San Diego’s longest-running holiday production, “La Pastorela: A shepherds’ Journey,” is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year.
Written by Timothy Paul Evans and contributions by Paul James Kruse, the production once again features the timeless battle with Lucifer’s forces of evil and Michael the Angel’s champions of goodness face off to gain the shepherds’ souls.
The play is set in today’s world of chaos, its creators promise a journey that is filled with joy, laughter and surprises with contemporary heroes and villains. The play ends with the celebration of faith, hope, and renewal with the breaking of a pinata for the children.
“La Pastorela: A Shepherds’ Journey” is a contemporary twist on the traditional story of the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem to witness the first Christmas. Called to action by Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the shepherds face temptation and danger from evil Lucifer and his nasty minions. The bilingual script is primarily in English with Christmas carols sung in Spanish.
La Pastorela is a folk-art form that dates back to the beginning of Christianity. During the second century early Christians in hiding acted out the Christmas story to hand it down in the oral tradition. It survived as an underground movement until the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century.
The Spaniards brought it to Mexico in the 1540s and it became that country’s most popular form of theater. More than 2,500 unique versions of the story are produced south of the border. Almost every city, town and village in Mexico has its own version of the pastorela.
A pastorela is the tale of the shepherd’s journey to Bethlehem to witness the first Christmas. It is the B-plot of the nativity, a journey fraught with temptations, distractions and mortal peril as the devils try to prevent the shepherds from reaching their special destination. It is a traditional morality play full of choices and introspection, but presented with levity, music, beautiful costumes,and poetic dialogue. Pastorelas are written entirely in verse, like a Yuletide Dr. Seuss story.
Directed by William Virchis, “La Pastorela: A Shepherds’ Journey”, runs through Dec. 20 with performances at 7 p.m., with a Saturday 2 p.m. matinee Dec. the 21st at El Salon Cultural Center located in San Ysidro, 114 West Hall Avenue, Diego, CA 92173.
Limited seating, limited run tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for students, seniors, military, $10 for children 12 years and younger or groups of 10 or more. This production is partially funded by Casa Familiar and the San Diego Community Enhancement Grant.
Free parking is located at 137 Cypress Drive. For reservations go to the TMM website at TMMSD.ORG and for further information call (619) 987-5616.
The stellar cast includes alumni artists, Anthony Hamm, Victoria Ortiz, Rhys Greene, Walter Murrey, Timothy Paul Evans, Melissa Hamilton, Marina Martin, Isabela Leon, Bruno Bosardi, Christian Clark, Zamira Torres and company members.
Virchis, producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica, developed and produced the first English pastorela in San Diego in 1991 at the Old Globe Theatre. He has directed 33 of the 35 productions. Virchis is professor emeritus of theatre at Southwestern and first Visual and Performing Arts Director for the Sweetwater Union High School District. He has directed numerous productions including “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Zoot Suit”, “Real Women Have Curves”, “Let the Eagle Fly,” “The Odd Couple” and “The Pitch”, “The Voice Lesson”, “The Last Angry Brown Hat”, as well as the national touring production of “Selena Forever.” Old Globe founder Craig Noel called Virchis “the county’s boldest and most daring director.”
Teatro Máscara Mágica was founded in 1988 to increase the production of multi-cultural theater and to provide professional theatrical opportunities to under-represented segments of the population. Another mission of the Teatro is to subsidize ticket prices to make live theatre affordable to families and the less affluent.
“La Pastorela” has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as well as numerous human rights organizations. Teatro Máscara Mágica was a recipient of the 2004 San Diego County Multicultural Heritage Award for its leadership in multicultural theater.
