San Francisco theater director keeps stage accessible to immigrants
For many immigrants in the Bay Area, the performing arts provides a way to stay connected to their cultures and build a sense of community. In San Francisco one long time performer is making sure everyone gets a chance to join in.
Berta Hernandez is bringing the joy of theater to the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, teaching classes that are free yet infused with a deep-rooted passion for the performing arts.
"I have been doing theater since I was 15. I am sixty now, and I was never able to stop," Hernandez said.
Originally from Mexico City, Hernandez is dedicated to empowering creatives within the Mission community by providing access to theater arts. She recalled her own struggles when she first arrived in San Francisco, where she faced barriers in joining local theater groups.
"The fact that they asked for my documents, my immigration status, in order to belong to a theater group, it was very crazy," she said.
Hernandez believes that such obstacles have no place in the performing arts. For her, theater is not just a human right, but a sacred community experience.
"They also wanted me to be an actress and to have an audition. I never considered myself an actress; I considered myself a person that does theater. A 'teatera.' So, you don't need to do an audition to be a teatera. Anybody can be a teatera. Go on the stage, go to the street, any place, and perform," she said.
The theater classes distinguish themselves by offering performances in Spanish.
Mariel Paulina Canepa, who moved from Argentina to the Bay Area, explained how studying with Hernandez has connected her to her roots.
"When I transferred here, I suddenly felt immediately like family. Like connecting with my roots, my culture. Super happy to be surrounded by the community. Once you get to the Mission, definitely, you feel like home," Canepa said.
Hernandez aims to foster this feeling of belonging through her theater classes, which welcome immigrants, locals, and anyone passionate about self-expression.
"We need to not only survive but to have a good life. And as part of that good life is the ability to do theater, to do arts, to be a part of this wondrous way of expressing as humans," she said.
Through her teachings, Hernandez creates a bridge between the stage and the audience, cultivating a vibrant community of performers and creatives in the Mission District.