“Who do you think polished the silverware for the Last Supper?”

Issued in a saucy tone by a wild-eyed woman in black, the question invited — and got — a laugh. But the subtext of the line was hardly flippant. Jokes and cheeky anachronisms abounded in the one-woman show “Maria Magdalena: La Mujer Borrada (Mary Magdalene: The Woman Erased),” which ran last weekend as part of Teatro de la Luna’s ongoing mini-festival of Ecuadoran entertainment. But the show also made a forceful feminist argument, noting that much of history has been written by men, with a resultant devaluing of women’s achievements. The jibe about the silverware-polishing, spoken by the play’s central figure, who claims to be Mary Magdalene, was a way to make that point.

You see, in playwright Viviana Cordero’s telling, Mary Magdalene herself polished the cutlery for Jesus’s last meal, handling the task in her capacity as his companion and wife. After the Crucifixion, though, the patriarchy-supporting disciples — particularly Peter — sideline her from the early church and downgrade her reputation, allowing her to be remembered chiefly as a repentant prostitute on the margins of the Gospel story.

As if that weren’t sufficiently unjust, she is cast adrift on the sea in a boat without oars — her plight at the beginning of the play, directed by Cordero. The opening moments of the visually streamlined production cast a harsh spotlight on Mary’s huddled shape, ensnared in a fishing net and perched on a platter (a stand-in for the boat). Nearby, on the floor, lay an hourglass and a bunch of roses.

As depicted by the persuasive Ecuadoran actress Juana Estrella, Mary was a scarred but resilient survivor. Back on dry land, she pulled herself free from the net and spoke — hoarsely at first — directly to the audience, recounting experiences like her encounters with Peter and her interview with a television host anxious to hear the gossipy back story behind the New Testament.

Estrella vividly channeled these and other personalities over the course of the hour-long performance. (The show was performed in Spanish with live English dubbing.) Peter was an obnoxious, stooped, hobbling old man with a jutting chin and a squinty expression. The television host was a glib woman with gushing inflections and swishy gestures. An associate from Mary’s younger days was a prattling ditz.

Acquaintances like these could really drag a woman down. But the moving finale of Cordero’s play portrayed Mary as a relatively triumphant figure — a loyal disciple with the mystique of a scandalous legend and the power of an enduring archetype.

Teatro de la Luna’s festival, “Ecuador Mágico/Magical Ecuador,” continues through May 23. This weekend, Juan Estrella, a magician and illusionist (and Juana’s nephew), presents two magic shows: one (at 3 p.m. on May 17) for children, and another (at 8 p.m. on May 15-16 and 3 p.m. on May 17) recommended for ages 13 and up. The festival concludes on May 23 with a tribute to the Ecuadoran singer Julio Jaramillo.

Wren is a freelance writer.

Ecuador Mágico/Magical Ecuador Through May 23 at Gunston Arts Center’s Theater 2, 2700 S. Lang Street, Arlington. In Spanish with live English dubbing. Lighting design, Gary Hauptman. Tickets: $20-$35. (Children’s magic show, $10-15, and free for age 4 and under.) www.teatrodelaluna.org. 703-548-3092 or 202-882-6227.