Spring Break
Breaking Piñatas gives healing culture back to community
Nicole English
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Culture
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The fundraiser was the brain-child of Chato Villalobos as a way to demonstrate to the community the range of its cultural wealth and to give it back to the community in the form of a gift of performance.
"That is what piñatas are all about," Villalobos said. "The person who actually breaks the piñata is actually doing for the benefit of others. … It is a way of giving to others in a fun way. … That is where we got the idea for the name of the show."
In the tradition of the Mexican carpas of the pre-modern age, the show presented a mix of entertainment, political commentary and humor, but with a mix of traditional and contemporary themes. Villalobos wanted to make sure the show included both traditional and creative elements, so young people know where they come from and what their roots are.
"The performing arts are just different ways of telling stories," Villalobos added. "And that is the way that high school kids and young adults like to tell their stories … through the expressive arts … so this performance approach is in support of them."
The show started promptly at 7 p.m. with welcoming comments from Alta Vista Charter High School director, Gilbert Guerrero, and his protégé, Villalobos. Villalobos, a self-described "bad kid," stated that he owes his life being turned around to people in the community, like Guerrero, taking an interest in his well-being.
He turned himself around, finished school, and is now a well-known police officer and social activist in the West Side community. He organized this show as a thank-you to the community who supported him, and as an effort to engage other "at risk" teens before they get into trouble themselves.
In the lobby was artwork from the Alta Vista Charter High School students as well as those from inmates in prison with whom the students have been corresponding. Villalobos has also created a program reaching out to young adults in prison so they know they are not forgotten.
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