Written by James E. Garcia and directed by Arturo Martinez
THE SHOW: Sen. Russell Pearce “accidentally” electrocutes himself in his bathtub, while shaving, then cuts a deal with the devil (or is that redundant) to survive and sets off to stop the Hernandez family (even though Reagan gave them amnesty) from reaching Phoenix, where the Hernandez’s, who having learned of the birth of the Messiah (no, not Barack Obama), plan to catch the light rail to Bethlehem.
Performances: Dec. 4-19
Dec. 4, Matinee, 2 p.m.
Dec. 4, Opening night, 7:30 performance
Dec. 5, Matinee, 2 p.m. performance
Dec. 9, 7:30 performance
Dec. 10, 7:30 performance
Dec. 11, 2 p.m. and 7:30 performances
Dec. 12, 2 p.m. performance
Dec. 16, 7:30 performance
Dec. 17, 7:30 performance
Dec. 18, 2 p.m. and 7:30 performances
Dec. 19, 2 p.m. performance
Location: Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, 147 E. Adams
Admission: $12.50 each. $11.00 students, seniors and groups of 6 or more. Children under 12, $8 per ticket.
“Dream Act” tells the story of undocumented student Victoria Nava, brought to the United States by her parents as a toddler. In the face of anti-immigrant sentiment, she feels her dreams of medical school may be slipping away.
Performance will be followed by a short talkback with the playwright and experts on The DREAM Act, a proposed federal law that would provide a path to citizenship for the more than 60,000 undocumented youth who graduate from high school in the United States each year.
Show runs ONE NIGHT ONLY – Feburary 3, 2010 at 7:15pm.
For this production, only the English-format version will be performed.
NOTE: The original address posted for this event was incorrect. The correct address is listed below.
Location Catalina Elementary School
6331 N 39th, Phoenix [ Map ]
James E. Garcia’s “Dream Act” had its world premiere April 11, 2008 at Playhouse on the Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The show was incredibly well received and reviewed. At the time of the original production, our web site was not being managed by a content management system, and unfortunately much of our media history was lost. Existing media reviews may be found below in the “Dream Act” in the Media section.
The narrative of “Dream Act” was inspired by the March 21, 2008 episode of Chicago Public Radio program This American Life. In Act Four (at approximate run time 46:35), reporter Douglas McGray interviews a college student in California. Quoting the This American Life web site: “Reporter Douglas McGray interviews a college student in California with good grades, an excellent work ethic, but no possible way to get a legal job. She’s lived in the U.S. since she was little, but her parents are undocumented; and she is, too. Most of her friends and teachers don’t even know. Douglas McGray is a fellow at the New America Foundation.”
McGray went on to explain, “You might also be interested in a much longer piece I wrote about Martha and a couple other students; I wrote the radio feature for ‘This American Life’ as a follow up, and an experiment in telling a story across different media. The print piece, a cover story for the LA Times sunday magazine, got a lot of attention when it came out.”
Additional excerpts from “Dream Act” were performed by the original cast in April and May 2008 at several venues across the Phoenix-metro area, including The Community Advocacy Symposium in downtown Phoenix.
Shortly after the play closed, there was such demand that the original cast was brought back together on May 3, 2008 at La Buena Onda Radio Studio in Phoenix to record a full-length radio play of the production (in both English and Spanish versions). Charles Dee Rice, the show’s original audio designer, mixed the radio performances with a combination of original sound effects and a handful of new musical selections (to satisfy royalty and licensing restrictions), producing full length radio shows for broadcast in both English and Spanish.
The Spanish-language radio play aired June 26, 2008 on KNUV 1190AM in Phoenix as part of of an Arizona Dream Fund scholarship fundraiser / radioathon.
In July, 2008, The Center for Community Development and Civil Rights funded a full video recording/production of “Dream Act,” using the original theatrical cast.
Continued interest in the live performances and the issues surrounding DREAM Act legislation have brought the show back into the public eye again — this time for another full stage performance in January, 2010.
Note: If you are associated with a radio station interested in broadcasting either version of the “Dream Act” radio play, please contact us.
“Dream Act” in the Media
Saturday, January 16 at 8:50am Dream Act will be featured (including promotional photos) on the showup.com segment of Good Morning Arizona KTVK 3TV – Cox channel 3, Mediacom channel 3
There are many resources available online to research The DREAM Act. What follows is not meant to be a comprehensive or exhaustive reference, but may provide a good starting point for additional research on this issue:
You think your family is crazy… What about Mary’s? Her husband Miguel sees no reason for staying sober; her daughter Rachel is a muppie (Mexican-American yuppie) doctor who can’t be in the same room with her sister Annette, a super-Chicana channeling Frida Kahlo; and son Mike is worried whether coming out of the closet will kill his mother outright. All Mary wants is for everyone to get along… so she can join the family of ghosts in the living room.
Show runs March 5-14, 2010 (Total of six performances)
Playhouse on the Park, 1850 N. Central Ave. [ Map ]
(In the Viad Bldg. at Palm and Central Ave.)
