As its name might imply, "The Dangerous Border Game," the next offering in the Yale Repertory Theatre's Special Events Series, seeks to cross many boundaries.
The work by Guillermo Gomez-Pena in collaboration with Roberto Sifuentes has been called a "culti-multural, end-of-the- century, post-NAFTA, freak show extravaganza." It has also been described as a "Spanglish lounge act," blending narrative, poetry and rap in "a multi-lingual work of English, Spanish, Italian, French, Quechua and Nahuatl" that explores issues of race and immigration with "valor, but also with generosity and humor." The show will be presented at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, in the University Theatre, 222 York St.
"The Dangerous Border Game" reflects the multi-faceted talents and interests of its creator. Since coming to the United States in 1978 from his native Mexico, Mr. Gomez-Pena has been exploring cross- cultural issues through performance, multilingual poetry, journalism, video, radio and installation art. These works have played a part in the development of the debates on cultural diversity, identity and U.S.-Mexico relations. They have also garnered several awards for Mr. Gomez-Pena, including the Prix de la Parole at the 1989 International Theatre Festival of the Americas, the 1989 Bessie Award, a 1991 MacArthur Fellowship and the 1993 Los Angeles Music Center's Viva Los Artistas Award. Mr. Gomez-Pena was also included in the Utne Reader's 1995 "List of 100 Visionaries." Mr. Sifuentes is an interdisciplinary artist who lives in New York City. He has toured with Mr. Gomez-Pena in performances, lectures and installation projects throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America. He has also presented his own work at St. Mark's Poetry Project in New York.
Tickets for "The Dangerous Border Game" are $18 for the general public; $15 for Yale Rep members; and $10 for students with a valid I.D. For more information, or to charge tickets by phone, call the Yale Repertory Theatre box office, 432-1234.