“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
― Maya Angelou
As many of us now are making travel plans for Thanksgiving, Soldadera Coffee is particularly thankful for community partners who share our passion for telling unique cultural stories that anyone can enjoy.
Soldadera Coffee in October was approached by Exit Left Theatre, a professional theater group in Holland, to be a sponsor for the theater group's production of FADE, by Mexican actress and playwright Tanya Saracho.
Through a first-time collaboration with Latin Americans United for Progress and local restaurants and vendors such as Soldadera Coffee, Exit Left Theatre was able to transport Holland audiences to an office space in Los Angeles where a complex and realistic story unfolds:
When Lucia, a Mexican-born novelist, gets her first TV writing job, she feels a bit out of place on the white male-dominated set. Lucia quickly becomes friends with the only other Latino around, a janitor named Abel. As Abel shares his stories with Lucia, similar plots begin to find their way into the TV scripts that Lucia writes.
FADE is a play about class and race within the Latino community, and the community at large, and how status does not change who you are at your core. Thanks to Soldadera's partnership, Exit Left was able to bring this important piece to the stage.
FADE played for six nights in late October. Soldadera Coffee joined Mezkla Taqueria & Fruteria Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant and Colin’s Bakery in providing food and drink for the event.
“I am very glad that everyone liked the coffee! As a Hispanic/Latina, it (FADE) brings to light that there are others that have faced the same issues," said Gabriela Rodriguez, co-founder of Soldadera Coffee. "I appreciate the story being told in such a realistic manner and being a voice for those that have faced similar challenges.”
Mark your calendars for Exit Left's next show, A Broadway Holiday, which will take place on Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at the Frame & Mat Shop on Washington Avenue in Holland.
