As part of an ongoing project, yesterday (July 11, 2009), a group of theater and communications students presented the theatrical piece “Playa para todos” [Beach for All] at the municipal beach in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The play, written and directed by Juan Carlos Dávila, is meant to educate people about the value of caring for our coasts and to raise consciousness to avoid the privatization of Puerto Rico’s shores. It speaks in favor of protecting our beaches while maintaining a balance of economic, social, and ecological interests. The play included performances by seasoned and new actors. After the performance, the group went to the Ocean Park Beach to continue demonstrations against dwindling public access to beaches.
The performance was part of a coalition [Coalición Playa para Todos] that aims to carry out protests through creative projects. The next performance of the play will take place on July 25 at the Poza del Obispo Beach in Arecibo.
Related to this topic, I highly recommend an essay by writer Ana Lydia Vega, “Mi país es el mar” [My Country is the Sea] from her collection Mirada de Doble Filo [Double-Edged Gaze] (La Editorial UPR, 2008). In this poignant essay, the author addresses the “imprisonment” and “coastal tragedy” of our beaches, which continue to be hidden behind miles of cement— condominiums, hotels, and other “massive monuments to profiteering” against all ecological logic.
For more information on Coalición Playa para Todos, its major concerns, and calendar of events, see http://www.tuplayaenreja.com/. [“Tu Playa en Reja” may be translated as “Your Beach behind Bars” or “Your Beach behind Gates.”]
For full article (in Spanish) by Yaritza Rivas, see http://www.elnuevodia.com/protestacreativaendefensadelasplayaspublicas-590926.html
Photo from http://desahogoboricua.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html
