All Stories
Opinion: Mexicans like me celebrate Mother’s Day twice. Here’s why.
There’s a song, “April Showers,” sung by Judy Garland, that came out in 1956 that makes me think about the duality of life and even Mother Earth. The lyrics go,...
Opinión: Nació una estrella en Chula Vista; Mario López es orgullosamente uno de los nuestros
El éxito de Mario López como actor es una inspiración para los niños de nuestra comunidad.
Opinion: A star was born in Chula Vista. Mario Lopez is proudly one of our own.
A meteor hit the Earth on Oct. 10, 1973. Figuratively speaking, that is. The name of the star from the celestial heaven was Mario Lopez, born to Elvia and Mario...
Mexican moms get to celebrate two days in May. Here’s a tribute to my own mother.
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.Every day is Mother’s Day! I’m writing...
My goal for 2024 is to invest more in the people I love. ‘Life is a cooperative process.’
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.When we close the door to...
We have to fight the forces that discourage us from sharing our stories
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.I guess I’m like that young...
At Christmas, what counts isn’t under the tree. It’s in your heart.
Virchis is professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica, and lives in Chula Vista.We are Christmas. It is the gathering...
The arts played a big part in the Chicano Movement. I’m glad I was part of it.
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.The cultural arts have always played...
Chula Vista native Mario Lopez is receiving a big honor, and it’s not related to Hollywood
Virchis is professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica, lives in Chula Vista.The family tree has many different branches that...
Mexican Mother’s Day has a different date and flavor
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.Mexican mothers have a day of their...
One last cheer for Southwestern College’s Mayan Hall Theatre, the ultimate time machine
Southwestern College’s Mayan Hall Theatre was designed in 1969 by architect George Foster. He created the building with nods to California’s pre-European history, utilizing an iconic Mayan style that represented...
In Mexico, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of friendship
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.In Mexico, we celebrate Valentine’s Day...
The saying ‘money can’t buy happiness’ is true of Christmas
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista. When we look around, we can...
I asked a teacher, a poet, a theater producer and an Uber driver about inflation
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.As a fixed income person who...
My mother bought me my first guitar and sang with me the songs from the Golden Age of Mexico
Virchis is a professor emeritus at Southwestern College Department of Theater Arts and producing artistic director of Teatro Máscara Mágica. He lives in Chula Vista.This is for all the mothers...
What theater and the Gestalt method can teach us about healing America
Virchis is CEO of Virco Enterprises and the former director of visual and performing arts at the Sweetwater Union High School District. He lives in Chula Vista.When I was a...
2020 was a circus. Here’s what it taught me about birth, life and death.
“Stop The World — I Want To Get Off.”That’s the title of the great Broadway show by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. It’s a story that examines the birth, life...
I am thankful for friends, family and strangers
My family arrived in 1951, leaving Mexico City for a beautiful place called Chula Vista. Everything was new. It was like landing on another planet. The irony of it all...
An open letter to all the politicians who will be in office after the election
To the elected politicians I would say to you, “Attack every problem with enthusiasm about doing the right thing for everyone because all lives matter and do it as if...
The lack of representation of Latinos on stage is obvious. I’m an actor, I know first hand.
Some theorists say that when actors perform, they put on the masks of comedy and tragedy. Other theorists and acting gurus write that the masks of comedy and tragedy are...
The Power of One
It only takes one match to light a forest fire, it only takes one person to light a fire in many others for the greater good. It only takes one...