By The OC Weekly
BEST PLAY
DREAMERS: AQUÍ Y ALLÁ
It’s rare that a new play—hell, any play—feels as relevant, poignant and important as this superlative effort. Presented by the graduate-level arm of Cal State Long Beach’s theater department, California Repertory, the piece was conceived by Andrea Caban with plenty of assistance from the actors whose story this truly was: some 30 Dreamers who participated in CSULB professor Armando Vazquez-Ramos’ California-Mexico study-abroad program. Though literally ripped from the headlines and suffused with an unmistakable call to action among voters to kick the racists out in the upcoming midterm elections, the play succeeded because it wasn’t noisy, tone-deaf agit-prop theater. Its agenda was a human one: to show that the so-called Dreamers, as with any group, are comprised of individuals with their own hopes, dreams, fears and stories. By focusing on those stories, the cast and other creators succeeded in telling one hugely important part of America’s collective story.
To watch the 'Dreamers: Aqui y Alla' play click here
