Christmas show plays through Dec. 17
A silent and solemn place, every year the San Juan
Bautista Mission comes alive with sounds of singing, drumming,
dancing and stomping as El Teatro Campesino brings to life its
annual Christmas play.
The colorful costumes and fast dancing of
”
La Virgen Del Tepeyac
”
play well against the backdrop of arches and muted colors in the
mission.
Christmas show plays through Dec. 17
A silent and solemn place, every year the San Juan
Bautista Mission comes alive with sounds of singing, drumming, dancing and stomping as El Teatro Campesino brings to life its
annual Christmas play.
The colorful costumes and fast dancing of “La Virgen Del Tepeyac” play well against the backdrop of arches and muted colors in the mission.
“There is so much heart in this play, its shines through, regardless of language,” said Olgalydia Urbano, the actress who plays the Virgen. “I have seen people get emotional and be touched by it, even if they don’t understand every word.”
The El Teatro Campesino troop plays the people of an Aztec village and warrior dancers, singing and dancing in subdued lighting. As the music grows louder, the lights come on to reveal people in elaborate and colorful period pieces representing the year 1519.
Incense wafts into the crowd as the dancers come up through the audience and onto one of several stage areas. The action takes place in many areas of the mission. The Virgen appears to the lead character four times and does so in a different location every time.
The setting of the play is a year when the people of Tepeyac have been ravaged by conquests and smallpox. His religion is the one comfort for the main character Juan Diego, played by Yaocoatl Noe Montoya. Through the story the Virgen appears to Diego and helps him convince the Spanish bishop that a miracle has happened.
The play is entirely spoken and sung in Spanish with an English-language synopsis in the program. The first song and common beats are repeated throughout the play. By the end, the audience is able to sing along, even if they don’t know Spanish.
Merridee Taylor, of Palo Alto, has seen the play three times. The play is moving and delightful, Taylor said. She brought two relatives to San Juan who had never seen it as their Christmas gift this year.
Taylor advises people to buy the priority seats so they have a better chance of choosing where to sit. Taylor and her family sat right near the center stage. Although there is action all around the Mission those seats have a more intimate feel, she said.
The actors who play Juan Diego and the Virgen enjoy both the challenge and spirituality of their roles. Urbano has played the Virgen for six years and Montoya has played some part in the play since 1971.
“It has been a wonderful, spiritual experience for me and the cast, in these hard times of chaos and war to do [the play],” Urbano said.
“It’s helped me heal, personally, through rough times,” Montoya said.
Both actors encourage people to come to the play even if they don’t understand Spanish.
“Read the program, and come with an open heart and you’ll get it,” Montoya said.
