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Play About Immigration Tensions Calls Advocates To the Stage

Posted February 18, 2010 by Ted Hesson

After two successful runs last year, the play “What Killed Marcelo Lucero?”—a piece of interactive theater meant to get the audience thinking about immigration tensions—will be back this spring with the addition of immigration advocates, who will help facilitate productive dialogue during the discussions that follow each performance.

The Long Island Immigrant Alliance, Long Island Wins, and the local 1199 SEIU will all be working with Teatro Yerbabruja, the experimental theater company producing the play, as well as the play’s director, Margarita Espada.

See the press release below for more details. I’ll be adding the scheduled performances to Long Island Wins’ new event calendar, as well.

TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL YERBABRUJA, INC.
...connecting performance, community, & education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Advisory
Press Contacts:
Margarita Espada
631-626-3603
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Steve Bard
631-231-7460
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Play About Immigration Tensions Calls Advocates To the Stage

Brentwood, N.Y.—After attracting the attention of national media last fall, “What Killed Marcelo Lucero?” – a play that tackles the thorny issues of immigration and hate on Long Island – will add a new dimension this spring: After each performance, a panel of immigration advocates and experts will work with the audience to develop a deeper understanding of immigration issues.

“What Killed Marcelo Lucero?” is the innovative brainchild of the Brentwood-based experimental theater group Teatro Yerbabruja. An important part of the play—which explores the breadth of anti-Latino sentiment on Long Island, and its costs to Latinos and the community as a whole—is audience participation. After each performance, those in attendance are invited to discuss alternative strategies for addressing immigration tensions in their communities.

This spring, however, the play’s director, Margarita Espada, decided to invite local immigration advocates to join the post-performance discussions, and she’s enlisted the assistance of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, Long Island Wins, and the local 1199 SEIU, to connect with advocates.
“Each performance of the play brings a rush of emotions and opinions about immigration to the surface,” says Espada. “We wanted advocates to be there to discuss immigration tensions on Long Island by emphasizing shared values and respectful dialogue. In the end, that will help us build strong communities.”

The play is based on the November 2008 murder of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue, N.Y. Lucero was attacked and stabbed to death by a gang of teenagers who were out “beaner hopping”—slang for when the young men would hunt down and attack Latinos.

The murder, along with the tepid response by some local government officials, triggered outrage that spread well beyond the Long Island village where the crime occurred. While that outrage spurred political action, it also stirred local artists like Teatro Yerbabruja to engage the community in search of solutions.

The concept of engaging audience members in such discussions was hugely successful during the initial run of “What Killed Marcelo Lucero?” last fall. In an effort to ensure that the post-performance dialogues about racism and hate crimes are productive, Espada reached out to immigrant advocates, who agreed to help.

Seven performances have already been scheduled for spring 2010:

• March 15 - Brentwood Campus Suffolk Community College.
• March 19 - Inwood - Lady of Good Counsel Church
• March 25 - Wyandanch High School
• April 9 - Adelphi University, Garden City
• Patchogue - Date and venue tbd.
• Riverhead - Date and venue tbd.
• Hamptons - Date and venue tbd.

This play is made possible in part with public funds from NYSCA, Legislator Ricardo Montano, and the Long Island Unitarian Universalism Fund.

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Long Island Wins (http://www.longislandwins.com) is a communications campaign driven by the belief that immigration creates opportunities for economic, cultural, and social growth. As immigrants to this country renew the American Dream, they improve the quality of life for all of us. In order to foster positive attitudes toward immigrants, we carry out education and outreach to highlight the contributions of immigrants, enhance the public, perception of immigrants, and build support for public and private immigration initiatives that benefit all residents of Long Island.

The Long Island Immigrant Alliance (LIIA) provides support to all Long Island immigrants and seeks to facilitate the creation of an inclusive and welcoming society. We are Long Island’s population, and as such we look to create and promote innovative programs and practical solutions for all Long Island residents regardless of nativity. For more information, visit http://www.longislandimmigrantalliance.org.

Tags : hate crimes, immigration, marcelo lucero, theater

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