Fronteras Americanas/American Borders

John Walker is a professor of Spanish studies at Queen’s University.

Guillermo Verdecchia, who was born in Argentina and now lives in
Vancouver, fits the designation of displaced person that all immigrants
have the potential to be in a foreign setting. Urjo Kareda, in his
perceptive foreword, captures the essence of this phenomenon, especially
as it applies to a Latin American, like Verdecchia, living in a northern
land.

Verdecchia himself faces up to the problem by analyzing it and then
rendering his feelings in dramatic terms. In Fronteras Americanas, he
attempts to come to terms with his fears and uncertainties, through
questioning and self-examination, while trying to build a life between
two cultures. This one-man show consists of the dialogue between his two
personae, Verdecchia and Wideload (alias Facundo Morales Segundo), a
Latino stereotype. Although funny and satirical, the play makes serious
points about Latin American history. Through his attempt to find his own
self and tell his own story, Verdecchia captures the essence of
displacement and the universal struggle to cross the border that exists
in all of us.

Fronteras Americanas is a witty and controversial work that challenges
myths, clichés, and stereotypes in an original, entertaining, and
rewarding fashion. Verdecchia’s efforts to define his own identity in
terms of border/place and time provide fruitful lessons for all of us.