I:WITNESS was the culminating full production in 2017 of a Young Theaterworks script written as a part of the Chicano Legacy Project. The Chicano Legacy Project journey began at Monterey High School in 2011 with our first Chicano elder interviewees — all veterans of the historic 1968 East L.A. student walkouts; the largest student walkout in the history of the United States. It was clear from the beginning that, through interviews conducted with prominent Chicano Moratorium activists, Chicano muralist, and Chicano poets, this intergenerational program inspired our students with its powerful history as well it's transformative artistic and academic process.

The stories in I:WITNESS represent four of the fifteen stories written by Monterey High School students; with additional original writing by Pueblo High School students who have also been engaged for two years in the process of developing, designing and producing I:WITNESS under the strong and steady guidance of our Lead Teaching Artists Sayda Trujillo and Juan Parada. All these students have inspired us with their willingness to engage in a new experience that challenges them to express themselves and represent their community’s history in a unique way.

The Chicano Legacy Project brings our students and audiences a deeper understanding of what is possible when a community is inspired to speak for itself for both the collective and individual empowerment.

Produced by

Pueblo de Los Angeles High School students and About… Productions

written by

Students at Monterey High School and Pueblo High School in the Young Theaterworks Program

DIrected by

Juan Parada

Cast of professional and student actors

Estela Garcia, Marlene Beltran Cuahtin, Adrian Brizuela, Cynthia Callejas, Eileen Lopez, and Eddie Ruiz, with Kimberly Barrita, Kiara Barajas, Danielle Camarillo, Athena Gomez, Desily Saurin, Jean Soza, and Maria Strong