Our golden past, our golden future was the theme at the 2011 Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC) conference this October. MCTLC’s mission is to advance the teaching of world languages and cultures in Minnesota by bringing educators together for a sharing of knowledge and ideas.
At this year’s conference Teatro performed The Adventures of Juan, a puppet show about a young Chicano boy discovering his heritage and culture through visits from mythical Minnesotan and Mexican historical figures. After the performance the actors and artistic director, Al Justiniano, engaged participants in a short interactive workshop about the themes brought up in the show, including cultural alienation, and the dehumanization that can occur against immigrant communities in Minnesota.
A main purpose of Teatro’s participation in the conference was to spread the word about the upcoming performance of The House on Mango Street, a play adapted from the beloved coming-of-age novel about a young girl growing up in a Latino neighborhood in Chicago. Along with spring performance Teatro is offering in-school residencies to explore the themes represented in the book and upcoming show to students studying the House on Mango Street in their classrooms.
Teatro will continue to be involved in showcasing their programs at the next MCTLC conference next year. Thanks to the organizers for providing Teatro with the excellent opportunity. Until next year!
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