Go ahead, pick up a fact sheet

This Sunday was spent at the Parish of St. Joseph/San Jose. There I was at a small table sitting under a large canvas DXM sign in the atrium. In front of me was loads of information in Spanish and English about the pastorela project -- Spanish in orange English in green and bilingual in white. Very prepared. This was at 7 am and there I was until 8:30 pm. Wow, was that a long but really great day. And this is why-

At the end of every mass I was introduced and I gave a short exhortation about the work of DXM and the opportunities for involvement. This was in English and Spanish depending on the mass. Then I encouraged folks to talk to me in the lobby and they did. A lot of them. This was where the real gold of the day panned out. I met so many people in Spanish and English wanting to be part of this work. Wanting to do it for the theater, wanting to do it because it was going to be bilingual, wanting to do whatever was needed to make theater together. I am so consoled and confirmed by the response of this wide range of people and their enthusiasm. Kids, adults, teenagers, very old folks, the sane, the not so sane, all were at my table wanting more information.

One man, Trinidad from Jalisco, told me that when he heard we were doing a pastorela he became so excited that a shiver went through him. He has scripts of two pastorelas he has been involved in before that he wants to bring in. Bring 'em on!

Another woman who is missing an arm told me that she has always wanted to be on stage but let self pity get in the way. But now she was ready to take the plunge and leave the pity behind on the diving board.

And finally a young man here in Yakima from Vera Cruz for the fruit season, wants to help out but will be trying to get back to Mexico for his mother's birthday and the Christmas season and then will try to get back into the States in February. DXM will have plenty for him to do when he gets back.

I was surprised by the response. I was expecting to spend most of the day wondering if I was the only person in Yakima wanting to do this project. I had forgotten that doing community based theater is so unlike regular theater due to the fact of the wide invitation to all people. And if you invite all people lots of people show up. This is why I am doing this work. Oh yeah, now I remember.

The next step is meeting with these folks this week for a couple of different story circles in which we will get to know each other better and start asking questions about how a Christmas play might be structured and what it might contain. And this week we will meet with the Spanish speaking youth group at the parish and the staff at La Casa Hogar as we begin to know that part of the community as well.