The Tradition of La Noche Herética at Western
Prof. Felipe Quetzalcoatl Quintanilla
This year in March, we had everything ready to go: a radiant comedic duo as MCs, a wonderful set of performers, the premiere of our very own theater group, contests, advertisers, free pupusas and empanadas for all, a live Latin band (Orlando Valencia) and a DJ, to celebrate like one should, Latin American style.
But, alas, our Noche Herética 2020 could not be… because of COVID.
Yes, we are still a bit salty about that.
However, as we near the 20th anniversary of the first celebration of La Noche Herética (in 2022), it is still, nonetheless, a wonderful time to reflect on the legacy of this great tradition at our department.
The Noche Herética is an annual event traditionally organized by the Spanish and Hispanic Studies programs’ undergraduate and graduate students, as well as with the collaboration of professors at Western. A night that features art, theater, dance and song, as a way to bring together our student community with the local Hispanic and Latinx community as well as with the broader multicultural Canadian community in London, Ontario.
The idea for the event first arose in 2002. A group of energized undergrad students of this generation, envisioned something that would excite their colleagues and so they met one fateful night, in the now non-existent Bubblegum Café, on Oxford and Talbot, to discuss strategy and to come up with a name that would capture the essence of what they were dreaming up together.
It was then, that one of the members of the group, Tom, who had been inspired by a discussion in Professor Rafael Montano’s class on Carmen Boullosa’s Teatro Herético, suggested that the cultural event they were conjuring up, be called La Noche Herética.
And the rest, as they say, is puro cuento!
Professor Dominique Russell took leadership of the event from the outset and directed both undergraduate and graduate students through the production and performances of theater plays, often works of her own creation.
In 2006, the graduate students began to take a more active roll, and actually came to produce, direct and perform all aspects of the La Noche Herética from 2006 up until 2012
From 2012 onwards, La Noche Herética, has once again come to showcase the efforts and creative sides of both undergraduate and graduate students and continues to be a very special and distinctive component of life in our department, one that brings together all of our students, professors, and the local Canadian and Latinx community at large.
Please take a moment to go down memory lane with us, and enjoy the following collection of highlights from some of the past 17 years of Noche Heréticas. And don’t forget that you already have a date with us, to celebrate the next iteration of La Noche Herética, in March of 2022.
A Brief Photo and Video History of the Event
La Noche Herética 2011: Entrevista con las personalidades de Jorge Herrera y Clara Flores, de La Voz Hispana. Radio Western
La Noche Herética 2012
Crónica de Dr. Javier de la Rosa
[Hacer click en la imagen para leer texto completo]
El pasado viernes se celebró en el departamento lo que se conoce como La Noche Herética. Básicamente consiste en que los profesores de español organizan un acto de un par de horas en que sus alumnos puedan enseñar los logros con el idioma de Cervantes mientras la sesión se ameniza con otras tantas actuaciones invitadas. Todo hilado por los presentadores que suelen preparar números al más estilo Gala de los Goya. Este año todo corrió por cuenta de Espe e Itziri, con la colaboración especial de Elika y todo aquel que se prestó a echar una mano, desde colocar sillas o imprimir los programas, hasta manejar las luces o la sincronización de los vídeos.
En esta edición la excusa era hacer un viaje simulado por los países de hispano-hablantes. Y a mí me tocó colaborar con la creación del cartel, en el que había que reflejar la idea.
