Napa’s first Latine-led theater company ushers in new era of community storytelling
“I see our work as a form of protest,” said Vircel Junco, co-founder of Alebrijes del Valle, Napa County’s first Latine-led cultural theater company, which launched last year. “We’ve seen countless protests in recent months, and we want to add to that but in our own artistic way.”
They did exactly that at their first public event last month: a Spanish-language staged reading of Enemigo del Pueblo, a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 political drama, An Enemy of the People. The production, rooted in a Latino cultural context, explored themes of censorship and the consequences of community silence.
“The play highlights the beauty of community but also the dangers of not sharing ideas, of not debating, of avoiding discomfort,” said Andres Agustin Barrera, another co-founder of Alebrijes del Valle. “We need neutral spaces to construct and deconstruct ideas. That’s what I wanted with this play.”
Alebrijes del Valle, named after the vibrant folk art figures alebrijes known for guiding and protecting spirits, was founded by three young Latine theater artists in late 2024. The group, who first connected as students at Napa Valley College, quickly bonded over their experiences in theater and their shared sense that something was missing from the local arts scene. That realization soon sparked an idea.
The spark came from a shared observation: Napa lacked both an incubator for artists of color and a theater company that prioritized Latine audiences, despite making up about 40% of the county population, according to the latest census.
“Our theater company was born from seeing the lack of representation in the local performing arts scene,” said Barrera. “We knew there was an audience here and from the start and our mission has been to deconstruct the barriers around what it means to enter theater as a Latino artist.”
Alebrijes del Valle’s focus isn’t just on creating cultural art, but also on nurturing the next generation of storytellers.
“This is what we’re here for,” Junco said. “We want to be an incubator for emerging artists, helping them grow and thrive wherever they go next.”
Barrera added, “As a person of color, it can feel like you have to work twice as hard just to get the same opportunities in theater.”
The latest data from Actors’ Equity shows that Hispanics made up just 2.9% of active members in the 2013-2014 season, a stark reminder of the broader lack of representation in theater.
Locally, the arts scene reflects a similar reality. Lucky Penny Productions, a Napa theater company that aims to “create, develop, and present professional-quality theatre,” does not feature any Latino-themed works or roles in its current season.
Though its lineup spans themes from drag culture to local folklore and political satire, the stories largely center on white, Eurocentric narratives, with no clear plans for bilingual programming or productions highlighting Latino voices.
Another driving force behind the work of Alebrijes del Valle’s is making live theater more accessible by dismantling its “class wall.”
“My personal mission with this company is to break down the walls that have made live theater feel so exclusive,” Junco said. “Theater should breathe. It shouldn’t be locked away in a box. It should be seen by everyone, made by anyone and shared by all.”
“Broadway tickets cost $300 or $400; those spaces are out of reach for most people,” Barrera said. “But live theater nourishes culture. It evolves culture. And we need more nourishment of our culture now, more than ever.”
For the group’s third co-founder, Giovanny Perez, one moment early on proved just how much potential they had to reach untapped audiences.
After participating in a Spanish-language production of Es Una Vida Maravillosa in 2023 (It’s a Wonderful Life), he was struck by the mostly Latine audience.
“It was surreal,” Perez said. “It was a completely different audience than we usually see in theater, and it was eye-opening. We realized we could reach people from our own communities who had been left out for too long.”
Alebrijes del Valle’s vision has already caught the attention of local arts funders. The Arts Council Napa Valley became a fiscal sponsor, providing an initial conservative investment of $5,000. The group is also in talks with the Napa Valley Community Foundation and Amplifi, an organization focused on funding hyperlocal arts initiatives. “We hope that they consider us,” Barrera said. “At least a little more portion of funding, at least, right?”
As Alebrijes del Valle looks ahead, the group is focused on growing the company’s reach and impact. Perez will attend UC Berkeley in the fall to study theater, while Barrera heads to UCLA with the same goal, hoping to build connections that he can later bring back to Napa to support the company’s expansion. Meanwhile, Junco, who has a few semesters left at Napa Valley College, will continue leading the organization locally, keeping its roots firmly planted in the community.
