SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — It’s called “La Pastorela de Los Fronterizos.“
It’s a radio play directed by Max Branscomb, a journalism professor at Southwestern Community College in Chula Vista, California.
It’s a take on the traditional pastorelas, audio-only plays that are very popular in Mexico during the holidays.
They are often centered around the birth of Christ and the shepherds who traveled to see Him when He was born.
Branscomb has modernized the traditional pastorelas by “infusing them with popular culture and political references every year to keep them fresh.”
He’s been directing these productions for 31 years.
“It is quintessential borderlands where the Mexican culture and the American culture have come together and have begun to merge in this unique place we live in, San Diego County,” said Branscomb.
This year’s play features characters like Barbie, atom bomb inventor Robert Oppenheimer, and pop megastar Taylor Swift.
In Branscomb’s production, angels protect the shepherds on their journey as the devil, disguised as chameleon angels, tries to “get the shepherds to do something they shouldn’t.”
The shepherds are a metaphor for today’s migrants who journey across the border into the U.S., he said.
“The similarities are striking. They were chased out of their homes, and they’re told to go to Bethlehem, and on their journeys, they crossed borders, but they were more spiritual and psychological borders than political borders, but the parallels are striking,” said Branscomb. “We’ve always had refugees looking for better lives, and we do today.”
The production features actors from the San Diego region, including 13-year-old Syara Platero, who plays Moloch, a young devil who temps the shepherds during their journey.
On the other hand, Oppenheimer threatens to “blow up the shepherds,” much like those who don’t like or support migrants.
“We’ve always had refugees looking for better lives and as we do today,” Branscomb said.
La Pastorela de Los Fronterizos can be enjoyed on 89.1 FM in San Diego and online on KNSJ’s website through the end of the year.
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