It’s a Southwestern Christmas Tradition Deeply Rooted in Change

Humor and action are not the hallmarks of most holiday theater fare, but in “Una Pastorela,” opening Wednesday at San Fernando Mission for a four-day run, that’s precisely what the audience can expect.

It is the story of shepherds traveling to Bethlehem to worship the newborn Jesus, but they have a heck of a time getting there. Along the way are demons to contend with--the Seven Deadly Sins dressed in football jerseys with their names on the back. If it weren’t for a group of sword-wielding angels, the shepherds might never arrive.

But arrive they do, as they have in Pastorelas for hundreds of years. The plays are a Christmas tradition in the Southwest and Mexico. Individual towns revised the story over the years until each pastorela has a character of its own.

“Part of the tradition is that you change it,” said Director Francisco Gonzalez, who revived Santa Barbara’s pastorela in 1986 and, with the UCLA Mexican Arts Series, is bringing it to San Fernando Mission. Gonzalez, a musician, was one of the founders of Los Lobos and stayed with the group from 1973 to 1976. He now teaches Chicano theater at Santa Barbara City College.

Pastorela means shepherd’s play. Working from a script in the archives of Santa Barbara Mission, Gonzalez wrote music to accompany the play’s rhymed Spanish lyrics.

“The original music is lost, of course,” he said. “Even having a script is kind of odd. This is an oral tradition. The people would start learning it in July and be able to do it by Christmas. They would learn it from someone who had the part before.”

Gonzalez added English phrases and says people unfamiliar with Spanish will have no trouble following the story. He expects a cast of about 30. The actors are unpaid.

“People from all parts of the Santa Barbara community are in it,” he said. “It’s fun, it has the spirit of simplicity.

“To me, it’s very important to continue this tradition. Our other Christmas traditions aren’t local. The ‘Nutcracker’ is Russian. Christmas carols are from Europe. We have a tendency to be colonized up to this day. But this play is something that evolved in California.”

Bill Hutchinson, associate dean of the UCLA College of Fine Arts, said the school’s Mexican Art Series had hoped to present a pastorela indigenous to Los Angeles this holiday season but could not put together a production in time. Discussions are under way with the Los Angeles Theatre Center for a local production next year.

“We’re not quite ready, so it’s wonderful that we could bring in the Santa Barbara group,” Hutchinson said.

“Una Pastorela” has been performed the past four years in Santa Barbara’s El Presidio Chapel. With its costumes, live musicians and horseback battles (done on imitation horses), the production is more lavish than most.

“This tradition is very low-profile,” Gonzalez said. “People did it in their homes or they’d do it in church, but not as a big spectacle. It’s still done today. Each region in Mexico has a different version. There are different versions all over New Mexico and in Texas.”

Following the local performances, a pinata will be set up for children in the audience to break.

“The devils come out and run the pinata, “ said Gonzalez. “The kids love it.”

“ Una Pastorela ,” 6 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Dec. 23; San Fernando Mission Chapel, 15151 San Fernando Mission Road, Mission Hills; admission $15, $8 for students and children. For information, call (213) 825-2953.