Imperial Valley Press

From the Sunday, August 5, 2007 edition

Tales, Holtville Lore brought to life on stage

By BRIANNA LUSK, Staff Writer

HOLTVILLE - It's the town Jessi Preciado grew up in and the place she has chosen to raise her children.

But it's never quite the center of the spotlight, usually considered the 'boonies' compared to larger neighboring cities.

So when Preciado walked into the Finley Elementary School auditorium, she had no idea bits of history and stories revealed in Cornerstone Theater Company's 'A Holtville Night?s Dream' would bring tears to her eyes.

"The little blurbs about Holtville ? I even cried. It was awesome," Preciado said.

The Los Angeles-based professional theater company set up its summer residency in Holtville after more than a year of researching the city and its unique folklore.

From the cemetery on the outskirts of town that serves as a burial ground for illegal immigrants who lost their lives in the desert to a legendary Viking ghost ship, it all was played out on stage this weekend.

With a mix of professional actors and local thespians playing key roles, "A Holtville Night?s Dream" is William Shakespeare's classic "A Midsummer Night?s Dream" with an Imperial Valley twist.

Vegetables try desperately to put on a play about ?The Winning of Barbara Worth? while teenagers find themselves tangled in a web of love complicated by football rivalries.

Preciado said as a parent, the play resurrected and taught her a few things about local lore.

"As parents sometimes we forget to pass along stories to our children," Preciado said. "I'm glad they picked us."

For newer residents like Cindy Pacheco, who has lived in the city for 11 years, the play opened her eyes to her husband's hometown.

"My husband grew up here. Listening to the stories, it was just great," Pacheco said.

And watching her 11-year-old daughter Alexis on stage was the highlight.

"Theater is so much fun," Alexis, who plays an onion and narrator, said. "I nailed it."

The family postponed its summer vacation so Alexis could take part in the production.

"She loved it. It was well worth the experience she got," Pacheco said.

Thirteen-year-old Asia Torres, who played the role of a cotton plant named Snug, considers children her age to be the future and preservers of their small town life.

"It's really true Holtville has done a lot of things," Asia, who shared the stage with her grandmother, said. "It's like my grandmother said in the play, it was a dream of many."

The sense of pride she has for her town grew, Asia said, and the play captured the true spirit of Holtville.

"We're a small town with a big heart," Asia said.