December 4, 1998
What do Elvis, Tony Gwynn, Zorro and the Aztec Emperor Cuahutemoc have in common? Featured roles in "La Pastorela de Paz," Teatro Mascara Magica's creative new Christmas show at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza.
"La Pastorela de Paz" reunites the creative tandem of playwright Max Branscomb and director William Virchis, who teamed up on five critically-acclaimed productions at the Old Globe Theatre and the Lyceum. This year, however, they've broken the mold.
"This show is an exciting new approach to the greatest story ever told," said Virchis. "Max's script is different than anything we've done before. It's edgy and topical, but still humorous, thoughtful and family oriented like it always has been."
This year's pastorela, Teatro Mascara Magica's eighth, explores issues such as immigration, democracy and economic disparity in the framework of the shepherd's journey to Bethlehem to witness the first Christmas.
"La Pastorela de Paz" runs December 11-23 at the Lyceum. Evening shows begin at 7:30 p.m. There will be 2 p.m. matinees December 19 and 20.
The pastorela is a folk art form that dates back to the early 1500s. The Spaniards brought it to Mexico, where it became that country's most popular form of theatre. More than 2,500 unique versions of the story are now known to be 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.
Teatro Mascara Magica developed and produced the first English language past-orela in San Diego in 1991 at the Old Globe Theatre. The play appeals to English and Spanish speakers alike. The text is in English and the beautiful Christmas songs are in Spanish.
Following a tradition established by Raul Moncada, who wrote the 1991 past-orela, Branscomb's devils and angels are masters of disguise who appear throughout the shepherd's journey as historic and contemporary characters. Last year's production featured appearances by the Men in Black, Padre Hidalgo and Quetzalcoatl.
Teatro Mascara Magica was founded in 1989 by Virchis and UCSD professor Dr. Jorge Huerta as an effort to increase the production of multicultural theatre 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 less affluent persons. The company has become a national leader in multicultural theatre.
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