Valley News • www.myvalleynews.com • October 30, 2015
B-8
Entertainment
Dia de Los Muertos Celebration set for Lake Elsinore Nov.1
Children will enjoy painting sugar skulls at the Nov. 1 Dia de Los Muertos Celebration in Lake Elsinore last year.
Dancers in their traditional costumes with decorated faces will dance in the street during the Dia de Los Muertos Celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1. Courtesy photos
Two entertainment stages will be set up along Main Street in Lake Elisinore at the Dia de Los Muertos Celebration Sunday, Nov. 1.
Local families like this are encouraged to paint their faces in skull like designs to honor their dead ancestors.
LAKE ELSINORE – The fourth annual Dia De Los Muertos Celebration in downtown Lake Elsinore sponsored by the local non-profit arts cooperative Studio 395 will be held Sunday, Nov. 1. Celebration will take place between noon and 5 p.m. along Main Street in the historic Lake Elsinore downtown area. This event is being co-sponsored by the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City of Lake Elsinore with additional funding coming from local businesses and a state arts and culture grant. This year the event will
include a full street closure along Main Street between Peck and Sulpher Roads in the downtown area providing a pedestrian parade route and vendors and artists booths. A live, four act music performance on the Main Stage will be located on Main at Graham and Spring Streets. A second acoustic stage will be located in front of City Hall in the area dedicated to a new Classic Car Invitational. Studio 395 will be offering the opportunity for children to join in on craft projects related to the Dia De Los Muertos holiday. The children will be decorating sugar
skulls. Additionally, the Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a beer and wine garden during this event on their front lawn area. Food trucks will be set up in a special area along Graham St. “We see this Dia De Los Muertos event as one that brings out not only our community but those in the area surrounding us to the Historic Downtown area and enjoy all the wonderful things scheduled for that afternoon and get a chance to visit the businesses on Main St. as well,” said Kim Cousins, executive director of the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The City of Lake Elsinore is covering some of the anticipated expenses and partnering on marketing through the local media. The celebration is expected draw approximately 5,000 people. Last year’s event brought approximately 3,000 visitors. The Day of the Dead, as celebrated today, is focused on a gathering with friends and family for remembering and honoring ancestors and deceased loved ones. Traditional ofrendas or altars are set up and decorated with flowers, photos and mementos of their ancestors along with food and drink for the spirits. The secular celebration goes back to pre-Columbian times and is a major holiday in Mexico. Today it is celebrated throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America as an opportunity for cultural expression and understanding. For this year’s event, Studio 395 sought out and was awarded a Local Impact Grant by the California Arts Council that provides funding for community events focused on arts and culture. They are the only recipient for this grant in Riverside County and only one of two for the entire Inland Empire. “Studio 395 looks to establish events and projects that will bring art and culture to our residents and the recent addition of an Arts and Culture Task Force in the City of Lake Elsinore shows that the city leadership sees value in that. This event was one of the motivating factors for our council,”
said Grace Sandlin, treasurer for Studio 395. Studio 395 is a non-profit artist cooperative with a mission of taking art into the community by engaging the underserved resident of the area, such as at risk youth and the lower income, in civic art projects or events that allow them to create so that they recognize and can improve their artistic skills. Studio 395 has been fortunate to garner some key sponsorship for this event. At press time, the group is has committed support from Modelo/Negro Modelo, Castle and Cook, La Unica Restaurant and La Rebelde Winery. Interest in the event is being generated through a dedicated Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lakeelsinorediadelosmuertos) where regular posts explain about the history and icons of the holiday. For further information call Rebecca Esquibel, at (951) 741-7337 or email Rebecca@studio395.org. “This year’s celebration is truly a representation of a grass roots community event that brings everyone together to enjoy themselves with music, food and a parade but also to learn about the holiday and engage in art and culture,” said Esquibel, executive director for Studio 395 and the organizing committee chairman, “We were thrilled to get funding from the California Arts Council that will help us pay local artists and the musicians that entertain us.”
Darkness and Light premiere to be held in Temecula TEMECULA – On Sunday, Nov. 8, the West Coast premiere of the documentary “Darkness and Light: a human conversation with eleven wounded veterans” will take place in Temecula. The event is supported by the Gary Sinise Foundation and City of Temecula, who are presenting sponsor and co-sponsor, respectively. The film was created by Thi Linh Wernau, an artist who founded the “You. Are. Beautiful.” photography project in 2012 to give back
to wounded veterans and their families. “Darkness and Light” augments the photographs from this series and celebrates the human spirit and beauty in our veterans. This charity event will be held on the Sunday prior to Veterans Day at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main Street in Old Town Temecula from 4 through 8 p.m. and includes two ticketed events: a film presentation and a cocktail reception. Guests will enjoy a movie, live
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music, food, drinks, and have the opportunity to meet some of the cast and the filmmaker. All proceeds benefit Gary Sinise Foundation, Semper Fi Fund, and Warfighter Made. Temecula’s own, Corporal Juan Dominguez, USMC, Retired, is one of the eleven veterans in the documentary and will be in attendance as co-host with the filmmaker. Following the film presentation, Dominguez will participate in a special musical performance with
his band, Oli Brooklyn. Tickets for the movie and reception are available at www.TemeculaTheater.org. Wernau worked with eleven different wounded veterans to produce this groundbreaking film, which exposes the humanity of ten post-9/11 Marine veterans and one Korean War soldier. As the veterans struggle with wounds ranging from post-traumatic stress to triple amputation, Wernau focuses on their feelings and challenges as human beings.
The result is a poignant film, where themes around darkness and light post-war and the human spirit emerge in raw, candid and unscripted interviews. “My hope was to portray veterans in a new light as beautiful human beings. ‘Darkness and Light’ was a way to give them a voice to inspire and help others. These wounded vets have sacrificed so much for our country. I wanted to give back by empowering them through art,” Wernau said.
TVHS presents ‘Frankenstein’ Ashley Haley Intern The Temecula Valley High School Drama Department is will present their fall production “Frankenstein” during November at the Golden Bear Theater. Derek Heid, TVHS drama director, said the drama students are excited to present their version of “Frankenstein.” The drama department has decided to focus on Victor Frankenstein himself, and his obsession with his deeper relationship with his creature creation. Heid said it is more than just your usual monster story. This idea comes directly from the Frankenstein novel written by Mary Shelley. The play will tackle the dangers of obsession and the need for companionship and identity. The cast and crew range from freshmen to seniors who have been working to
produce this play since September. Lubica Brown is a senior and plays the Creature itself. Brown said that preparing for her role was challenging because she had to learn male mannerisms. “I had to learn how to crouch, bend, walk, and generally act like a male. However, every once in a while I still catch myself doing something ‘girly,’” she said. She loves being in the drama program and has noted that this is her first time having a lead role in a play. When asked about the cast and crew she replied, “They are always willing to give encouragement to myself and fellow actors.” She spoke highly of Heid and his leadership skills.
“Frankenstein” can be seen at Temecula Valley High School in the Golden Bear Theatre. It will be playing Nov. 5, 6, 13, and 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for the public at a cost of $10. Students in any kindergarten through 12th are only $8. To order tickets in advance email dheid1@tvusd.k12.ca.us or call (951) 704-6995. National Youth Arts and the Childress MACY Awards recognized the Temecula Valley High School drama students last school year for their outstanding performances.