Pauline Adamek
A Los Angeles holiday tradition starring Esperanza America (Latino Theatre Company’s The Mother of Henry, A Mexican Trilogy) as the Virgin and featuring over 100 actors, singers and indigenous Aztec dancers as well as children and seniors from the community in the City’s largest theatrical holiday production. Join the tens of thousands who have become transfixed by the story of Juan Diego, a simple peasant to whom the Virgin Mary appeared on four occasions in the mountains of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531.
Adapted for the stage from the mid-16th century text The Nican Mopohua and performed in Spanish with English supertitles, this site-specific epic event, presented by GOYA Foods and produced by the Latino Theater Company at Downtown L.A.’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, unites families during the holiday season.
“At this time, when the Latinx community is experiencing increased racism and discrimination, the story of Juan Diego, who suffered the same because he was a dark-skinned indigenous peasant, is more important than ever. Offering this beautiful pageant to the Los Angeles community free of charge is our gift to all Angelenos, but especially to poor and working families who cannot afford to attend other holiday offerings. Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral is a sanctuary for the undocumented as is our great City and State, so presenting La Virgen here becomes an act of resistance to the anti-immigrant rhetoric that is plaguing our country.”
Says Latino Theater Company artistic director José Luis Valenzuela,.
Photo courtesy of Latino Theater Company
• Adapted for the stage by Evelina Fernández from the mid-16th Century text The Nican Mopohua
• Directed by José Luis Valenzuela
• Sets and projections by Cameron Mock and Emily MacDonald
• Original music composed and performed by Alfredo Lopez Mondragon
• Original indigenous music composed and performed by Martin Espino
• Choreography by Urbanie Lucero
• Starring Esperanza America (Latino Theatre company’s The Mother of Henry, A Mexican Trilogy) as the Virgin and Sal Lopez (American Me, Luminarias) as Juan Diego
• With Cástulo Guerra (Prison Break, Dallas), Lucy Rodriguez (ER), Geoffrey Rivas (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Blood In, Blood Out), Luis Aldana, Damián Delgado and Xavi Moreno
• Featured Aztec dancer General Lazaro Arvizu
• Featuring a cast of over 100 actors, singers and indigenous Aztec dancers that also includes children and seniors from the community
• Presented by GOYA Foods
• Produced by The Latino Theater Company in association with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
PERFORMANCES:
• Friday, Dec. 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 7, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
555 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
ADMSSION:
• FREE
• Reserved seating available for $45.00
HOW:
• For reservations, call (866) 811-4111 or from the official site here.
