What an experience!
Picture a couple of folk holding large bright pink arrows with the 365 logo stuck on with double sided tape, twirling the arrows as if we were trying to get attention to an open house or a telecommunications store. Drivers rolled on by then looked over their shoulders then slowed down, it was an accident waiting to happen but luckily none occurred. We were crazy to perform 8 pieces Monday thru Friday then on Saturday and Sunday do the 8 pieces again four times at four different locations. We went from two audience members to about thirty plus all the rubbernecks and at one location the Mariachis standing at a distance.
We started off Monday at probably the most famous East LA landmark, the Whittier Blvd. sign. Directly underneath it by the bus stop we performed to a great crowd that included friends, 365 patrons, a little boy wearing his Tiger the Tiger costume, a homeless man, and a family of three that were just passing by. It was amazing to see the smiles on their faces and to hear them laugh. Because we performed in English and in Spanish there was something for everyone.
Day two was the Taco Truck fight. We had a heckler from the very beginning but that didn't stop the troupes, they forged ahead amidst taco eating patrons but soon the Taco Truck vendors got on their loud speakers asking them to move out of the way. Let me clarify, they were not kicking us out only asking us to move out of the way of the cars trying to get onto the side walk where they parked in order to buy some tacos, mind you there was a lot of street parking. So my sister, who is not shy, decides to go up to the poor Taco Truck vendor and they get into a verbal fight, actually she was doing the yelling, he was trying to get a word in. Before you knew it the show was over and the actors were gone. My sister returned to one of the audience members and asked if the show was over. He replied he didn't know because he was too busy watching her performance. Alas it was over, but that audience member came back to see the show a few days later.
The following two performances at the Evergreen Cemetery and Self-Help Graphics went off with out a hitch and Friday's show at King Taco was a great success. Families gathered and enjoyed dinner theatre whether they knew it or not, it was most likely our largest contained crowd and one of the strongest shows.
Saturday was the first of two days that would put the actors to the test with four performances starting at Soledad Church, followed by the East LA Library, Ruben Salazar Park, and ending at Mariachi Plaza. They were so tired after Mariachi Plaza when a tourist bus pulls up, they thought about doing it one more time for them, then realized they were burnt out.
Sunday was our final four going from housing project to housing project. The first two Estrada Courts and Aliso Pico were quiet. The third performance was at Ramona Gardens, one of the toughest projects around, and I must admit that the actors were a bit worried. I told them not to worry because my aunt lived there and we would do it by her place. It was by far one of the most fulfilling of the bunch. Kids getting wet on the pavement and dipping into their blow up plastic pools surrounded us. At the end of the performance we take our piñata and throw out candy, in a split second all the kids that had been watching the play rush for the candies, what can I say, it's in our DNA. It was amazing and quite beautiful to hear them laugh and be captivated. Our final stop was Maravilla Projects and under the shade of trees we performed for the final time. It was a small crowd but a warm and receptive one , you could tell they weren't from the neighborhood.
I must thank our actors for their wonderful work, Juan E. Carrillo, Fanny Garcia, Francisco Garcia, and Raquel Sanchez and our co-directors Cristela Saravia and April Ibarra. And Ms. Bonnie Metzgar and Suzan-Lori Parks.
We hope you all have as much fun as we have and that the fun continues 365 days for the rest of your life.
Abrazos, Jesus A. Reyes.