San Jose State’s new play highlights those here illegally
With Supreme Court hearings on DACA this week, the timing couldn’t be better for San Jose State’s new play, “(dreamer) project: an Undocuplay,” which puts a spotlight on the struggles and successes of students living here illegally.
And though the topic would be easy grist for a dramatist, the play — conceived and directed by San Jose State lecturer Kathleen Normington — is based on real interviews she did with 17 SJSU students. One of the immigrants here illegally that she talked to was a theater arts major who appears in the play, telling his own story.
The production, which opens tonight at the Hammer Theatre Center and runs through Nov. 23, is told through the structure of an acting class, with different students setting scenes and telling their stories. Of course, the point is that by the end of the show, the audience knows these just aren’t “stories” but are people — and in San Jose State’s case, they’re students and classmates.
CULTURAL CONNECTION » Cinema Club Silicon Valley has partnered with Latino art center
MACLA to introduce audiences to new Latin American films that are not expected to have theatrical runs in the United States.
Cinema Club, a monthly gathering of South Bay film lovers, has been exploring Latino movies, including “Cascos Indomables” from Costa Rica and “Pájaros de Verano” from Colombia, but it now can create a dedicated pipeline to zero in on significant films from Latin America that probably would go unnoticed by U. S. audiences. The effort is being supported by MACLA and a grant from Santa Clara County that was championed by Supervisor Cindy Chavez.
First up in the series Sunday is “Los Tiburones,” the first film from Uruguay to compete at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the
World Cinema Directing Award for writer- director Lucía Garibaldi. It’s a coming- of- age drama that explores complications arising from a 14-year- old girl’s sexual awakening in a beachside town. The 1:30 p.m. screening at 3Below Theaters in downtown San Jose will be followed by a discussion. Tickets are $13 and can be bought at3belowtheaters.com.
EARLY HOLIDAY SHOPPING » It’s barely starting to feel like fall, but the holiday shopping engines already are getting started this weekend (and I’m not even talking about silly things like Black Friday Preview sales).
The volunteer-led Montalvo Service Group has its Yuletide Marketplace happening at the historic and scenic Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga today and Saturday. The boutique features holiday art and decorations, clothing, speciality food items and handmade gifts. The popular Champagne Tea on Sunday is already sold out, but tickets are still available for the Family Tea at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Go to montalvoarts.org/programs/yuletide for tickets or more information.
And Eastridge Center in San Jose is also getting an early jump on Christmas, with a tree- lighting ceremony and the arrival of Santa tonight. The event starts at 6 p.m. and includes mariachi music,
Polynesian dance and remarks from San Jose City Councilwoman Sylvia Arenas. Santa will make his appearance just before the 8 p.m. lighting of the tree in the mall’s Center Court.
By the way, this isn’t the first Santa appearance in the valley: Old St. Nick was spotted setting up shop at Stanford Shopping Center on Nov. 2.