A children’s version of Romeo and Juliet was presented to the delight of audiences throughout Los Angeles County as part of the permanent cultural program that University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles (UDGLA) is implementing in this city, on this occasion in coordination with Cultura UDG and Shakespeare Festival/LA.

This adaptation of the William Shakespeare classic was performed October 6-10 by the Guadalajara theater company A la deriva Teatro. There were five showings at different educational institutions in Los Angeles County, where hundreds of Latino children experienced a fresh and creative version of this classic work which incorporates stories of Mexican culture and identity.

This innovative production of the Bard’s most romantic work, under the direction of Fausto Ramírez, is meant for the enjoyment of children and adults alike.

Productions by A la deriva are known for the way in which they draw performers and audience members closer to one another and for their skillful use of theatrical language as an expressive and aesthetic tool. Such qualities result in a deeper reading of social customs and different ways of being of people in different communities.  The company specializes in putting on classic works of theater in a way that makes their stories and themes understandable and entertaining to children, hence helping to foster their interest in literature.

Romeo and Juliet was performed at the following LA County locations: Gompers Elementary School in Lakewood, El Marino Language School in Culver City, Reseda Elementary School in San Fernando Valley, San Rafael Elementary School in Pasadena and the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Los Angeles. This event was made possible by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America, Inc., which sponsors a range of cultural and academic activities organized by University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles in coordination with other institutions for the Latino population of Los Angeles.

The performances were conducted in Spanish as a creative exercise, while the last show at the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts was simultaneously interpreted into English.  In attendance at the last show were Artistic Director of Shakespeare Festival/LA Ben Donenberg, Executive Director of University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles Gustavo Padilla Montes, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents culturally diverse Los Angeles communities such as Bunker Hill, Little Tokyo, and South Los Angeles, and Executive Director of the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts Rex Patton.

The show at this last school, with its modern, versatile and flexible performance facilities, served as a kind of laboratory for experimentation with scenery.  The more than 200 children and adults who attended gave A la deriva Teatro a standing ovation, and University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles was congratulated for giving them the chance to experience this type of theater.

UDGLA organizes cultural activities such as this one with the idea of creating bonds between the University, the artistic community and the Los Angeles local community.