In 1975, while volunteering for the Old Mission, Elvira Gomez de Tafoya brought forth a 200-year-old Santa Barbara Christmas tradition: La Pastorela (A Shepherd’s Play), which tells of the pilgrimage of the pastores (shepherds) to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Christ. Known as Maestra Tafoya, Elvira was a lifelong teacher who believed in the cultural and educational power of theater. The play brought a new level of art to uplift the Spanish-speaking community, and we are indebted to her.
La Pastorela is a tradition found in several Spanish-speaking places throughout California and Mexico, each city with its own “edition.” Pablo De la Guerra transcribed Santa Barbara’s version in the 19th century, and Maestra Tafoya selected his script for its Shakespearian qualities of changing meter, poetic beauty, and clever humor. While other versions of La Pastorela modernized the script with satire, Maestra Tafoya remained traditional in her direction, preserving the original language, staging, music, and story of Christian redemption.
The shepherds’ journey is interrupted by an epic battle between Lucifer and Saint Michael, who fight for the souls of the shepherds. The powerful story of Catholic redemption is told in rhyming Spanish couplets with music, dance, and staging. Elvira Tafoya, who produced and directed it for more than 35 years, regarded the play as “a gem in the crown of Santa Barbara History.”