Have you ever felt your home was not really your home? Have you been told that the land you work with your hands is not your country? This deep sense of dislocation is one of the first elements striking audiences of the new play, There and Back. According to writer Raul Garza, “I was inspired by the story of Mexican immigrants because I’ve seen them in my hometown of Austin for years.” The immediate impetus for the play,” says Garza, “is the cultural fallout of recent government actions and the effort to defend the human rights that define our country.”
The play is the story of a Mexican immigrant and specifically looks at one married couple in the early 1960s. As the play takes us up to our own time, the focus shifts to just the wife as she ages and has a son and grandson. The Austin Chronicle asserts, “This play emphasizes how the human spirit transcends politics, economics, borders, and fear.”
Join us for the Mexican premiere of this new play by Raul Garza as it opens a dialogue about the current immigration crisis through the eyes of the Mexicans seeking that “shining city upon a hill.” Direct from Austin, There and Back plays Thursday thru Sunday, April 4, 5, 6, 7. Tickets available at Biblioteca gift shop and online at www.sheltervg4.com.