Th, Fri, Sat, Dec. 10-12, 17-19, 8pm The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) 600 River Street

The Austin Latino Theater Alliance (ALTA) proudly announces La Pastorela 2009, a traditional Yuletide play that has been performed in Native American/Latino communities since the late 16th century when Spanish priests first introduced it to the Native people of this land.

Revered in the Christmas tradition aspect, as the Latino counterpart to The Nutcracker, La Pastorela is a family-friendly, musical comedy must see during this Holiday Season. The play follows a group of singing shepherds on their journey to Bethlehem. On their quest, they encounter obstacles in the form of worldly temptations put before them by crafty devils but resist as guardian angels fight to keep the shepherds on their path. This production holds strong roots in Austin’s own Latino community as its inaugural run was performed at the original Mexican American Cultural Center building in 1997.