalena to leave his mother, his wife and his children to travel north to seek a better life. His quest is aborted only when he finds another man’s son and knows he must sacrifice his dream to save that child. Myths, Spanish words, universal emotions and local customs add authenticity to the script’s (libretto’s) flavor. Clever staging devices allow many characters to be played by one. The music stays with you.

Sir Laurence Olivier says, “The actor should be able to create the universe in the palm of his hand.” What makes this particular theatrical work so compelling is that it is pertinent to this historical moment and this particular place.

Something important happens in this play, and it seems I wasn’t the only person to think so. All three of the Amado productions were sold out and audiences gave the actors and composers standing ovations. “I could hardly catch my breath,” one woman said, as she left the theater. I would call that the power of inspiration. One person’s breath inspiring another’s. Patty Willis and Mary Lou Prince have given us an extraordinary piece of art, theater born in their own backyard that is worthy of being seen and heard by millions.

Diane Meyer wrote in the Green Valley News and Sun:

For ninety minutes, there was not a sound or movement in the audience at the small theater.

This was part of the experience nearly 300 of us had this past weekend at the performance of “Man from Magdalena,” created by Mary Lou Prince and Patty Christiena Willis of Elephant Head.

The play is based on a true, local story of a migrant who gave up his own dreams to save an Anglo boy he came across on the side of the road. As a human being and father, he could not leave this child to die. It is also the story of the love of a mother and wife and of the land and culture.

The audience was witness to the immense talents of the composer-pianist, actor-playwright and a perfectly harmonized cellist and chorus, reminiscent of the ancient Mexican storytellers. The original music so perfectly complemented the moving story that, at times, I forgot to breathe.

A major portion of the proceeds will go to micro-loan programs in Mexico and Central America through the Kiva group, to help address the economic crisis at the root of this migration.

Cathy Anderson wrote in the Green Valley News and Sun:

Arizona electricity hovered in the air at the premiere showing of "Man From Magdalena" in a small theater space in Amado on Jan.22.

The audience was stunned. Original, moving, completely professional, amazing...these murmured words filled the room after the performance.

The production, composed and written by two local women, Mary Lou Prince (music) and Patty Christiena Willis (words), played for two more sold-out performances in January.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to attend this musical dramatization of a poignant and true border crossing story kept saying to each other, "more and more people need to see this; it is so beautifully staged, and its message is profound."

It was also pure theater with Willis as story teller and soloist, Prince on piano, the addition of a haunting cello (Helene Benedikte) and a Greek chorus of local singers (Marla Daugherty, Suzanne Miller, and Seja Snow).