P o l k C oun t y N ew s 2A Po l k Coun t y I t em i z e r -Ob se rv e r • Augu s t 26 , 2015 ‘U n C a r o l ’ t a k e s v i ew e r s t h r o u g h p a s t , p r e s e n t , f u t u r e Commun i t y en ga g ed th ea t e r San c tua r y S ta g e e xp lo r e s Ind y ’ s La t ino commun i t y th rou gh th e i r e y e s By Em i ly Men t ze r C omm u n i t y F i e s t a k i c k s o f f F r i d a y The I t em i z e r -Ob se rv e r INDEPENDENCE — T i s the n igh t be fo r e the Com - mun i t y F ie s ta , and Ca ro l ina i s d i sen f ran ch i sed w i th he r H i span i c roo t s . She i s b rough t home b y O f f i ce r Banue lo s , ba sed on Independence po l ice Sg t . T ino Banue lo s , bu t p la y ed b y a commun i t y membe r . Ca ro l ina , p la yed b y P au la T ama yo , go t in t roub le a t the ma l l . “ Sh e do e sn ’ t f e e l l i k e sh e f i t s in , ” s a id D an S ton e , p l a y - w r i gh t w i th S an c tu a r y S t a g e . “ Sh e f e e l s l i k e th e wo r ld i s ou t to g e t h e r b e c au s e sh e ’ s M e x - i c an . Sh e go e s to th e m a l l and g e t s in t roub l e b e c au s e th e s to r e m an a g e r th in k s sh e ’ s s t e a l in g , on l y b e c au s e sh e ’ s M e x i can , no o th e r r ea son . And sh e w a sn ’ t . ” Wha t Ca ro l ina doe sn ’ t know i s she i s in fo r a w i ld n igh t , v i s i t s b y gho s t s who show he r he r pa s t , p r e sen t and fu tu r e i f she doe sn ’ t change he r wa y s . The p la y , “Un Ca ro l de In - dependen ce , ” i s a p rodu c - t ion b y the S an c tua ry S tage , a commun i t y engaged the - a te r p rog ram th rough L inn - B en ton Commun i t y Co l lege . The show i s the r e su l t o f mon th s o f r e sea r ch in the La t ino commun i t y o f Inde - penden ce and te l l s the s to - r ie s o f the commun i t y i t se l f . “ I t ’ s r ea l l y no t abou t the IND EP END ENC E — “Un C a ro l de Independen c e , ” a p l a y abou t the H i sp an i c commun i t y o f Independen c e , t a ke s p l a c e the n igh t be fo r e the Commun i t y F ie s t a . The F ie s t a i s a two -d a y e v en t , s t a r t ing S a tu rd a y a t 4 p .m . w i th v endo r s and en t e r t a inmen t , in c lud ing the c rown ing o f the F ie s t a queen . The e v en t con t inue s on Sund a y a t 9 a .m . w i th a N a t i v e Ame r i c an b le s s ing fo l low ed a t 11 b y M a s s . Th roughou t the d a y , en te r t a inmen t w i l l in c lude L a t ino pe r fo rme r s and d an c e r s . Spe c i a l gue s t he ad l ine r E l Gen io Lu c a s w i l l r e tu rn beg in - n ing a t 4 :45 on Sund a y a f t e rnoon and th roughou t the e v en ing . I t w i l l be fun fo r the who le f am i l y . Fo r mo re in fo rma t ion , in c lud ing the fu l l s chedu le : www . c i . independen c e .o r .u s . EM I L Y MENTZER / I t em i z e r -Ob se rv e r Ca ro l ina , p layed by Pau la T amayo , a rgue s w i th a po l i ce o f f i ce r tha t she ha s done no th - ing w rong , even though the s to re manage r th ink s she ha s . f in i shed p rodu c t to be hon - e s t w i th you , ” S tone sa id . “ I t ’ s abou t the p ro ce s s . I t ’ s abou t the se ind iv idua l s com ing toge the r , sha r ing the i r s to r ie s , lea rn ing how to c r ea te a p la y . ” S tone wo rked w i th mem - be r s o f C en t ra l H igh S choo l ’ s Mu l t icu l tu ra l Leade r sh ip C lub to r ea l l y e xp r e s s the sp i r i t o f H i span i c s in Inde - penden ce . “ In te rv iew ing o lde r peo - p le , w e hea r abou t the p rob - lem s w i th m ig ran t wo rke r s , be ing i l lega l , bu t wha t abou t ou r k id s , ” S tone sa id . “Wha t abou t the you th ? ” A f te r hea r ing r epea ted l y abou t the impo r tan ce o f the pa s t , p r e sen t and fu tu r e o f H i span i c s in the Independ - en ce commun i t y , S tone sa id he r ea l i z ed the i r s to ry m i r - ro r ed Cha r le s D i cken s ’ “The Ch r i s tma s Ca ro l . ” T ama yo wa s the p r e s iden t o f the Mu l t i cu l tu ra l Leade r - sh ip C lub when the ca l l came to pa r t i c ipa te in th i s p ro je c t . Man y o f the a c to r s in “Un Ca ro l ” a r e C en t ra l s tuden t s , membe rs o f the c lub . T ama yo , 18 , sa id the c lub LOOK ! T FOR I r ea ched ou t to the commu - n i t y fo r mo r e a c to r s . The p lay is abou t a teenage g i r l go ing th rough change s , T ama yo sa id . “Th i s i s k ind a r e f r e she r , ” she sa id . “Make su r e you don ’ t go down the w rong road ; make su r e you s ta y c lo se to you r fam i ly . Y ou don ’ t know i t a l l . I t ’ s ju s t one o f tho se th ing s — you need to make su r e you r mo ra l s a r e good . Y ou don ’ t know wha t you ’ r e do ing . ” In the p la y , T ama yo ’ s cha r - a c te r i s v i s i ted b y fou r sp i r i t s on the n igh t be fo re the L e a r n m o r e Wha t : Un C a ro l de Independen c e , p r e sen t ed b y S an c tu a r y S t age , a commun i t y eng aged the a t e r p ro je c t o f L inn -Ben ton Commun i t y Co l lege the a t e r dep a r tmen t . When :F r id a y and S a tu rd a y , 7 :30 p .m . Whe re : Independen c e E l k s Lodge , 289 S . M a in S t . , Inde - penden c e . Adm i s s ion : P a y wh a t you c an . O f no te : The p l a y t e l l s the s to r ie s o f H i sp an i c s l i v ing in In - dependen c e ; how the y a r r i v ed th rough the b r a c e ro p rog r am , how l i f e i s now , and wh a t l ie s ahe ad . Commun i t y F ie s ta , s ta r t ing w i th he r g randmo the r . Tha t wa s the ha rde s t pa r t fo r the young a c t r e s s . “ I lo s t m y g randma on m y b i r thda y , ” she sa id . “Tha t ’ s p robab l y the ha rde s t pa r t . O the rw i se , e v e ry th ing e l se i s a lo t o f fun . ” Commun i t y engaged the - a te r i s d i f fe r en t f rom t rad i - t iona l thea te r in a coup le o f wa y s , S tone sa id . “A lo t o f t ime s a r t and thea te r can be ve ry se l f i sh , ” he sa id . “ I t ’ s abou t me ; look a t me ; look a t wha t I can do . Th i s k ind o f wo rk i s abou t b r ing ing peop le toge the r . I t ’ s abou t sha r ing in fo rma - t ion . . . (abou t ) d i f fe ren t commun i t ie s . ” Th i rd week eve ry mon th in the I tem i ze r -Ob se rve r !