“West Side Stories” by Borderlands Theater is the fourth iteration in the theater’s “Barrio Stories” series, which focuses on reanimating and celebrating the heritage, culture and memories of barrios in and around Tucson.
This time the play is a compilation of stories that have been told by people from the west side, which includes the neighborhoods Menlo Park and Barrio Hollywood.
“Interviews were conducted with people from those communities and have turned into a play that we are putting together in that area,” says Clarrissa Rodriguez, an actor from Barrio Hollywood who is performing in this show.
The opening night at Bonita Park, 20 N. Bonita Ave., is Thursday, April 20, and like all other Barrio Stories before it, this is not just a play, but a theatrical festival.
From left to right, Diana Acosta, Ollin Acosta and Jonathan Heras, actors in the “West Side Stories” play by Borderlands Theaters.
Pre-show activities begin at 6 p.m. and include a picnic with friends and family, where each audience member is invited to make a special family recipe or bring something to eat from their favorite west-side restaurant.
Then there is the Garden of Gethsemane Shadow Box Installation, which will combine digital animation and shadow theater techniques to tell the story of Felix Lucero and a battlefield promise he made that led him to carve the statues adorning the long-standing Garden of Gethsemane on the banks of the Santa Cruz, just below the Congress Street Bridge, according to a recent Borderlands press release.
An augmented reality interactive exhibit will be available throughout the festival grounds and will depict the places and people of the west side from the 1940s to the ’60s, with holograms of people telling their stories in the west side of the past.
The Community Land Trust Game, which will be co-presented by Pima County Community Land Trust and University of Arizona Theatre students, is an interactive game show where audiences members will play as contestants to complete challenges and test their knowledge of how to keep their neighborhoods from becoming gentrified.
And of course, the play itself.
“I can’t wait to see the families and friends gather to share food and community,” says Milta Ortiz, associate artistic director at Borderlands Theater. “I can’t wait to see them on their blankets and folding chairs, sharing a fun evening under the stars and I can’t wait to share the play with them.”
All of the activities or shows will take place every Thursday-Sunday night until April 30.
Clarrissa Rodriguez, Jonathan Heras will be acting in “West Side Stories” a play by Borderlands Theater.
But for five of the eight nights of festivities, something special is in store: A Heritage Talk Circle hosted by members of the west-side community will take place before the 7:45 p.m. main show Thursday, and on Fridays and Sundays. Lifelong west-side elders will share experiences of living, working and organizing much in the tradition of Indigenous storytelling, a news release explained. Audience members will be able to ask questions and share experiences.
All together, these festivities in the West Side Stories show a collaborative effort between residents of the west-side community, artists, local government and educational and community service organizations. They stitch a quilt of history, memories and cultural pride.
“I think the big thing when I was growing up was to get out,” Rodriguez says in a video created by Borderlands. “To work really hard to get out of the barrio. I hope our generation has a new sense of pride that we can bring back to our barrio and to give back to our people and our communities.”
“West Side Stories” was written by Veronica Weatherbie with contributions from Patricia Preciado Martin, Milta Ortiz, Silviana Wood and Marc David Pinate, edited by Milta Ortiz and directed by Jonathan Heras and Marc David Pinate. The main stage show starts at 7:45 p.m. to close out each night of festivities at Bonita Park, 20 N. Bonita Ave. Attendees can choose what they'd like to pay.
For more information, visit Borderlands’ website or Eventbrite page. Borderlands is also searching for volunteers.
