Otis Woods, artwork for Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta (image courtesy Rogue Artists Ensemble)
When the book Señor Plummer: The Life and Laughter of an Old-Californian was first published in 1942, it reflected a time and place that was surely unfamiliar to many living in Hollywood’s Golden Age. Written a year before Plummer died at the age of 91, it tells of a dusty, Wild West town that was the site of land battles between the original Latino Californios and newcomer Anglo Americans. Plummer portrayed himself as belonging to both of those groups. Born Eugene Plummer, the son of a Canadian father and a mother with Irish and Spanish roots, he reinvented himself in LA — as so many do — as Don Eugenio. Fusing history and personal narrative with healthy doses of myth and humor, the book is a colorful, bittersweet recollection of a bygone Los Angeles.
Inspired by Plummer’s outsize life and story, the Rogue Artists Ensemble is creating Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta, an interactive theatrical event featuring masks, puppets, and music. Before the work has its official premiere next year, audiences can witness a workshop performance this week in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park, located on the last parcel of his homestead. Live mariachi music will be performed by the all-female trio La Victoria, with food provided by the Best Fish Taco in Ensenada.
When: Thursday, August 24–Saturday, August 26, 7pm nightly (suggested donation $5–50)
Where: Plummer Park (7377 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, California)
More info here.
