Sometimes a play comes along where you think people in other parts of town should be bused in to see it. Remembering Boyle Heights: Part 2 is the second part of a compilation of stories that was first produced at CASA 0101 in 2018. Both reveal the history of the area, but Part 2 focuses on the women who have made a difference in the community.
If you are unfamiliar with Boyle Heights, it is an area of Los Angeles located east of downtown that is mostly comprised of Chicanos of Mexican/Indigenous descent. Prior to the 1940s, it boasted the largest Jewish population west of Chicago, until most moved on to other areas of L.A. It has always been a melting pot with a rich cultural and ethnic history.
Dr. Wong was played gingerly by Marcel Licera, who is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at East Los Angeles College. The play takes place at the base of a large pine tree in Boyle Heights called “El Pino” where Dr. Wong listens to the thesis projects of his students who are studying the history of the neighborhood. Each project depicts a specific person or aspect of the community that is of historical significance from the 1940s to the present day.
It starts with a Tongva Indian blessing by Turquesa Charlotte, played by Raquel Salinas. The Tongva was the Native American tribe that inhabited the Los Angeles area before settlers arrived.
Tough topics are dealt with including gang violence, forced sterilization of immigrant women in the 1970s, student walkouts at Roosevelt High School to protest discrimination in public schools, and violence against street vendors.
Empowered women from Boyle Heights are also highlighted in the play such as a Pachuca wearing a feminine form of the zoot suit, the career of Lucha Reyes, a singer whose statue stands at Mariachi Plaza, female activism, and a talented female mural artist. One vignette describes the legendary punk rock club “Vex” that elevated artists such as Exene Cervenka of “X” and others during the early 1980s.
The show is a crash course in the dynamics of the immigrant community of Boyle Heights and is educated in such things as the definitions of Hispanic vs Chicano as well as disinformation that has been spread unfairly about the neighborhood.
Many Angelenos are afraid to venture into Boyle Heights. However, if they did, they would be impressed by the richness of its history, its creativity, and its goodwill. They would also be jolted by the challenges and injustices that the community has endured.
A poignant phrase that stood out to me was that Boyle Heights does not resemble what we hear on the 5 o’clock news which mostly highlights gang shootings and other crimes. It is a neighborhood of close-knit families who help each other out, as well as creative individuals, intellectuals, entertainers, restaurant owners, and others who bring value to the city of Los Angeles as a whole.
The cast of “Remembering Boyle Heights Part 2”
The players, who varied in age and experience, came together in a tight ensemble as the students in the classroom. Each was passionate and talented in their presentations.
Melodee Fernandez, who is a vocal teacher and has sung professionally in opera productions was powerful in her portrayal of singer Lucha Reyes. I also enjoyed Alejandro Bravo’s performance as he highlighted the contributions of the women of Delores Mission /Homeboy Industries. Tricia Cruz as Slick Chic-A Ramona was dynamic as the zoot-suited Pachuca.
The production was directed by Corky Dominguez and was created by Josefina López, Corky Dominguez, and the Remembering Boyle Heights Ensemble.
I have been to CASA 0101 many times and each time I come I learn something new, revealing, and sometimes shocking.
Remembering Boyle Heights Part 2 runs through December 18, 2022.
CASA 0101 Theater
2102 East 1st Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights, CA 90033
Find out what’s playing at CASA 0101 here
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