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Diario HOY, a publication of the Tribune & LA Times Media Group, is one of the nation?s leading Spanish-language daily newspapers. On Monday, HOY featured a front-page photo of four of our community cast members, as well a nice big article inside, chock-full of interview material about these cast members? lives and their experiences with the play.
Read the story here on the blog or in context at www.hoyinternet.com.
Below is also an English translation.
Many thanks to Paula Diaz, and congratulations to all!
'La vida de los jornaleros es dura'
Por Paula D?az, Diario HOY
14 de mayo, 2007
Los ?ngeles -- La vida de los jornaleros, que cada d?a madrugan a
pararse en alguna esquina de la ciudad en busca de un trabajo para
ganar el sustento de su familia, es llevada por ellos mismos al
escenario en la obra "Los Ilegales".
?Me siento emocionado de ser parte de esto porque, cuando uno se va
metiendo en la obra, ya no se quiere salir", dijo Manuel Esteban
Manc?a, de 39, jornalero especializado en la construcci?n y quien por
primera vez incursiona en el mundo del teatro. "Mi papel es el de un
jornalero misterioso, como un observador de lo que sucede".
Manc?a emigr? de El Salvador hace cinco a?os y desde joven se ha
inclinado por la escritura, la poes?a y el canto. Por eso, cuando le
propusieron actuar en la obra, no lo pens? dos veces.
"La mayor?a de los latinos que venimos a este pa?s hemos pasado por
situaciones dif?ciles, y eso nos convierte en parte de esta historia",
agreg? Manc?a.
La historia est? basada en hechos reales, como la muerte que sufrieron
decenas de inmigrantes en la frontera de Texas, cuando se transportaban
en un cami?n en el 2003. La obra tambi?n toca la tensi?n que ocurre en
los centros de jornaleros, las protestas por la reforma migratoria y
hasta los enfrentamientos con los activistas que se oponen a la
inmigraci?n indocumentada.
Ubaldo Hern?ndez, otro jornalero del Centro Comunitario de Trabajo de
Hollywood, representa en la obra a Omar, quien se encuentra buscando
trabajo en una esquina cuando llega la Polic?a y lo arresta por una
denuncia en contra de uno de sus compa?eros.
"Me gusta mucho lo que estoy haciendo, la ?nica vez que hab?a actuado
fue en Jos? Luis Sin Censura y me dieron una golpiza", coment?
Hern?ndez, de 57 a?os de edad y originario de Guatemala. Este
inmigrante reside en Los ?ngeles desde 1996 y considera que su futuro
no ha sido otro que ser jornalero por la dificultad que ha tenido por
obtener documentos migratorios.
"La vida de los jornaleros es dura. La mayor?a hacemos esto porque no
tenemos documentos, porque si lo tuviera sacar?a una licencia de
conducir y har?a otro trabajo", indic? Hern?ndez.
El gui?n de "Los Ilegales" fue escrito por John Garc?s y la obra es
dirigida por Shishir Kurup. En ella act?an un total de 30 personas; 10
actores profesionales y 20 trabajadores de la comunidad. La obra tiene
di?logos en espa?ol e ingl?s.
"Estas personas son ?nicas, cada una en su papel expresa lo que es su
vida real", dijo Kurup. "Estas personas tienen un alto nivel de
dignidad y es admirable que despu?s de su trabajo diario vengan a
participar en las extensas jornadas de ensayos".
Jos? P?rez, de 42 a?os, es originario de El Salvador y est? m?s que orgulloso de ser parte de esta obra de teatro.
"Yo de actor tengo lo que tengo de astronauta", manifest? P?rez. "La
vida de los jornaleros est? estigmatizada, los toman como ignorantes.
Por eso me vincul? a esta obra, para que salgan de la sombra y dejen de
ser la nota roja de los peri?dicos".
A sus 49 a?os, Mar?a Refugio Jacinto cambi? su rutina de levantarse
temprano, dejar a su hija en la escuela, tomar el bus para ir a
trabajar limpiando casas y luego llegar a casa a cocinar. Actualmente,
debe incluir las jornadas de ensayos para su papel de Yolanda. Actuar
es para ella un reto.
