SAN LUIS VALLEY — “The Milagro Beanfield War” will be performed on Sept. 5 at the SLV Federal Bank Main Stage Theater at Adams State University in Alamosa. Millie Duran will direct the play, originally a novel written by John Nichols in 1974. The novel became a movie in 1988.
The cast in for this local performance is comprised almost entirely of high school students, many of whom are from Centennial High School in San Luis. Shirley Romero Otero with the Move Mountains youth group has assisted in the production and is the founder of Move Mountains, an entrepreneurship and art community-education program focused on building a platform for the youth leaders of San Luis.
The story takes place in the fictional town of Milagro, N.M., where water is scarce. Resort developer Ladd Devine plans to build a resort that will consume water from the nearby fields. Farmer Jose Mondragon accidentally breaks a water pipe used by a business. He accidentally sets off a water-rights war between the agricultural users and developers.
In the novel, Nichols writes this about the Beanfield War, "It was a soft, early spring morning with the mist still clinging to the mountain and the blackbirds just starting to swoop low over the alfalfa fields when Jo Mondragon - thirty-six with not much to show for it, a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble - slammed his battered pick-up to a stop, tugged on his gumboots, and marched into the arid patch of ground his father had once cultivated. Carefully, impulsively (and also illegally), he tapped into the main irrigation channel." "And so began - though few knew it at the time (least of all Joe) - the great Milagro Beanfield War."
The director of the play, Duran, is CEO of Denver-based Casa Milagro Youth Solutions. The group presents theater performances for youth centered on teen dating violence, gang intervention, males disrespecting females and bullying. The performances deal with real-life issues that stimulate problem-solving and critical thinking issues.
Duran said, “‘Milagro Beanfield War’ is a study in conflict resolution. Many parallels are as common today as they were years ago when Nichols wrote this.”
Duran finds parallels from the play to the issue in the San Luis Valley regarding the Cielo Vista Ranch, where the absent owner has built an 8-foot-tall fence around the 83,000-acre property. The Colorado Sun called the issue "a 150-year-old San Luis Valley land war.” Duran said the comparisons between protagonist Jose Mondragon and residents resonate well.
Most of the actors are students at Centennial High School in Sal Luis, and Superintendent Joe Garcia said this, “We are all about providing opportunities to Centennial students and experiences that last a lifetime of learning. These students have such a privilege to engage in history of Southern Colorado, particularly something close to home here in the San Luis area. Rich in traditions, culture, and history, I see these students as leaders. Engaging in the play is a particularly important opportunity for them to be a teachable moment." Garcia thanked Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Foundation.
The Cast:
From Centennial High School are actors, Diego Franco - 4 characters - Laila Garcia - 6 characters -Sophitia Petrick – 6 characters - Roarik Petrick - 5 characters - Anai Medina - 7 characters
Lanessa Lobato - 11 characters Temo de la Torre - 4 characters William Kirk - 4 characters Amaya Garcia - Props and costume manager - 2 characters, Lillyana Sanchez, Chanell Vigil
Sierra Grande High School Jacob Portillo - 7 characters
Casa Milagro Youth Solutions Youth - Denver - Colorado Early College - Lorenzo Ortiz
