Nicolás Bravo Mercy determined Nicolás Bravo’s fate—mercy he gave, mercy he withheld, mercy he received, and mercy he was finally denied. During the Mexican War for Independence, Bravo fought under Galeana and Morelos. The Spanish viceroy captured his father and promised to release him if Bravo would accept amnesty and cease fighting. Justifiably skeptical of […]
Streets of Mexico – November 2024 Read More »
Hernán Cortés Cortés was intelligent, courageous, ambitious, insubordinate, greedy, ruthless, and an inspiring leader—the quintessential conquistador. He established the Spanish empire (New Spain) in Mexico. In 1511, Cortés joined the conquest of Cuba, and impressed the island’s first Governor, Diego Velázquez, who chose him for his secretary, appointed him mayor of Santiago (Cuba’s capital), and
Streets of Mexico – October 2024 Read More »
Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl was an enduring, often even preeminent god of all the great pre-Columbian Mexican civilizations, including the Olmecs, Teotihuacán, Mayans, Toltecs, and Aztecs. The amazing pyramid at Cholula (near Puebla), the most massive ever built in the Americas, honored Quetzalcoatl. A plumed snake, Quetzalcoatl was at various times the god of water, wind, air,
Streets of Mexico – September 2024 Read More »
“They called me in for what I thought would be a brainstorming session about an additional musical for Lakeside Little Theatre’s 60th season,” muses Tim Johnson. “And I walked out the newly appointed director of The World Goes ‘Round. I was stupefied. How had this happened?” Just a year before, Tim had been a director
For Tim Johnson, The World Goes ‘Round (very fast!) Read More »
Moctezumas I & II(Also, Montezumas) Moctezuma I went down in oblivion, while his namesake, Moctezuma II, went down in infamy. The former is a terrible shame, the latter a vexing mystery. Moctezuma I transformed the small Aztec city-state of Tenochtitlán into an empire. With his brilliant statesmanship, he created The Triple Alliance with Texcoco (ruled
Streets of Mexico – August 2024 Read More »
Ricardo Flores Magón Ricardo Flores Magón was an anarchist, a visionary, a prophet—and suffered a lifetime of persecution as do all outliers who dare to speak their truths. Magón founded the Mexican Liberal Party which supported the then-outlandish notions of no-reelection (of Porfirio Díaz, or anyone else), no death penalty for political prisoners, an end
Streets of Mexico – July 2024 Read More »
Plutarco Elías Calles Like Porfirio Díaz who’d supposedly opposed presidential reelection, only to serve seven consecutive terms himself, Plutarco Elías Calles decried caudillismo (strongman rule), but eventually became El Jefe Máximo (The Supreme Leader). After fighting in the Mexican Revolution and serving in the presidential administrations of both Carranza and Obregón, Calles received a nod
Streets of Mexico – June 2024 Read More »
Lakeside Little Theatre to Present Poignant Play “The story consumed me,” explained poet, author, actress and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson. On June 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, some friends and I will bring Pearson’s story, the acclaimed play Facing East, to the Lakeside Little Theatre. Our one-act production performed on the theatre’s mainstage (lasting one hour
Álvaro Obregón “How do we claim the rights of citizenship for our children,” Álvaro Obregón exclaimed, “if we ourselves are not worthy of them?” And so. he joined the Mexican Revolution, eventually serving as President Venustiano Carranza’s top general and his Minister of War. He was the greatest military strategist of the Revolution, winning every
Streets of Mexico – May 2024 Read More »
Porfirio Díaz To borrow from Charles Dickens: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was a period of peace and progress; it was a period of oppression and misery. It was an era of immense change; it was an era of stubborn retrenchment. He was a man of immense
Streets of Mexico – April 2024 Read More »
