Sube y Baja (The Teeter-Totter) by Francisco García

West Linn Alliance presents a staged reading of
Sube y Baja (The Teeter-Totter) by Francisco García
Mon., October 14th, 7:00
West Linn Lutheran Church
20390 Willamette Dr
Free Admission
(recommended for age 12 and up)

Two children come together at the border to ride a teeter-totter and share a brief moment of joy and heartbreak.
* Inspired by a 2019 art installation at the border wall between Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

The U.S.-Mexico border is front and center during this election season. At issue is finding ways to attract foreign labor to support American agriculture and business needs while stopping drug trafficking, violence, and illegal crossings. But how can we build relationships and get to know each other as neighbors? That is the theme for the play, Sube y Baja, that focuses on just four characters at the southern border: a boy from Texas of Mexican heritage, a girl from Juarez with from an indigenous family, a U.S. border guard and former soldier, and a Mexican border guard who is there “to protect and serve.”

            The West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community will host a play reading of Sube y Baja (The Teeter-Totter) at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 14 at the West Linn Lutheran Church, 20390 Willamette Drive, West Linn. This free event is appropriate for youth ages 12 and up and their families. The reading will be directed by the playwright, Francisco Garcia, who has cast two local, seasoned youth actors for the leading roles: Mila Kashiwabana as the girl and Kasey Tinoco as the boy.

            While the play’s characters are fictional, the setting was inspired by an art installation that took place at the U.S.-Mexican border wall crossing outside of El Paso, Texas in 2019. With the aim of drawing communities together, California architects and designers, Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, placed three pink teeter totters fabricated in Juarez through slats in the wall so that children from both countries could play together and interact. This 45-minute happening sparked Garcia’s imagination for creating a drama about a “real time event” involving adolescents. The border is merely a backdrop for exploring what happens when people are brought together momentarily, share their dreams, and divulge personal secrets.

 About the Playwright and Director: Francisco Garcia lives in Portland where he works in film, television, commercials and theater. As an actor he has appeared in plays at the Mark Taper Forum, Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Cornerstone Theatre Company, East L.A. Repertory, Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Milagro Theatre. Engaging youth in theater is a passion for Garcia. He is currently a specialty teacher of Theatre and Dance for Portland Public Schools where he supports all K-12 Theatre and Dance programs, leading trainings and professional development for theatre and dance educators and mentoring new teachers. Now in the midst of co-directing the Portland production of the Tony award-winning play, Kiss of the Spider Woman, he will take time out to direct the play reading of Sube y Baja in West Linn on October 14.