By Melanie Slone
The arts are a great way to bring communities together, and Oceanside Theatre Community (OTC) is the venue for it.
“We’re very, very interested in connecting with the diversity of our community. And a big part of that community is the Spanish-speaking, Latino community,” says Alex Goodman, Managing Director, OTC.
Some of the performances at OTC have included Ballet Folklorico, Spanish-language plays, and pastorelas. One of the latest shows running was Latin History for Morons, “a Broadway play that is speaking to both a Latino audience and a non-Latino audience about what is missing from our history books,” says Alex.
“We’re bringing people together in community around topics that are important to us. So, things like cultural celebrations and community conversations are very important elements of what makes a community connected in a time when there are so many things to separate us and to drive us away from each other,” he adds.
Different Perspectives
Alex believes inclusion allows everyone to see things from other perspectives. “Theatre is in a unique position to bring people together, to ask that question of who are we in dialogue,” he says.
He explains that money is tight this year. Grants that supported summer camp, a fall program, and afterschool theatre programs was not renewed, nor was a grant that provided funding for programs on cultural events like Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage, Pride month, and others.
Theatre is expensive to produce, and OTC charges only $20–40 a show. So, “Philanthropic support is required…from individuals, government, foundations, corporate. The current environment of the United States has made it harder for organizations like ours to receive all those funds,” says Alex.
Art is part of what makes us human, he says, and is apolitical. “Art is not inherently anti-government, anti-left or right. It is primarily talking about who we are, what it is to be human.”
Empathy and Community
“Theatre is an opportunity for us to tell stories that are inviting to a wide range of communities but then also offer some discussion, analysis of the complexity of the human condition,” says Alex. “The most important thing that I think art teaches us is empathy, which is the thing I think we as a society are lacking the most right now.”
Children can learn art from a young age so that it becomes part of who they are. “As human beings, we need to feel connected to something, we need to have the freedom to express ourselves, and that is key to creating art,” says José Jaimes, founder and director of Tierra Caliente Academy of Arts. “When youth is exposed to art at a young age, they grasp a better understanding of how we are all more alike than different.”
Through OTC afterschool programs in six Oceanside schools, kids begin with the basics of improvisation. These courses teach people to think on their feet, do public speaking, be creative, collaborate, be empathetic, and express themselves.
“The arts specifically are so important to our quality of life in the community. They build bridges. They build understanding, compassion, and empathy,” says Leann Garms, vice president of the OTC board. “Oceanside is a very diverse community, and we want to be Oceanside’s cultural hub and provide a lot of different programming that serves the entire community.”
Kevin ‘Blax’ Burroughs, Artistic Director, OTC, adds, “OTC is one of the only venues constantly doing something every weekend. …we have something for everyone all the time.” And prices are purposely kept low. “We need to make sure that it’s accessible.”
Besides $20 tickets, OTC offers free art walks every first Friday of the month as well as other low-cost and free events. “Our goal is to serve the community,” says Blax. “We offer discounts all the time. …You can ask for promo codes.” So, please come enjoy the shows.
