Postcards from the Border
by Oscar Cásares
Jan. 24 - Jan. 25
Friday-Saturday
Oscar Cásares, an acclaimed novelist from the Rio Grande Valley, wanted to share his experience of growing up on the border with his 10-year-old daughter, Elena. To tell this story, Cásares and photographer Joel Salcido traveled the length of the Rio Grande, from El Paso and Juarez to Brownsville and Matamoros to reveal his roots and the subtle and profound details of those who live there.
Originally appearing in Texas Monthly, those words and images are now brought to life in a new stage production with music by hometown hero Carrie Rodriguez and her band, narrated by Cásares alongside Salcido’s stirring images. Together, these artists illuminate the often-overlooked stories of generations of families at the edge of our country. This is the story of the border you’ve never heard.
Interview audio feature by Eric Westervelt and John Burnett, National Public Radio, January 19, 2025
Feature by Michael Barnes, Austin Statesman, January 20, 2025
A group of Texas artists has created a performance piece they say is designed to transport people to the Texas-Mexico border and to share some border stories they say do not get much attention – despite recent heightened scrutiny of the region. Postcards from the Border was commissioned by Texas Performing Arts and developed in residence there. It evolved from a trip that author Oscar Casares and photographer Joel Salcido took from El Paso and Juarez to Brownsville and Matamoros, chronicling what they encountered along the way in words and photos. Austin singer-songwriter and violinist Carrie Rodriguez added music for the stage show.
KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talked with the three of them recently about the origin of the piece and their hopes for the audience’s experience. We hear from writer Oscar Casares first.
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BIOGRAPHIES
Oscar Cásares is the author of the story collection Brownsville, and the novels Amigoland and Where We Come From. Over the last 25 years, he has written about the Rio Grande Valley and the Texas-Mexico border, where he grew up and his family settled in the mid 1800s. His personal essays have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, and on NPR's All Things Considered.
Carrie Rodriguez is a singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas, who finds beauty in the cross-pollination of diverse traditions. A passionate performer, she effortlessly melds fiery fiddle playing, electrifying vocals and a fresh interpretation of new and classic songs with an “Ameri-Chicana” attitude.
Joel Salcido began working professionally in photography in 1979 as an intern for the El Paso Times. As a staff photographer for the newspaper, he documented the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, covered the 1985 Mexico earthquake, and traveled extensively in Latin America for USA Today.
Postcards from the Border was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Theater Project, with lead funding from the Mellon Foundation and additional support from the Doris Duke Foundation.
Postcards from the Border
by Oscar Cásares, Joel Salcido, Carrie Rodriguez,
Oscar Cásares
January 24 - January 25, 2025
Robert Dedman Drive and E. 23rd Street
Campus of the University of Texas
Austin, TX, 78712
January 24 & 25, 2025
World premiere, commissioned by Texas Performing Arts and developed in residence
McCullough Theatre, University of Texas at Austin
Tickets $41 and $56 via Texas Performing Arts, available HERE
