As a culmination of Latinx Heritage Month 2022, the Moorpark College Theatre Arts Department premiered the Chicano drama “Electricidad” on Oct. 13 in the Performing Arts Center.

Based on the Greek Tragedy “Electra” by Sophocles, this modernized theatrical production told the story of Electricidad, a young woman painfully mourning the death of her father in East Los Angeles. To seek vengeance against her culpable mother Clemencia, Electricidad turns to her brother, Orestes, to enact a suitable redemption.

The play received high praise from cast members and viewers for its diverse cast and for representing an underserved group.

Stage manager of the play and third-year student at Moorpark College, Amy Jimenez, commented on its importance.

“It’s important to the cast and families,” Jimenez said. This is the first time for the cast that their family members can come and understand what is happening on the stage, you never see that.”

Jimenez also emphasized the huge turnout for casting and the eagerness coming from the cast.

“There was a huge turnout, this is so important and Moorpark can go so far with this,” Jimenez said. “They are hungry and we will continue to drive them to push boundaries.”

The casting of a nearly all Latino or Hispanic group has been met with praise by the community and the theatre department itself, with many viewing the casting as progressive and crucial to the play’s plot.

Alicia Corral, the play’s assistant director and a first-year student at Moorpark College, commented on the importance of having an all Latino and Hispanic cast as well as how this led to the cast being able to connect to the story being told in the play.

“A lot of the actor’s stories are able to connect with the play’s message because they have lived through this,” Corral said.

This inclusive casting gave many prospective actors the courage to participate in the Theatre Arts Department for the very first time. Valerie Romero, a third-year film, television and media arts major had her acting debut as La Connie last Friday.

“For my first performance, my professor Suzanne, the cast, crew and designers gave me the greatest experience,” Romero said. “I learned to have confidence, something I didn’t know I had.”

Ximena Gutierrez, a first-year business administration major, also joined the production without previous theatre experience. Gutierrez’s experience portraying the powerful Clemencia gave her a strong foundation for playing complex characters onstage.

“What I learned playing Clemencia was that everyone has their own story behind their actions,” Gutierrez said. “The dark content made it cool to experiment with new things as an actress.”

Although “Electricidad” contained heavy themes and content for certain groups, Gutierrez hoped that with this production allowed the audience to become more aware of the realities Latino and Hispanic communities face.

“I think the audience can take away and benefit from seeing how different their lives are from our own, and that villains aren’t born, they are made,” Gutierrez said.

To view upcoming performing arts performances hosted by Moorpark College this fall, click here.