Save the date for joint auditions for Alebrijes and A Christmas Carol en La Frontera
When: September 21st 6:00-9:00 PM
Callbacks: September 22nd 6:00-9:00 PM
Location: SOMOS Studio 513 W. San Antonio Ave. Suite B.
- Those auditioning can choose to be considered for one or both of these productions.
- Audition sides will be provided.
- Please bring a headshot and resume.
Alebrijes
- Seeking adult performers 18+ of all abilities.
- Rehearsals for Alebrijes begin September 25th and continue M/W/F from 6-9pm.
- Alebrijes is schedule for two performances
October 23rd& 24th 2026
A Christmas Carol en La Frontera
- Seeking adult and child performers 7+ of all abilities.
- Rehearsals for A Christmas Carol en La
Frontera begin October 26th and continue
M/W/F from 6-9pm. - A Christmas Carol en La Frontera is scheduled for six performances December 8*, 10*,11, &12.
- *Daytime student matinees.
Alebrijes by Georgina Escobar
Originally commissioned by Milagro. in Portland, Oregon
Directed By Ivan Theriot
Synopsis
Join La Muerte as she chases Pedro, and his three totemitos in this family-friendly Day of the Dead celebration of fantastical Mexican folk art. A mythologized telling of the life (and almost death) of alebrije creator Pedro Linares, this screwball comedy is about art’s capacity to transcend mortality. Follow Pedro on a nostalgic visit to Mexico City in 1936, discover his special relationship to his animals, and join him in his journey through a psychedelic Oaxacan jungle (or is it the afterlite?). Filled with spectacle to include community-built alebrijes, a ten-foot mojiganga La Muerte puppet, and Tilled with movement and beloved traditional music, the show culminates in a community altar-building experience which invites audiences to light a candle to and speak the names of their dearly departed.
Characters
In order of appearance:
Lillian: 20s, A creative writing student. Marrying Antonio this November bweekend. Sharp, curious, genuine. She doubles to play Alejandra in 1936.
Antonio: 20s, A visual arts major at UNAM. Has a penchant for street art, and is starting his rise to fame. A gentle Mexican man. He doubles to play Felipe in 1936.
Pedro Linares: 30s, A fictionalized version of the real creator of the famous Alebrijes. A cartonero or ‘carton man’ of great big dreams and humble means. He believes everything around him is alive and a source of inspiration. Ingenious with his artistry, he believes in things like totems, and the meaning behind dreams. In love with his childhood sweetheart, he tries hard to make ends meet, in hopes to make the art that he’s sure will impress her. Imaginative, he’s the artist where Manuel is the barterer. He comes from a long lineage of calavera (skeletons), piñata, and “Juditas” (devil) papier-mâché making; he also knows how to make shoes and grow crops of chinampas.
Manuel Linares: 20s, Pedro’s younger brother, a dreamer, wants to be rich, an optimistic gambler. He sometimes comes across as over-confident. Doubles as Bartolome, the cat.
La Muerte: Any Lady Death an eager woman with a mission. She’s gracious, a sage, a gardener who is generally peaceful, but sometimes, why not: likes to play games with the living. Strong, vivacious, she is also ill-patient at times. She also does the Offstage voice of Ms. Obregon, Antonio’s mother.
Alejandra Brijeda: 20s, Played by Lillian, she is Pedro’s love interest and childhood friend. An artist at heart, she’s found ‘a good match’ in Leonardo, the young real-estate star. From Xochimilco, she always feels a tad out of place in the pretense of Zona Rosa.
Felipe “El Gallo” Ramirez: Any A rooster. Pedro’s oldest friend and companion. A ‘rescue’ from Manuel’s old days as a cock fighter. He wants to be the best singer ever, but was not gifted a very good voice. A bit tattered, old-fashioned, he finds comfort lately, in his fate as a diligent alarm clock. He also puppeteers various moments throughout the show.
Florinda “La Pata”: Any, Hatched among Xochimilco hounds, she sometimes acts more like a guard-duck than other Chapultepec ducks. She’s loyal, maternal, but would also fiercely protective. She’s on the lines of a spy-mom, a super-smart duck. She also puppeteers various moments throughout the show.
Bartolome “The Gato”: 20s-30s, An alley cat who’s seen his last 8 lives go by very fast. His fur is tattered and patchy as it’s also the source of Pedro’s brush bristles. Like most Mexican felines, he’s probably more an actual Balam, or Jaguar according to the Mayas, guarding the path of the dead and the living. Skeptical of most things that surround him, he’s jumpy at times he wished he wasn’t, also puppeteers various moments throughout the show.
A Christmas Carol en La Frontera by Adriana Dominguez & Jay Stratton
Synopsis
A timeless masterpiece told in the spirit of La Frontera. This holiday ghost story is filled with thrills and chills to delight young and old alike. But more than a yuletide spectacle, this play is a tale of tamily, solitude, and redemption. By transplanting the familiar Dickens classic from Victorian England to the US/Mexican border, the story finds new life and cultural relevance. Though easily understood by English-speaking audiences, the play has a generous helping of español to add authenticity to the borderland story.
Characters
SCROOGE: Ebenezer or Benito Scrooge. Older, male, Mexican but lives in the north and never goes south. Native Spanish speaker but speaks perfect English.
UNDERTAKER: Flexible. American narrative voice. Native English speaker but bilingual.
SEPULTURERO: Flexible. Mexican narrative voice. Native Spanish speaker but bilingual.
ROBERTO CRATCHIT: Scrooge’s clerk. Middle-aged male,Mexican, bilingual but much stronger in Spanish.
FEDERICO: Scrooge’s nephew. Young male, Mexican but lives in the north, perfectly bilingual.
MARLEY: As a ghost and as a living being in flashback. American businessman speaks only English.
MOTHER SUPERIOR: The Ghost of Christmas Past. A Mexican nun and teacher. Bilingual.
DON PELUCHE: A bombastic older Mexican businessman.Bilingual.
SEÑORA PELUCHE: Middle-aged Mexican woman. Native Spanish speaker.
YOUNG SCROOGE: Scrooge ages 16-23. Bilingual.
BELLA: (Spanish name pronunciation) Young Mexican woman. Bilingual but stronger in Spanish.
CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Flexible. The Falstaffian spirit of Christmas. Mexican, but really a spirit. Bilingual.
MRS. CRATCHIT: Roberto Cratchit’s wife. Adult Mexican woman. Spanish speaking but strongly bilingual.
MARTA CRATCHIT: The eldest Cratchit child. Late teenage or early 20s Mexican young woman. Native Spanish speaker but strongly bilingual.
CATHERINE: Young American woman. Wife of Federico. Native English speaker.
JORGE: Young Mexican man. Husband of Rose. Bilingual.
ROSE: Young Mexican woman. Wife of Jorge. Native Spanish speaker.
PERCY: Young American man. Bilingual.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE: Non-verbal character. Strong physical acting.
ADULT ENSEMBLE:
Husband, Wife, Ricardo, María, Mayor, Sheriff, Piñatero, Carnicero, Vendedor de Velas
YOUTH ENSEMBLE:
Little Girl, Boy Scrooge, Esperanza, Pedro Cratchit, Belinda Cratchit, Luisa Cratchit, Tomasito Cratchit, Ignorance, Want, Esteban
* Note, with the exception of Scrooge, all roles may be double cast.
All performers and technicians will receive stipends.
For additional information or questions please email manny@somosep.org.