Families gathered around the Olvera Street plaza, lit vibrantly and filled with loud music, as Teatro del Barrio prepared for their performance. Every night from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2 at 6 p.m., a performance telling the story of the Day of the Dead took over the open plaza.
Día de Los Muertos is a celebration of life, not a time to mourn our loved ones, but rather to remember the lives they led and the many things they enjoyed in life. Olvera Street hosts a one-of-a-kind celebration in Los Angeles putting all of this on display, with a nightly procession and community altars.
Teatro del Barrio presented “La Danza de la Muerte”, a theatrical performance telling the story of Día de los Muertos, tracing it from its indigenous roots to how it has transformed to our modern day celebrations. With its lively environment and children running around, the nightly performance brought the community together.
Gloria Trujillo, a volunteer performer in Teatro del Barrio, participates in the show because she enjoys sharing her culture and spreading joy. She has been with Teatro del Barrio for nearly twenty years, performing annually with permission from the City of Los Angeles.
“It serves as a reminder that, eventually, we too will follow the same path,” said Trujillo. “This encourages us to leave behind good memories and perform kind deeds, as people remember us for how we helped others–which is a truly beautiful thing.”
According to Trujillo, Teatro del Barrio incorporated ofrendas into the performance to share an expression of joy. “La Danza de La Muerte” also features Catrina, a skeletal figure that represents both joy and a moment of reflection on our fleeting time on Earth. These elements are a way to show respect for those who have passed.
“Ultimately, it is a way to show respect for those who have departed, remembering them with great love and cherishing the lessons they taught us, while also leaving a legacy for future generations,” said Trujillo.
The performance uses elements like sweets and the iconic symbol of the Catrina to serve as a reminder to celebrate life while honoring those who have passed. While telling the story of the Day of the Dead, actors dressed as skeletons danced around the plaza, engaging with the audience. Catrina was the largest figure, she stood out amongst the performers.
Yoli Torres, a student at Occidental College, attended the event because it’s a tradition in her community. She believes it’s important that the community have access to these performances.
“Here in Placita Olvera, it’s very historic. I think it’s cool that the community maintains these traditions, just to teach the younger ones about the holidays.” said Torres.
According to Nicolas Rodriguez, a nursing educator, through “La Danza de la Muerte” people who aren’t from Los Angeles are able to see the culture and how it’s represented.
“[Got] to stay rooted to culture, you know, the idea of being colonized…you really want to make sure you stay close to your culture.” said Rodriguez.
According to Teatro del Barrio, “La Danza de la Muerte” presents more than just the story of the Day of the Dead, it’s a political statement on what’s going on in the community.
With the recent political climate, Teatro del Barrio said they wanted to use their performance as a form of advocacy. Sergio Serdio, director of Teatro del Barrio, describes the performance as a didactic tool to explain the origins of modern Day of the Dead, with content that involves themes like the persecution of the Latino community and exploitation of immigrants.
“The operations by ICE against the Latino community have been instilling fear within these communities,” said Sedio. “It has been difficult, getting people to come, given the fear that exists, but we’ve had a very good response… We ourselves feel a bit of fear being out here… but ultimately we have to do this; we have to keep going.”
The goal is to ensure the younger generations remain connected to their ancestral origins and family history. Teatro del Barrio invites the community to participate in the group and join their movement and acting trainings.
“We are a community group, we receive no financial support whatsoever.” said Serdio, “We rely solely on the donations people give us at the end of the show, and we use those funds to produce the following year’s production”.
According Trujillo, as a community group, they seek to inspire and engage young people by showing them their culture and traditions.
“I hope young people come to appreciate all of this, to embrace this path, and to see that joy is beautiful and dancing is a source of happiness,” said Trujillo.
Edited by Emma Kahn.