Urban Chicano drama features an all-Latina/Latino cast.
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"Electricidad,” an urban Chicano drama set in East Los Angeles, comes to the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center with an all-Latina/Latino student cast. The Theatre Arts department production premieres during Latinx Heritage Month and runs Oct. 13 – 23, with evening performances Thursdays through Saturdays and Sunday matinees.
The Oct. 15 performance will include a meet-and-greet with the cast after the show and free tacos from Epic Taco food truck. The special event coincides with the end of Latinx Heritage month and is sponsored by Moorpark College’s Heritage Month Committee.
“The cast and crew will take the audience on a magnificent journey where they will experience a part of Mexican-American culture that is not often discussed or portrayed,” said Jorge Herrera, C.Phil., who served as the cultural consultant for the production to ensure its cultural authenticity. Herrera is a professor of ethnic studies at California State University, Fullerton, and teaches ethnic studies courses at Oxnard and Moorpark colleges.
Luis Alfaro’s dramatic play is based on “Electra,” the ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles. It follows Electricidad as she intensely mourns the death of her dear father at the hands of her mother, Clemencia. When Electricidad seeks the revenge she deems necessary and just, her desired outcome and its effects shock her and the entire barrio.
“There aren’t many opportunities in the art world for diverse artists, so being a part of ‘Electricidad,’ a piece so authentic and brilliant, I am grateful and excited,” said Isa Rojas, who shares the title role with Sophia Raye.
“It is an honor to be a part of a show that has such strong Chicana and Chicano representation, especially with the strong women leading this show,” added Raye. “It has meant so much to me because I feel acknowledged and accepted; I finally feel seen as the proud Hispanic woman that I am.”
Performances will be at 8 p.m., Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22, and 2 p.m., Oct. 16 and 23, on the main stage of the Performing Arts Center on the Moorpark College campus, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark. Tickets are $15 for students and seniors; $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased through the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center Box Office at (805) 378-1485 or online at moorparkcollege.edu/pac. A 20% discount is available for online orders.
For more details about the show or information on how to be involved, contact Moorpark College Theatre Arts Professor Suzanne Fagan at sfagan@vcccd.edu.