Teatro Nahual to Host 'Leyendas and Realidades' Fundraiser for The Mexican Museum, 3/19

The Mexican Museum, the premier West Coast museum of Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Latin American and Latino art, culture and heritage, announces that Teatro Nahual, the Santa Clara County-based theater organization whose mission is to promote education and entertainment to the Hispanic population through compelling, Spanish-language plays, will host a fundraiser for the Museum on Saturday, March 19th at 6 p.m. Featuring a reception and special performance of the theater troupe's latest play, "Leyendas and Realidades" (Legends and Realities), the event's proceeds will support construction of the new home of The Mexican Museum at 706 Mission Street in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Garden Arts District.

The "Leyendas and Realidades" fundraiser will take place at the Foundation for the Hispanic Education, 14271 Story Road in San Jose, California. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased by phone by calling (650)793-0783, online at http://www.teatronahual.org/next.html, or at the door on the evening of the event.

Designed to provoke both laughter and deep reflection in the audience, Teatro Nahual's theatrical and musical production of "Leyendas and Realidades" is written and directed by artistic director Verónica Meza. The play depicts popular legends of South America, Central America, and Mexico that date back centuries, each offering a glimpse into Hispanic culture and myth. These include "La Llorona," a legend about the ghost of a weeping woman; "La Mulata de Córdoba," a myth of suspected sorcery in Veracruz, Mexico, during the Holy Inquisition; and "María Angula," an eerie Ecuadorean tale of a naïve wife who tries new recipes on her husband that include the body parts of corpses.

"Leyendas and Realidades" will also include the premier of colorful legends that originated in Náhuatl, known informally as the Aztec language. These include "El Esposo Fiel" (The Faithful Husband) and interpretations of the "Origin of the Corn" and the "Origin of the World." The theatrical project also touches on modern-day reality, with a social and political angle, in "The Ayotzinapa Mother." This moving segment narrates the terrible pain suffered by parents searching for 43 children that disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero, México, in September 2014.

"Teatro Nahual is very proud to support The Mexican Museum and the construction of the new facility in the Yerba Buena Garden Arts District," said Meza. "Our goal is to preserve our identity as Latinos. The Mexican Museum is a visual treasure chest of Hispanic art, history, and culture, from ancient days to today. We share in the Museum's mission to ensure that our visual histories are passed on to future generations."

Talented local actors participating in "Leyendas and Realidades" include Pedro Enríquez, Abraham Mijangos, Nacho Martín Bragado, María Autrán, Esperanza Sáenz, Isis Paz, Vitalina W., and John Cabrera. Music is performed by Aldo Adrián, Isidro Jiménez, and Gerardo Fernández. The theatrical project will also feature the special participation of Fuego Nuevo Folklore Ballet, directed by Miguel Angel Martínez and Luis Juarez.

About Teatro Nahual

Founded in 2003, Teatro Nahual is a Santa Clara County-based, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to education, entertainment, and to provoking reflection on current issues in Hispanic communities through Spanish-speaking theater, including music, dance, and art. Presenting plays for adults and children in the Bay Area, Teatro Nahual pursues the dream of preserving the Latino identity for future generations - those who deserve to know their past, to better understand their present reality, and to able to build a successful future in here in the United States. Spanish acting classes have also been offered since 2004, preparing children, teenagers, and adults with an effective methodology, adapted to our Hispanic population in the Bay Area.

Other plays performed in Spanish by Teatro Nahual have included "Another Face in the Indian," "Strike without Sticks," "The Lazy Prince," "It was only Rock and Roll," "The Vagina Monologues," "The New Marriage Peace," and a production of the webnovela "Mirela," which informs and educates audiences about Alzheimer's Disease. Teatro Nahual's production of "Mirela" was produced by Photozig Inc., Stanford University, and The National Association on Aging (NCOA).

Teatro Nahual's four performances of "Leyendas and Realidades" launch with the premier on Saturday, March 12th at 7:30 p.m. The second performance is on Sunday, March 13th at 3 p.m. The third performance on Saturday, March 19th is the fundraiser reception and performance for The Mexican Museum, starting at 6 p.m. The final performance takes place on Sunday, March 20th at 3 p.m. For more information, please visit http://www.teatronahual.org/events.html.

###

About The Mexican Museum: Founded by the well-known San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at the Fort Mason Center. It is the realization of his vision to present the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to include the full scope of the Mexican, Chicano, and Latino experience - including the arts, history, and heritage of their respective cultures.

In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Museum joins over 200 organizations in 45 states, Puerto Rico and Panama that are in association with the Smithsonian. The Mexican Museum currently has a permanent collection of more than 16,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American, Latin American, Latino, and Chicano art.

The Mexican Museum, open Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., is located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures, and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit: http://www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Mexican Museum is currently preparing for the construction of its permanent home in the heart of the Yerba Buena Gardens Art District, which is expected to open in 2019. People are encouraged to support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members, or by joining the Builder's Society online or by mailing a check to: The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA 94123. For more information on the Builder's Society, please contact Adriana Lopez at (415) 202-9700.

To post a comment, you must register and login.