Theatre Students Perform ‘Milagro Beanfield War’ Live | Arts & Entertainment

John Nichols’ groundbreaking social justice novel The Milagro Beanfield War celebrated its 50th birthday this year. And in San Luis, Antonito, Saguache, Alamosa, and soon Denver and Pueblo, young direct descendants of the true-life conflict over water rights are staging their own stage adaptation of the story and touring the play as their first significant foray into the performing arts.

The year-long effort is a passion project for Millie Duran, founder of the Denver-based nonprofit Casa Milagro Youth Solutions. She was inspired by a visit to Denver a decade ago by legendary Brazilian theater practitioner Augusto Boal, who coined the term Theater of the Oppressed as a way to use art to promote social and political change.

Duran discovered that many young people in San Luis, Colorado’s oldest city (225 miles south of Denver, near the New Mexico border) — were burdened by domestic violence and other traumas that weren’t being addressed. “I thought there was a huge need and that theater would help,” she said.

Nichols’ fictional novel is based on the very real struggle of Latino-Americans in northern New Mexico to restore their ancestral land grants that were taken from them by the Anglo-Saxons in the 1850s. The novel follows a battle between impoverished small farmers and wealthy New Mexico golf course developers over access to the city’s main irrigation canal. For many, the conflict symbolizes the decades-long battle for access to tens of thousands of acres of mountainous land that has raged in southern Colorado.

A year ago, Duran gave Nichols’ novel to four San Luis High School students, and together they began breaking it down into characters and scenes. Over time, their team grew to 11, even adding two kids from Denver. The students, ages 13 to 18, developed their own scripts, carving out 55 roles. “It became their life,” Duran said. And in many ways, it already was.

“Some of these children are the rightful heirs of this (disputed) land,” Duran said.

She added that the conclusion they drew from all their studies was: “That much hasn’t changed.”

On Thursday, the cast performed the play at Centennial High School in San Luis, where most of the acting students go to school. This leg of their yearlong journey will conclude with performances at 1 and 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at Su Teatro, home of Denver’s Chicano Theater Company; with a closing performance at 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Hoag Theater at Pueblo Community College.

San Luis School District Superintendent Joe Garcia told the Valley Courier that the opportunity to see — and star in — “The Milagro Bean War” will stay with his students for the rest of their lives.

“These students have the great privilege of engaging with the history of southern Colorado, especially something so close to home in the San Luis area, which is rich in tradition, culture and history,” he said. “I see these students as leaders. Engaging in the arts is a particularly important opportunity for them.”

For more information about performances in Denver, visit suteatro.org.

‘Laramie Project’ lawsuit revived

In 2022, we reported that a former Ponderosa High School vice principal filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired because he publicly disagreed with his theater department’s performance of “The Laramie Project” based on his personal religious beliefs, which he believed should be considered protected speech. A U.S. District Court judge dismissed the lawsuit a year ago, ruling that Dave McNellis did not credibly claim he was discriminated against or retaliated against because of his Christian status.

That was then.

On Sept. 10, a three-member federal appeals panel based in Denver ruled that McNellis could pursue his lawsuit against the Douglas County School District.

“We conclude that Mr. McNellis has presented facts that, based on the circumstantial evidence, support a reasonable inference of discrimination based on his religion,” Judge Veronica S. Rossman wrote in the opinion.

You can read the full analysis of the decision at coloradopolitics.com.

Aurora Mini-Con Family

Aurora is getting into the con business. Like the inaugural Aurora Mini-Con, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 21) at the Aurora Municipal Campus, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. It’s a free, family-friendly festival featuring comics, cosplay and all things pop culture. Visit auroragov.org/cms for more information.

Short …

The Denver Gazette has a ton of big music news this week: Justin Timberlake will be at Ball Arena on Jan. 28… Metallica will play Mile High Stadium on July 27 and 29… And Jane’s Addiction has canceled its Oct. 2 show at the Fillmore Auditorium…

Since it’s both Denver Startup Week and Hispanic Heritage Month, Colorado Governor Jared Polis made it a point to visit three businesses in the Santa Fe Arts District this week: independent bookstore/flower shop Petals & Pages; art gallery Museo De Las Americas; and Su Teatro…

And finally…

If you loved the legendary but now sadly missed Mr. Majestyk’s 8-Track Revival covers band from back in the day, you might want to check out former frontman Mark Devine’s free mini-concert of ’70s and ’80s favorites at 6:00 PM on Monday (September 23) in the eight-story atrium lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel. No tickets required. Just show up. It’ll be silly.