October 30, 2023 - As part of Ventura County’s 150-year celebration, ÁNIMO Theatre Company will premiere Los Braceros De Buena Vista- A Mariachi Opera at the historic Fillmore Towne Theatre on November 10, 2023.

The story of the Braceros is an important chapter in the history of Ventura County, whose fields and orchards received more of the laborers than in any other county in the United States.

In Ventura County today, thousands of families trace their roots to a bracero. Oxnard was home to the Buena Vista Bracero camp, the largest in the nation, which at its peak housed 5,000 workers.

Set in the 1950s at the height of the Bracero program, “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” is a dynamic one-act “Mariachi Opera” which fuses mariachi music, ballet folklorico, and powerful “opera” style set pieces. “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” highlights the challenges workers faced and is both a cultural and educational experience that honors the legacy of migrant workers.

”‘Los Braceros De Buena Vista’ poignantly expresses the struggles encountered by fieldworkers to the audiences and honors their great contributions to the U.S.,” says Miguel Orozco, writer and director of the show.

The Mariachi music in “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” is performed by Mariachi Águilas de J. Carlos Ozuna – one of the premiere mariachi ensembles in Southern California. Joining the production will be a special performance by the Inlakech Cultural Center.

Tickets for “Los Braceros De Buena Vista” are on sale at www.animotheatre.org and at Estrella Market at 317 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA. The play is presented in English and Spanish with subtitles.