During Fall 2018 in Stage One we presented a new play written by Theater Arts faculty Linda Amayo-Hassan titled ¡CHEER! Story of a Dreamer. ¡CHEER! Humanizes the experience of being undocumented in our country in these current times. The story centers on Erica, a Latina high school senior living in Hayward, who discovers she is undocumented while applying for college. Beginning in the Obama years, then continuing to today, our current political/social struggle around immigration issues are the center of the play. Starting on a light note, capturing the fun and ease of being a popular kid in school, with a boisterous group of cheerleaders serving as a kind of Greek chorus, the story quickly gets more serious as Erica discover the truth about her and her family’s status.

Sujoy Sarkar