STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Brian Quijada listened with interest as his teacher told a story about a black woman named Rosa Parks, who helped change history when she refused to move to the back of the bus, defying racial segregation laws.

But when the Salvadorean-American third-grader asked, “Where did we sit on the bus?” his teacher was at a loss for words. “You were not there,” she finally answered. “(Latin Americans) were not around.”

Quijada never forgot that exchange. And, when he grew up, the actor, musician, poet and playwright recounted his search for identity into a one-person play “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?”

The Liberty Theatre Company is staging the acclaimed play, beginning with a $20 Preview Night at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the historic Liberty Theater in Hailey. The play will run through Oct. 18, with two student matinees offered at 2 p.m. Oct 5 and 12.

“All of us could ponder our journey as ask, ‘What does home mean to us?’ ‘What does this mean in our own experience of community and connection?’ ” said Emily Meister, the Liberty Theatre Company’s new artistic director. “I, for instance, am new here to this area having recently taken on this role. And I was very intentional about relocating here with my own family—it’s such a beautiful, incredible community here in the Wood River Valley.”

The 90-minute performance is a communal play that will include the audience as Saul Rodriguez -portrays a couple dozen different characters, including his mother and father, teacher and classmates. He will also perform music and rap.

Rodriguez, a Mexican-American who was born and raised in East L.A., says the story of what it means to grow up as a first-generation American in a world that often overlooks Latine narratives is a personal one for him. His father came to California from Puebla, Mexico, to chase better opportunities and found work as an industrial painter for hospitals and commercial businesses. His mother, a hair dresser, came from Jalisco, Mexico.

Being Mexican-American has meant carrying forward generations of strength, pride and tradition while forging his own path as an artist.

“I didn’t learn about Mexican or Chicano history in school. Now, because of theater, I have am learning stories that I’ve never heard before, and I want to use theater to pass them on to others like myself,” he said.

Rodriguez only went to Mexico for the first time last year.

“There were beautiful ranches and farms but no economic mobility, and things were very expensive. So, people work and work and work to survive,” he said.

“Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” recalls such moments as a mother’s hands forming tortillas and schoolkids’ taunts. Its focus on identity is very meaningful to him.

“I was raised in a Mexican-American community, but there were subcultures, there, as well, including Chicano, punk rock, cowboy ranch. I couldn’t pick one to be happy with myself—I always felt that I loved it all.”

Giovanni Ortega, the director, is of mixed Filipino, Chinese and Hispanic heritage. Born in the Philippines, he moved to a Chicago suburb where the play takes place when he was 12. He now teaches theater at AMDA College of the Performing Arts, one of the premiere BFA-accredited colleges for the performing arts, in Los Angeles where he met Meister.

“After the Spanish-American War, the Philippines became a territory of the United States for 50 years so I grew up speaking English,” he said. “When we came here, I was young enough to assimilate the culture but old enough to be conscious of where I had come from. This is not just an immigrant story.  It shows that we are more alike, even though we want to talk about our differences.”

The play also addresses how young people carry on the dreams of their parents when they may have their own dreams, Ortega said. His mother, a singer, tried to keep him from pursuing a career in art because she wanted a more stable career for him.

“She finally conceded, but she said, ‘Know that it is going to be a very hard life for you,’ ” he said. “The generational struggles we encounter are not reasons for us to fail, but reasons for us to succeed and live life fully.”

The play’s sound designer, Ramiro Hermosillorivera, notes that the play capsulizes the experiences of many in the Hispanic community: “There’s a whole culture surrounding USA-born Latino that come with being raised in a Mexican, Salvadoran or Guatemalan  household,” he said. “There is also the experience that comes with being estadunidense that is unique from our parents, and that’s what I think Bee’s story encapsulates.”

Ray Jones, a light designer from Ontario, Calif., said they, too, has always felt like they are trying to figure out where he belongs, as their mother is Armenian and their father Mexican.

“Today, I feel proud to be the beautiful mix I am.”

IF YOU GO…

“Where Did We Sit on the Bus” kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at The Liberty Theatre in Hailey with a $20 Preview Night. The play continues its run Oct. 2-18.

Tickets are $35 for general admission and $15 for students, available at https://www.libertytheatrecompany.org/.

Additionally, two free student/family matinees will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, and Oct. 12 for those using the code QUIJADA12 when clicking on the website.

Artists will hold post-show talkbacks with audiences on opening night and after the Oct. 12 matinee.

The Liberty Theatre Company will also host workshops for middle and high school students. And the Blaine County Charitable Fund, a sponsor, is staging a meet-and-greet with Saul Rodriquez and the artistic director Emily Meister.

Questions? Call 208-582-8388.