Know Before You Go

World premiere, commissioned by Texas Performing Arts and developed in residence

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.

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, 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.

Suitable for all ages.

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.

Support for the development and premiere of Postcards From The Border is provided by the College of Fine Arts O’Donnell Visiting Artist Endowment.