CALEXICO — For Jorge Enrique Jiménez, Calexico High School’s Varner Gym is more than just a place for basketball games and physical education. This Thursday, it was transformed into a stage where literature, social commentary, and teenage identity collide.
After a hiatus caused by the pandemic and subsequent budget cuts, the school’s Spanish literature program is making a dramatic return. At 10 a.m. this Thursday, Jiménez’s students presented a showcase of Latin American theater, marking a hard-fought victory for arts education in the district.
“We are using theater as a cultural tool to create awareness,” said Jiménez, a veteran educator who has taught at the Home of the Bulldogs since 1999. “It is a bridge to promote culture and values to teenagers who need them now more than ever.”
The road back to the stage hasn’t been easy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish literature class was removed from the curriculum. It was only through the advocacy of the current principal and superintendent—whom Jiménez credits for their commitment to cultural literacy—that the course was reinstated last year.
Even then, Jiménez faced uphill battles. Last year’s enrollment was too low to stage a full production. This year, however, the numbers have rebounded, providing the “raw material” and talent necessary to bring scripts to life.
The program featured a curated selection of works by renowned Mexican playwright Emilio Carballido, including Paso de Madrugada and El Espejo 2. Jiménez, who personally knew the late Carballido, chose these pieces for their accessibility and their “everyday” realism.
“Carballido’s work reflects daily life,” Jiménez said. “He once told me that anything that happens here can be a play. He portrays the day-to-day in a way that is simple for students to digest.”
The showcase will also tackle heavy-hitting social issues through a monologue by Sergio Peregrina: Volver a Decir el Mar: A poignant look at early fatherhood and the responsibilities of a teenage parent.
“Through theater, we deliver a message,” Jiménez explained. “We are addressing problems like early parenthood to create a conscious student body, but we do it in an entertaining way.”
School-wide collaboration
While the plays are the centerpiece, the event has evolved into a full-scale celebration of Hispanic heritage. Jiménez invited students from outside his department to showcase the school’s diverse talent, including:
- A folklore ballet performance.
- The school’s estudiantina (musical group) performing three traditional Spanish songs.
- A student-led contemporary dance piece.
- An accordion solo by a local student prodigy.
Because the school lacks a formal auditorium, the production relies on technical support from the Associated Student Body (ASB) to outfit the gymnasium with a specialized sound system and perimeter microphones.
While Thursday’s performance was limited to students, faculty, and administrators—including Superintendent Arturo Jiménez—the teacher hopes this is just the beginning.
Jiménez is already eyeing a June production focused on teenage problems and values, where students write their own sketches based on their personal experiences. For now, he is focused on the final rehearsals, staying late into the afternoon to ensure actresses and actors are ready to find their voices entirely in Spanish.
“It is about entertainment,” he said, “but more importantly, it is about the message they take home.”
Student voices
The Spanish literature students were excited for their first-ever live performance, with many of them having recited and learned their lines in a very short amount of time.
The student actors described their play as a comedy but also social commentary about real-life events and realistic personalities and situations.
“The truth is, we loved doing this work of theater by Emilio Carballido. It was super fun how we worked as a team and learned things about each other. I enjoyed it a lot,” said Jocelyn Bravo, a student actor in the play.
“We learned how to work together as a team and how to support each other. We also learned how to be empathetic with each other and with our characters and how to imagine ourselves in their shoes, so to speak,” said Alejandra Ventura.
Student Angel Cuevas said, “It’s been fun. I enjoyed being here. Like anything else, sometimes we make mistakes, but we correct them.”
A fourth student, Humberto Aceves, said, “It was very fun, two long months of rehearsing. I have the most dialogue in the play. It was a bit complicated to learn all the lines, but I learned quickly.”
Aceves also said, “I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be in this play and to work with Mr. Jimenez, and we’re going to give it our all today.”
One of the students in a lead role, Luis Cisneros, a senior at Calexico High School, said, “My role in this performance is that of a husband. I feel very, very inspired to be in this play.”
He even grew a mustache; he said, “To elevate the performance and to demonstrate my character.”
“I feel thrilled to be a part of this. Although it’s the first time that I do this, this gives me the opportunity to represent my culture,” Cisneros said.
Cisneros also had kind words for his teacher, Mr. Jimenez, saying, “I think he’s an excellent teacher. He’s helped me grow out of my comfort zone by forcing me to present, on my own, or in groups. I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”
Editor Arturo Bojórquez contributed to this story
