Imagine our country as a battleground-soldiers separate families, scaring children and preventing free expression. This is the basis of the University Theater's play, \Boc??n,"" which is presented as part of the ""Theater for Young Audiences"" series.
""Boc??n,"" which means ""loud mouth"" in Spanish, is the story of Miguel, a young boy, who must use the courage within on a quest to find the ""frightened voice"" he loses when soldiers capture his parents. His aunt tells him to go ""norte"" and share his parent's story so their village may one day return to normal.
David Furumoto, director of ""Boc??n,"" strongly believes in the idea children should know their family's history, and hopes this play prompts them to ask questions about their background.
""So many of us come from different places, our grandparents and great grandparents,"" Furumoto said, ""and it's important for children today to really know where they come from.""
Along with the story of ""Boc??n,"" traditional dancing and singing mixes into the play. According to Louis Washington, who plays Kiki, an old Indian who defies the soldiers with his sacred dance, the dancing is meant for the gods of the four corners of the earth.
""The feathers are tied to the god, Quetzalcoatl, the feather serpent, so it is a sacred dance,"" Washington said. ""They act as a guiding light, like shooting stars in the sky, meant to guide the god so he can help his people.""
The play is based on the 1982 Guatemalan civil war and intends to educate about the hidden dangers of colonization. According to Marcela O. Garcia, who plays La Llorona, indigenous people were forced to change their cultural way of life when the soldiers came and colonized them.
""Traditional culture was overthrown by Western thought, and this play shows that divide,"" Garcia said. ""Here, ancient meets with modern, with Kiki as the past and the soldiers as the present.""
""Boc??n"" also teaches about other languages and cultures. The play is performed in English, but uses many Spanish words and phrases, and all the songs are in Spanish. Each playbill comes with activities kids can do that are presented in both languages.
Keysha Monique Mabra, who plays the loud-mouthed Miguel, hopes the play will teach children how important it is to express yourself, in whatever language they speak.
""It's important that people should learn foreign languages to communicate,"" Mabra said. ""We all want to [be able to] talk to each other.""
Furumoto hopes adults realize the greater relevance of this play, the idea of freedom and what that means in today's society. He also hopes audiences will develop a greater understanding about the meaning of our own country.
""There are larger issues at work here. People flee their own countries due to war and unrest,"" Furumoto said. ""The strength of America was the ability to let others come in, and now we're turning around and saying they can't do that anymore.""
""Boc??n"" is a touching tale audiences of all ages can both enjoy and learn from. While no one likes a loud-mouth, this play reminds us that it is better to speak out and survive than to remain quiet and disappear.
