WORKSHOP PREMIERES A NEW PLAY

“Buscando America/Seeking America,” a play about America as a multicultural society, is being given a premiere run this week at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana.

The play, developed by members of the community college’s theater workshop, centers on the modern-day encounters of the ancient Mexican god, Quetzalcoatl, with immigrant families, war refugees and others.

Chief writers for the 75-minute work are Roy Conboy and Shawn Quirk, who developed their material from discussions in Rancho Santiago’s New Plays and Players Workshop.

Jose Cruz Gonzalez, who conducts the workshop, is directing the play. He is also coordinator of South Coast Repertory Theatre’s Hispanic Playwrights Project, a play development program. In 1984, he was production associate for “Second Lives,” an SCR production of dramatic readings about immigrants living in Orange County.

Thirteen of the workshop’s 18 members are in the cast. The workshop, held each Saturday since Jan. 24, offers instruction in scenic design and technical staging, as well as performing and writing plays.

“Buscando America/Seeking America,” which opened Thursday, continues at 8 p.m. today and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

It also will be presented May 14-17. All performances are in the campus Phillips Hall Theatre.

(Tickets for “Buscando America/Seeking America” are $5 for adults and $4 for students. Call (714) 667-3163 for information.)