?En la obra soy una mujer que limpia casas y defiende los derechos de
mis compa?eras", precis? Jacinto. "Cu?ntas personas no hemos querido
gritarles a los patrones cuando abusan de nosotros y no lo hacemos.
Est? es la oportunidad de hacerlo".
El logro de este esfuerzo se debe al apoyo de la compa??a de teatro
Cornerstone, que presentar? la obra del 31 de mayo al 24 de junio.
Tambi?n colaboraron en su realizaci?n el Instituto Popular de Educaci?n
del Sur de California (IDEPSCA), La Red Nacional de Jornaleros (NDLON),
La Red Sur Asi?tica y el UCLA Downtown Labor Center.
El dato
Qu?: Obra de teatro Los Ilegales
Cu?ndo: del 31 de mayo al 24 de junio
D?nde: Teatro Armory Northwest
965 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena.
Cu?nto: Donaci?n
?The Life of the Day Laborers is Hard?
By Paula Diaz, HOY
May 14, 2007
The life of day laborers, who wake up early every day to stand on some
corner of the city in search of a job to sustain their families, is
brought to the stage by the workers themselves in the play ?Los
Illegals.?
?I feel very excited to be part of this because, when you become
involved in the play, then you don?t want to leave,? said Manuel
Esteban Manc?a, 39, a day laborer who specializes in construction and
who for the first time is participating in the world of theater. ?My
role is of a mysterious day laborer, kind of an observer of what is
happening around him.?
Manc?a emigrated from El Salvador five years ago, and since he was
young has been drawn to writing, poetry and song. Because of this, when
it was proposed to him that he act in the play, he didn?t have to think
twice.
?The majority of Latinos who come to this country have gone through
difficult situations, and that makes us part of this story,? he added.
The story is based on real events, like the death of dozens of
immigrants, who were being transported in a truck, on the border of
Texas in 2003. The play also deals with the tension that occurs in the
day laborer centers, the protests for immigration reform, and even the
confrontations that occur with anti-immigration activists.
Ubaldo Hern?ndez, another day laborer from the Hollywood Job Center,
plays Omar, who is looking for work on a corner when the police arrest
him because of an accusation made against another worker.
?I really like what I am doing, the only time I had ever acted was in
Jos? Luis? ?Sin Censura? ["Uncensored," a ?Jerry Springer?-type
program] and I got beat up,? commented Hern?ndez, 57, originally from
Guatemala. This immigrant has resided in Los Angeles since 1996 and
believes that he has not had other options than to be a day laborer
because of the difficulty he has had in obtaining immigration documents.
?The life of a day laborer is hard. Most of us do this because we are
undocumented; if I had my papers I would get a driver?s license and
would do other work,? he said.
The script of ?Los Illegals? was written by [Michael] John Garc?s and
the production is directed by Shishir Kurup. There are 30 actors in
the play; 10 professionals and 20 workers from the community. The play
has dialogue in Spanish and English.
?These people are unique, each expresses, in their role, their real
life,? said Kurup. ?These people have a high level of dignity and it
is admirable that after their day?s work they come to participate in
long rehearsals in the evening.?
Jos? Perez, 42, is from El Salvador and is more than proud of being part of this piece of theater.
?I?m as much an actor as I am an astronaut,? declared Perez. ?Day
Laborers are stigmatized, people assume they are ignorant. That?s why
I joined the cast, so that they will come out of the shadows and out of
the crime section of the newspapers.?
49 years old, Mar?a Refugio Jacinto changed her routine of waking up
early, dropping her daughter off at school, taking the bus to go to
work cleaning houses and then returning home to cook dinner. Now, it
includes the rehearsals for her role of Yolanda. For her, acting is a
challenge.
?In the play I am a woman who cleans houses and defends the rights of
my companions,? she said. ?How many of us have wanted to shout at our
employers when they have been abusive, but we don?t do it. This is the
opportunity to speak out.?
The production is due to the support of Cornerstone Theater Company, which will present the play from May 31 through June 24.
Other organizations also collaborated to make it happen: IDEPSCA, NDLON, SAN and the UCLA Downtown Labor Center.
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