In April, the month dedicated to the East Bay’s The Big Read, Chabot College unveils the original play ‘Ultima’, inspired by the book ‘Bless Me Ultima’ by Rudolfo Anaya.

Ultima explores the title character, an aging woman and her life as a curandera, a folk healer from the Southwest. The play is written and performed in the style of Magical Realism made known by Latin American literary figures including Anaya. It examines such issues as how she came to be a curandera,

her roots, her life as a young woman in Mexico during the Revolution, her relationship to the Catholic church, and how events in her life shaped her vision in holistic healing. Parts of the play will be performed in Spanish.

The play features Chabot College students, many of them from Hispanic backgrounds, who also contributed ideas and scenes to the play. Members of the team who hail from Hayward and its surrounding communities include Claudia Ramirez, Jessica Caballero, Francisco Huato, Janelle Aguirre, Tiffany Heggebo, Bryan Horwath, Alicia Cisneros, Alex Moreales, Monica Bonilla, Sal Navarro, Linda Amayo, and Dov Hassan.

Chabot’s Theater Arts instructor Rachel LePell heads the production team as the playwright, director and producer. “Ultima examines questions of religion and identity, destiny and science, loss and fulfillment,” says LePell. “It has universal themes as well as cultural traditions endemic to the Latino community,” she adds. “In the end, it's a message of compassion and that when we truly connect with others, truly use our imaginations, miracles can occur.”

Bless Me Ultima is the book chosen for this years The Big Read, a National Endowment for the Arts program emanating from the Hayward Public Library, and reaching many communities in the East Bay, including Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward and Fremont.

Ultima will be performed April 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 at 8 p.m. and the 25th at 2 p.m. It will be a featured event of the The Big Read, so readers of the novel can see a new art form inspired by the book. Ticket prices are just $5 for participants of The Big Read. Tickets for the general public are $10. All tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Ultima will be performed in the Little Theater at Chabot College, 25555 Hesperian Blvd in Hayward. For additional information, please contact Rachel LePell at (510) 723-6830.