by Milta Ortiz and the Pastorela Ghost Writers
Directed by Eva Tessler
Shepherds, Sheep and Dog trekto Belen guided by La Estrella to witness the Nativity. Their journey is fraught with perils, temptations, and scary Diablos, but also fueled by hope, love, glorious Archangels and singing Kings! Live waila music with Gertie and the T.O. Boyz, a special performance by Ballet Folklorico Tapatio before Sunday’s matinee, and piñatas for the little ones after every show!
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Tucson Meet Yourself & Fundación Mexico
SPONSORS: Friends of the Pastorela, Tucson Pima Arts Council, Arizona Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, & Desert Diamond
tickets
December 19-22, 2013
TCC Leo Rich Theater (260 S. Church Ave.)
PREVIEW ½ PRICE TICKETS AND KIDS ARE FREE: December 19, 7:30pm
$12 General & Senior, $7 Student, Free children 12 and under
OPENING NIGHT CELEBRACIÓN: December 20, 7:30pm
$24 General and Senior, $14 Student, $7 children 12 and under
Opening Night Celebración with postres, plus meet and greet the ghost writers and performers
REGULAR PERFORMANCE: December 21, 7:30pm
$20 General, $17 Senior, $14 Student, $7 children 12 and under
SUNDAY MAT WITH FOLKLORICO TAPATIO AND KIDS ARE FREE: December 22, 2pm
$20 General, $17 Senior, $14 Student, Free children 12 and under
Ticket outlets:
Borderlands theater BOX office
(520) 882-7406 – boxoffice@borderlandstheater.org
tcc Ticket Office Location and hours – 10:30am-5:30pm Monday – Friday
Tucson Convention Center Ticket Office: 260 South Church Avenue
tcc Charge by Phone Tickets and online
800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com
MORE ON THE PASTORELA
Each season a group of brave Pastores venture forth on a perilous journey in search of a better life. On their way they meet Archangels Michael and Gabriel and Devils Lucifer, Satan and Moloch. But what exactly is a Pastorela?
The play, re-written every year for the past 17 years here at Borderlands, was originally born out of an oral tradition of storytelling dating back to the early years of Christianity. However there is no written record of it until the early Renaissance in Europe and it is not known when it passed from storytelling to actual performances. The Pastorela was brought to the Americas by Spanish priests shortly after the Conquest, and performed with the intention of bringing Christianity to the Indigenous population. It has since grown in popularity throughout the Americas and is performed in and out of churches with varying degrees of Christian and secular content. More than 2,000 productions are held each year in Mexico alone, most of them reflective of local politics, customs, language and culture. While it upholds the traditional concept of the triumph of Good over Evil, many productions have a subversive aspect, challenging the sins and excesses of “local politicos and the community at large” over the past year, as well as praising good deeds. Above all, the Pastorela is an annual atonement and this is why our production, like so many, is re-written every season. – Emily Pratt & Alida Wilson-Gunn