"Stage and Screen: 150 Years of Entertainment in the Mesilla Valley"

Las Cruces, NM – On this edition of PUENTES a la comunidad, bridges to the community, host Emily Guerra spoke with New Mexico State University Public History Program Director and Assistant History Professor, Dr. Jerry D. Wallace, about the “untold stories of Las Cruces’ film culture” through a local film and theater history exhibit, “Stage and Screen: 150 years of Entertainment in the Mesilla Valley,” by NMSU graduate students, Hamed Aziziangilan and Tracie Amend, who participated at the Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, Las Cruces, NM. The program helps create internships and pathways for students to get professional experience for a job out of college. Visitors can see everything from movie posters, to clothing, to theater chairs and hundreds of photos. The exhibit runs through April 20^th exploring Las Cruces and Mesilla Valley theaters, drive-ins, cinemas, and stages. They also showcase local influential people in the industry like former chairman of NMSU’s Drama Department and professor, Hershel Zohn (1906-2001); local filmmaker and NMSU professor, Orville “Buddy” Wanzer (1930-2019; and Oscar-nominated ant Tony Award-winning playwright and Film director, Mark Medoff (1940-2019).