Bornstein: Teacher's Labyrinth to fill arts void

Published September 2, 2006 at midnight

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In only three years of teaching drama at North High School, José Mercado has seen what arts education can achieve and how little opportunity there is to provide it in public schools.

Just back in Denver from squiring his students to the Edin- burgh Festi- val in Scotland, Mercado is awaiting approval of nonprofit status for an organization he hopes will provide theater education to students without access to it otherwise.

Called Labyrinth Arts Academy, it already has several committed backers and plans to begin workshops in 2007. The idea was brought to Mercado by North Denver residents impressed by what had been accomplished at North High School, where the students were drawing large audiences to their theatrical productions.

"It took some convincing - of me," Mercado says. "I've seen how hard people in the nonprofit world work, and I'm working that hard as an educator."

Mercado began at North in 2003 as a full-time drama teacher. The next year the drama program was reduced and Mercado devoted part of his teaching time to Spanish classes. This year, he's back to teaching drama - but only part time, "because I didn't want to teach Spanish," he says, and because he's putting together Labyrinth.

The program will be based around the one used for One Love: A Hip-Hop Theater Joint. The 2005 North High School production was a collaboration of students and teachers. Now Mercado wants to open up the process. Students will have to audition for Labyrinth and make a commitment to the program.

"This came up because of the problem I'm facing at a poor inner-city school. We're losing the arts programs," Mercado says. "With No Child Left Behind, it's all about test scores."

Using his connections, Mercado has proven he can introduce his students to big names and big ideas. Los Angeles actor Tony Plana, starring this fall on TV in Ugly Betty, has made several visits to North and committed to visit the Labyrinth program. Mercado also created connections for his students at North with the Museum of Contemporary Art and the new theater being planned at the old Elitch Theatre.

Frank Tijerina didn't have any children studying with Mercado but nonetheless became a supporter of the Labyrinth concept. A consultant to businesses trying to reach the Hispanic community, he lives in North Denver and showed up a year ago for an Edinburgh fundraiser.

"I was really interested in how he got the kids motivated and just excited to see the drive the kids had to succeed," Tijerina says.

"Just seeing how he interacted with the kids, the whole connection that he had with them, you don't see that very often. These kids see life through a different lens with excitement and opportunities."

The budget is, so far, undisclosed, but Tijerina says a number of individuals have signed up to support the academy once it receives its nonprofit status. Once the academy is on its feet, though, it still will face the challenge of reaching children who don't have transportation, do have jobs and often are required to care for younger siblings.

When a store manager threatened to fire a student who needed time off for the trip to Edinburgh - for which students raised $85,000 in one year - Mercado convinced him what an opportunity she would be missing.

"Today in the freshman class I hear these 15-year-old girls who have to go right after school to take care of little brothers and sisters and don't have time for after-school programs," Mercado says.

Sometimes he encourages them to bring the children along, just to ensure they come to drama.

"I'll hold a baby while they're onstage in rehearsal."

Black Masque

In three years with José Mercado as drama teacher, North High School students have drawn sold-out audiences. Here are a few of their productions.

• Zoot Suit Riots (2004)

• One Love (2005)

• Simply Maria (2006)

• The House on Mango Street (opening in November)

Lisa Bornstein is the theater critic. bornsteinl@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5101

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