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Student actors from San Juan School will take audience members on a journey between worlds on Nov. 1 in a play celebrating their humanity in the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. It is part of a community event staged by the school, which includes live music, Aztec dancers, art and food.
San Juan Principal Ethan Stocks said that a smaller scale Dia de los Muertos celebration at the school last year encouraged him to expand the production this year.
“It was a cool event,” he said, “with an altar, music, food, and some small performances by some of our students. At the end of that day, I remember thinking it was one of the coolest things ever happening in my career.”
The play, “Between Mundos,” was written by San Juan School teacher and longtime Teatro El Campesino associate Cristal Avila following a summer youth workshop.
“The kiddos had so much to say,” she said, “especially on the theme of ‘what if?’ Like ‘How would my life have changed if my mother had received an education?’ All those dreams that get fulfilled in a lifetime—or not.”
Avila worked with 10 students, many of whom had never seen a play or experienced the workings of a theater production.
“It has been sort of a mixture of preparing for this performance,” she said, “and teaching theater 101. But it has been fascinating to see where their little minds go and what they honed in on as performers. Watching it all come together has been rewarding for me.”
Avila said the more the students workshopped the play, the more invested they got in honoring the voices of their family and ancestors.
“One student,” she said, “came up to me, looked me in the eyes, and asked if I could mention his grandfather’s name in the play. How could I not do it?”
The production also features an acting role for Stocks, who said theater helped shape his life and that he took every chance he could get in his youth to participate in productions.
“I love seeing somebody else have that same experience,” he said. “I see it already with these kids. When they find a moment, it’s so magical, and when they feel it, you can’t help but feel it, too. I’m hoping this is one experience that they hold on to and continue to grow with.”
Stocks sees “Between Mundos” as part of the school’s rebirth and hopes the public will recognize its exceptional potential.
“We have some very talented students who are capable of great things,” he said. “And we have some amazing staff members. I’m pleased that this is just the beginning of something bigger.”
The gathering will also feature a traditional altar decorated by the students with photographs of family members who have passed. Avila said the attendees are invited to bring a picture of a loved one to share on the altar.
“It is a beautiful representation of who is in our classrooms and our community,” Avila said. “By honoring our ancestors, we celebrate life and remember where we came from.”
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at San Juan School and will run until 8:30 p.m. The San Juan Library will be present, sharing local resources. Vendors at the event will include:
- Calavera Coffee
- Jr. Salinas Food Truck Tacos
- Mattia Pizza Truck
- Raices y Cultura Mexicana
- Sweet N Treat
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