Residents Use Play to Share Immigrant Experiences

A cast of Highland Park residents is producing a play this weekend as part of an international project documenting the rise of community-based theater.

“Saquen La Sopa, Ya!” deals with incest, gangs and citizenship in an immigrant community. The play was developed through improvisation by community members who participate in El Teatro de la Realidad, a theater program based at the Highland Park Family Resource Center.

“These are community people who, from the most passionate part of their being, want to share their stories,” said director Sally Gordon.

Dutch theater scholar Eugene van Erven and filmmaker Rod Prosser are documenting the rehearsals and productions for “Swapping Stories,” a book and documentary film project to be released in July 1998. Their team also will visit theater companies in the Philippines, Costa Rica, Australia and Kenya for the project.

“This kind of theater has enormous potential,” Van Erven said. “I think we’re at the forefront of a major phenomenon here. This is much more than drama therapy. It is art and it is the people’s art.”

The free performances will be held at 7 tonight) at the Highland Park Ebell Club, 131 S. Avenue 57, and Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Hathaway Family Resource Center, 840 N. Avenue 66.