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Hear audio of full interview aired on KNSJ
October 20, 2024 (San Diego) -- Victor Crosthwaite Contreras is the founder of Early California Speaks, an organization that provides historical recreations for schools and other locations. East County Magazine recently interviewed him for our radio show on KNSJ, where he spoke about the multicultural programs offered. He also provided a dramatic reading bringing to life a soldier from the first Spanish expedition here.
Early California began in 2019, “direct of my ancestry and working with Old Town San Diego State Park,” Contreras says. He became involved in Old Town through his mother for the 200th anniversary of San Diego, where descendants of those early residents were asked to provide documents and stories and artifacts of early California.
“I’m a retired teacher, so schools are close to my heart, and of course California history is close to my heart because of my ancestry,” he says. Also an accomplished actor, Contreras was the head of the theater department at the school of performing arts in Chula Vista, as well as Cal State San Marcos.
He decided to research real people who lived here in the 1700s and 1800s to tell their stories. Most are 10-minute skits. All are in period costumes for an authentic feel.
“One of the unique things about women in California, which was progressive even then. In Mexico and in the U.S. it was not acceptable for women to drink in public,much less gamble—and in California it was common. It was very acceptable.” One character tell her story. “She had a rancho, dealt cards and had a casino right there on the rancho.”
There are study guides at three different levels to use what best fits their students.
“I am extremely fortunate to have recruited and trained and prepared some wonderful people” including state park docents, educators, and authors, as well as three who have been SAG-AFTRA presidents. “We come from a wide range of backgrounds. Not only do I direct them and prepare them for the scripts, but they are directly taught on the history” so they are prepared to answer questions from students or the audience on the character and time period. The producer/casting director works with big-name people in Los Angeles, he added.
Companies typically sponsor presentations for schools or other groups with a tax-deductible donation. Some are available in English as well as Spanish.
Contreras gave a presentation during our radio show, bringing to live Andres Corta, his ancestor who was a soldier in the Spanish expedition that founded the San Diego Mission. Many of the soldiers were Mexicans or indigenous Native Americans recruited from Mexico to settle the west coast of California.
There are eight stories currently, all listed on the website, and continue writing new ones. Stories cover the cattle industry, an Italian immigrant toymaker, infamous bandito Juaquin Murrieta on whom the Zorro character was based, a Captain who fought in the Mexican-American war a woman rancher who ran a casino, a witness to an infamous gunfight in Old Town, and Wyatt Earp, the famed western sheriff.
Mention East County Magazine for a 10% discount on any Early California Speaks presentation.
For more information or to arrange a presentation, call Victor Contreras at 619 301 8126. The website is https://earlycaliforniaspeaks.com/
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