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Spanish language 'Pastorela' planned at Escondido Arts Center
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Latino theater troupes at Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College will
present a contemporary and local take on the Nativity story this weekend with
the second annual production of "La Pastorela Mechicana."
Teatro Molcateje (based at Cal State San Marcos) and Teatro Dionisio (Palomar
College) are collaborating on the humorous Christmas play, which will be
presented Friday and Saturday nights at the California Center for the Arts,
Escondido.
The play ---- written by Carlos von Son, a Spanish professor at Palomar ---- will be presented entirely in Spanish with some musical elements. Co-directed by sisters Diana and Nadia Cabuto the play features a cast of 25 and has a running time of two hours, including intermission.
Based on the traditional Pastorela holiday plays from Mexico, "La Pastorela
Mechicana" is reset in modern-day North County. Shepherds in Ramona have learned
about the birth of Jesus through dreams and prophecies, and they embark on a
journey to see the Christ child in Santa Ysabel. Along the way, the shepherds
are met by Leviathan, an evil prince, and his two female companions who tempt
them with the seven deadly sins.
Von Son debuted the play last year at Cal State San Marcos, and since then it
has been published for an anthology by the Universidad Autonoma de Baja
California in Mexico. On opening night, representatives from the university
(with campuses in Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana) will be on hand to present a
published copy of the play to von Son.
"It's a funny play," von Son said. "There are a lot of topical references and we
bring some of the culture of Mexico into the play. For example, in most Nativity
stories, it's Joseph and Mary who are seeking shelter to have their baby. But
the Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint in Mexico, so we've replaced Mary
with the Virgin of Guadalupe, and she's been pregnant for 500 years, so she's
really ready to have this baby."
Von Son said that students are presenting the play as a volunteer effort. They
will receive no school credit for their performances. The students also insisted
that ticket prices be reduced to $8 so local working-class families could
attend.
"It's a labor of love for them," von Son said. "It's rare to find students who
will take time out of their schedules to do something with no return, but they
are getting the satisfaction of knowing that they're continuing a tradition in
the United States and contributing to the Mexican cultural diaspora."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12/20/entertainment/theater/122006121944.txt