内容摘要：The Basin Pharmacy is seen in Basin, Wyo. (AP Photo/Mike Clark)

The Basin Pharmacy is seen in Basin, Wyo. (AP Photo/Mike Clark)

Martin, 28, does not identify as Afro, but feels the company’s work successfully portrays Mexico’s diversity.“Our ancestors are not only Indigenous, but a fusion, and these mixed heritages have resulted in a very distinct society, made of all colors, which shouldn’t pigeonhole us into just being Afro,” Martin said.

Castillo and Chabaud primarily encourage Afro-Mexican artists to work in their plays, but they also welcome amateur actors and LGBTQ+ performers.One of them is transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena, who began her career in plays addressing topics such as suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction in marginalized communities.Mulato Teatro cast members, transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena and musician Jesús Peredo, rehearse for their upcoming performance at the First International Afro-Scenic Festival, in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

Mulato Teatro cast members, transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena and musician Jesús Peredo, rehearse for their upcoming performance at the First International Afro-Scenic Festival, in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)“In my (LGBTQ+) community, we know what it’s like to fight against the world,” said Atanasio, who plays a trans woman in one of Chabaud’s plays about gender violence.

“I’m very moved to have been given the chance to become part of this space, which also heals me,” she added. “We can show that we exist and we are more than just a story. We are bodies, desires, feelings, and the pain we carry.”

There’s a special play written and directed by Castillo: “Dreaming of Africa.”In Southern California’s Ventura County, many growers have shifted to avocados since lemon prices were walloped by

. As recently planted trees start bearing fruit in a few years, the region’s avocado production is likely to rise, said Korinne Bell, agricultural commissioner for the county northwest of Los Angeles.Avocado trees do not come without risks in a region prone to wildfires.

Still, demand for the trees has jumped due to interest from lemon growers — and since thecharred Ventura County avocado orchards, said Rob Brokaw, whose family-owned nursery has supplied avocado trees to California growers for 70 years.