Every time I watch or hear the news (I limit myself to one hour per day), it makes my head spin. No matter what goes on in Washington, at the political conventions, or on the campaign trail, I remind myself that the most important thing I can do on an ongoing basis is to be kind and considerate of everyone, even if we don’t agree on politics and what our nation should look like. We must educate ourselves about the differences in the candidates' political agendas and get out the vote.
I wanted to share a bit about my goings-on over the next few weeks. I’m writing a new play; its working title is Class Migrant: De Aquí y De Allá. In this new solo show, I share some of my experiences and observations about socio-economic mobility and how race affects opportunities in the United States. Among the strongly perpetuated myths about our country is that we are a meritocracy and a post-racist society. But we know better than that. For generations, upward mobility was very much available to white ethnics in this country, but it was not the case for black and brown folks. Today, it is way more difficult for poor folks, whether white or persons of color, to get a foothold toward the middle and upper-income rungs of American society. This is one of the reasons for the widespread discontent among MAGA supporters. But rather than examine the erosion of good working-class jobs that allowed factory workers and service workers to earn decent wages, the blame is pointed toward advances made by people of color and immigrants rather than the oligarchs who are acquiring extreme wealth at the expense of everyone else in this country. Well, enough on that for now.
I’ll be doing my first public performance of Class Migrant at the Marsh Theater’s In Front of Your Eyes Festival in San Francisco. The festival is aptly named as it will feature work that is in development. So, you get to see in front of your eyes, the exciting process of how plays evolve. I was invited to present a 15-minute excerpt as an “opening act” on August 9th and 10th. I am paired up with different performers, each presenting hour-long shows.They are Shubhra Prakash (8/9) and Tina D'Elia (8/10). Click on their names to learn more about their plays. I am pleased to be teamed up with them and eager to see their shows.
Bay Area Friends, be among the first to get a peek at this new show.
In September, I will be both the Emcee and an Honoree at the annual event hosted by the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). EBSC provides legal services, community organizing, and transformative education to support low-income immigrants and people fleeing violence and persecution. EBSC works in partnership with many faith-based organizations and civil rights groups and has done so for decades. It was founded in 1982 in response to civil wars in Central America and was an early participant in the Sanctuary Movement in the United States.
Today, EBSC is one of the largest affirmative-asylum programs in the country. To learn more about its celebrated annual event, which features great good, music and a moving program, click here.
Finally, I’ll be performing Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? locally in on Saturday, September 28th, and on Sunday, October 6th at Central Stage. in Richmond, California. Tickets will go on sale in August, and I’ll post about it when they do. If you haven’t yet seen this show, come check it out. I’m always adding new material, and with the political goings-on, who knows what I’ll include in this latest iteration? I am always happy to see my friends there and am even happier when they bring other folks and introduce them to my work.
On the personal news front, I'm headed to Oaxaca for a week and will spend a few days after that visiting family and friends in San Antonio and Alice, Texas, the pueblito where I grew up. I've never been to Oaxaca and am super excited to see and learn more about this beautiful city, rich in Indigenous history and culture and well-known for its great food and colorful festivals.
Thanks so much for reading my newsletter.
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