(Photo: Maggie Lacy)
How many ways are there to speak your voice? Social activists often take their work to the streets through canvassing, organizing protests, and holding rallies. Over the past weekend, however, Regis hosted the Romero Troupe, a volunteer theater troupe founded by Regis Professor Jim Walsh made up of social activists who primarily do their work on stage.
On February 25th, RUSGA’s Social Justice and Spirituality Committee hosted the Romero Troupe’s show “Thoughts on Regime Change & Other Stories of Resistance.” Over one hundred community members gathered in the Mountain View Room to watch the troupe members perform three-minute skits based on their personal experiences of the new regime.
In one skit, an immigrant family with two undocumented parents re-enacted how they felt on the night of Donald Trump’s election. In another, an elderly gentleman shared how he decided to get involved in activism late in life, and why it gave him purpose in the world. A third skit featured a woman describing what it was like to work at a nonprofit with refugee women on Inauguration Day. The variety of skits reflected the diverse range of ages, races, nationalities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses that make up the members of the Romero Troupe.
The emphasis on sharing true stories from community members is one of the primary goals of the Romero Troupe. On the event’s Facebook page created by the Social Justice and Spirituality Committee, the Romero Troupe shared, “We seek stories from Colorado past and present. We are particularly interested in stories about unknown activists and organizers, unknown labor actions, and acts of resistance in the immigrant, LGBTQ, peace, environmental, and low-income communities. Our mission is to resurrect these stories by re-creating them theatrically and performing them several times for live audiences. We believe that these stories act as nourishment in the larger struggle and might inspire people today to become active in social change."
The Romero Troupe dedicated their show to their fellow troupe member Jeanette Vizguerra. As an undocumented immigrant, Vizguerra has acted as an advocate for immigrants in Denver for many years. She was unable to attend the performance, remarkably, because she is currently taking refuge in the First Denver Unitarian Church to avoid deportation.The show was free, yet donations were encouraged at admission. The Romero Troupe was able to raise four hundred and eighty dollars to benefit Mojados Unidos, an immigrants rights organization in Colorado.
If you would like to know more about the Romero Troupe, please visit
For more on Mojados Unidos, visit
https://www.facebook.com/Mojados-unidos-677054439017643/
And for more on Jeanette Vizguerra’s story, visit
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter