Nowhere on the Border
Encyclopedia
Nowhere on the Border is a one-act play written by American playwright Carlos Lacamara
in response to the Immigration conflict. It was first performed in 2005.
called Gary Dobbs, who finds the body of a Hispanic
man. The Border Patrol guard believes that the man is dead, although as he calls the Border Patrol the "dead" man wakes up sharply, startling the guard. He finds out that the man's name is Roberto Castillo and that he is looking for his 22-year-old daughter Pilar who walked into the Arizona Desert from Mexico hoping to join her husband in the United States
. Dobbs suspects that Castillo is a drug smuggler and decides to wait with him for the Border Patrol
to come and check if his visa
is real. Castillo explains that he isn't moving from that particular spot because he found a mutilated
corpse and knew that if his daughter was found dead by someone, he would want someone to look after the body until someone came. He is sure that the body isn't his daughter because the man that smuggled her in said that if she died on the trip, he would put a blue cloth over her face, which the corpse lacks. During the time that they are waiting, they talk about their families and their culture, and form a unique bond between each other. At the end, Dobbs sees a blue cloth under a rock next to the body, indicating that the body is in fact Pilar; together they both bury the body.
The other story-line of the play concerns Pilar's journey through the desert. In the Repertorio Español production, these scenes were performed in Spanish
. She pays a coyote (a people smuggler) named Don Rey to take her across the Sonoran Desert
to join her husband. She walks through the desert with Montoya (the guide) and Jesus Ortiz (another man being smuggled across the border). They encounter hardships along the way and Montoya frequently sniffs cocaine
, offering some to Pilar when she is tired. Pilar becomes dehydrated and Jesus pressurizes Montoya to go get help. Montoya sets off to find help and isn't seen again. Jesus places a blue cloth over her face and leaves to find help as well. Pilar's last words are "Kooka-roo", referring to a chicken character with whom her father used to annoy her.
in 2005. Lacamara played Robert and Patrick Rowe played Gary in the produciton. The cast also included Sergio Arras, Robert Bruzio, Annie Henk, Joe Diaz and Kervin Peralta. The play received a rehearsed reading as part of the MetLife Repertorio Espanol competition in New York
in 2006. The reading was directed by Jason Ramirez.
Carlos Lacamara
Carlos Lacámara , sometimes credited as Carlos Lacamara or Carlos LaCamara, is a Cuban-born American actor and playwright who has had a long career on American television, making his first appearance in 1983 on the sitcom Family Ties...
in response to the Immigration conflict. It was first performed in 2005.
Plot synopsis
The play begins with a border vigilanteVigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
called Gary Dobbs, who finds the body of a Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
man. The Border Patrol guard believes that the man is dead, although as he calls the Border Patrol the "dead" man wakes up sharply, startling the guard. He finds out that the man's name is Roberto Castillo and that he is looking for his 22-year-old daughter Pilar who walked into the Arizona Desert from Mexico hoping to join her husband in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Dobbs suspects that Castillo is a drug smuggler and decides to wait with him for the Border Patrol
Border guard
The border guard, frontier guard, border patrol, border police, or frontier police of a country is a national security agency that performs border control, i.e., enforces the security of the country's national borders....
to come and check if his visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
is real. Castillo explains that he isn't moving from that particular spot because he found a mutilated
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
corpse and knew that if his daughter was found dead by someone, he would want someone to look after the body until someone came. He is sure that the body isn't his daughter because the man that smuggled her in said that if she died on the trip, he would put a blue cloth over her face, which the corpse lacks. During the time that they are waiting, they talk about their families and their culture, and form a unique bond between each other. At the end, Dobbs sees a blue cloth under a rock next to the body, indicating that the body is in fact Pilar; together they both bury the body.
The other story-line of the play concerns Pilar's journey through the desert. In the Repertorio Español production, these scenes were performed in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. She pays a coyote (a people smuggler) named Don Rey to take her across the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
to join her husband. She walks through the desert with Montoya (the guide) and Jesus Ortiz (another man being smuggled across the border). They encounter hardships along the way and Montoya frequently sniffs cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, offering some to Pilar when she is tired. Pilar becomes dehydrated and Jesus pressurizes Montoya to go get help. Montoya sets off to find help and isn't seen again. Jesus places a blue cloth over her face and leaves to find help as well. Pilar's last words are "Kooka-roo", referring to a chicken character with whom her father used to annoy her.
Production history
Nowehere on the Border was first performed at the Hayworth Theater in Wilshire, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWilshire, Los Angeles, California
Wilshire is an area in Los Angeles, California, north of I-10, east of Beverly Hills and the Westside, west of Downtown LA and south of Hollywood, and contains, or abuts the districts of Mid-City West and Mid-Wilshire....
in 2005. Lacamara played Robert and Patrick Rowe played Gary in the produciton. The cast also included Sergio Arras, Robert Bruzio, Annie Henk, Joe Diaz and Kervin Peralta. The play received a rehearsed reading as part of the MetLife Repertorio Espanol competition in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2006. The reading was directed by Jason Ramirez.