Free parking — Just off the Phoenix Light Rail line.
Directed by Arturo Martinez (English format) and Luis Avila (Spanish format)
“Dream Act” tells the story of undocumented student Victoria Nava, brought to the United States by her parents as a toddler. In the face of anti-immigrant sentiment, she feels her dreams of medical school may be slipping away.
Each performance will be followed by a short talkback with the playwright and experts on The DREAM Act, a proposed federal law that would provide a path to citizenship for the more than 60,000 undocumented youth who graduate from high school in the United States each year.
Show runs January 15-17, 2010.
This show is being presented in both English- and Spanish-language formats.
Locations Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix (UUCP)
4027 E Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley [ Map ]
First Congregational United Church of Christ
1407 N 2nd St, Phoenix [ Map ]
English-Language Performances - Friday, January 15 at 8 p.m. – Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix
- Saturday, January 16 at 2 p.m. – First Congregational United Church of Christ
- Sunday, January 17 at 2 p.m. – Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix
Spanish-Language Performances - Saturday, January 16 at 8 p.m. – First Congregational United Church of Christ - Sunday, January 17 at 8 p.m. – First Congregational United Church of Christ
Seating is general admission, tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under. A limited number of discounted tickets available at showup.com.
James E. Garcia’s “Dream Act” had its world premiere April 11, 2008 at Playhouse on the Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The show was incredibly well received and reviewed. At the time of the original production, our web site was not being managed by a content management system, and unfortunately much of our media history was lost. Existing media reviews may be found below in the “Dream Act” in the Media section.
The narrative of “Dream Act” was inspired by the March 21, 2008 episode of Chicago Public Radio program This American Life. In Act Four (at approximate run time 46:35), reporter Douglas McGray interviews a college student in California. Quoting the This American Life web site: “Reporter Douglas McGray interviews a college student in California with good grades, an excellent work ethic, but no possible way to get a legal job. She’s lived in the U.S. since she was little, but her parents are undocumented; and she is, too. Most of her friends and teachers don’t even know. Douglas McGray is a fellow at the New America Foundation.”
McGray went on to explain, “You might also be interested in a much longer piece I wrote about Martha and a couple other students; I wrote the radio feature for ‘This American Life’ as a follow up, and an experiment in telling a story across different media. The print piece, a cover story for the LA Times sunday magazine, got a lot of attention when it came out.”
Additional excerpts from “Dream Act” were performed by the original cast in April and May 2008 at several venues across the Phoenix-metro area, including The Community Advocacy Symposium in downtown Phoenix.
Shortly after the play closed, there was such demand that the original cast was brought back together on May 3, 2008 at La Buena Onda Radio Studio in Phoenix to record a full-length radio play of the production (in both English and Spanish versions). Charles Dee Rice, the show’s original audio designer, mixed the radio performances with a combination of original sound effects and a handful of new musical selections (to satisfy royalty and licensing restrictions), producing full length radio shows for broadcast in both English and Spanish.
The Spanish-language radio play aired June 26, 2008 on KNUV 1190AM in Phoenix as part of of an Arizona Dream Fund scholarship fundraiser / radioathon.
In July, 2008, The Center for Community Development and Civil Rights funded a full video recording/production of “Dream Act,” using the original theatrical cast.
Continued interest in the live performances and the issues surrounding DREAM Act legislation have brought the show back into the public eye again — this time for another full stage performance in January, 2010.
Note: If you are associated with a radio station interested in broadcasting either version of the “Dream Act” radio play, please contact us.
“Dream Act” in the Media
Saturday, January 16 at 8:50am Dream Act will be featured (including promotional photos) on the showup.com segment of Good Morning Arizona KTVK 3TV – Cox channel 3, Mediacom channel 3
There are many resources available online to research The DREAM Act. What follows is not meant to be a comprehensive or exhaustive reference, but may provide a good starting point for additional research on this issue:
Tickets for this show will be available at the door for $16, general admission, $12 for all students with i.d. and $8 for children 12 and under.
A limited number of advanced discounted tickets may be purchased here.
Tickets are $12 for groups of 8 or more in advance or at the door. We recommend you make reservations in advance.
Group rates available by contacting us at info@newcarpa.org or 623-25-CARPA (623-252-2772).
American Pastorela: The Saga of Sheriff Joe will be presented at 1202 N. Third Street (two blocks south of Interstate 10 at the corner of Moreland and Third Street near downtown Phoenix) . [ Map ]
Showtimes December 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and December 6, 12 and 13 at 2 p.m.
Sheriff Joe has a heart attack and dies. Turns out his personal physician is the same guy who was “treating” Michael Jackson before the pop star’s early demise. Satan offers to cut Joe a deal — his life in exchange for stopping the Hernandez family from making their annual trek by foot from Sonora to Phoenix to catch the light rail to Bethlehem (it also stops in Vegas now). Comedy ensues. Show intended for general audiences.
Note to Sheriff Joe: Please don’t beat me up for writing this play. – JG
American Pastorela: The Saga of Sheriff Joe In the Press
