Milagro is thrilled to present the Portland premiere of American Night: The Ballad of Juan José. The wild odyssey of American Night: The Ballad of Juan José by the acclaimed Latino actor, writer and filmmaker  Richard Montoya, member of the comedy troupe Culture Clash, features a multi-talented and diverse cast of ten actors all under the visionary directing style of the award-wining Elizabeth Huffman (Oedipus el Rey, Mary Stuart), wrapping up Milagro’s 31st season of premieres.
 

History is made every day by all members of society, but not all it is recorded in the history books. In American Night: The Ballad of Juan José, Montoya successfully mixes diverse elements, events and public figures that have shaped American history to create a kaleidoscopic, moving tapestry of America’s journey. As a theatre company engaged in risk-taking and cultural awareness, Milagro's selection of this bold and relevant production was not only natural, but perfectly timely: recent social and political events have brought to light painful truths and uncomfortable conversations rooted in the history of the country, whether that history is true or not.
 

Commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2010 and acclaimed nationwide, American Night: The Ballad of Juan José follows a Mexican ex-policeman feverish preparing to take the U.S. naturalization test. When his passionturns to surreal obsession, he is confronted  face to face with historical figures from Lewis and Clark to Bob Dylan, and thrown into events from the Mexican-American war to Woodstock. Juan José goes far beyond memorizing flash card answers, asking himself the questions that challenge all of us to reconsider what it means to be an American.