The past summer, Professor of Theatre, Susan A. Robinson was looking for suggestions of plays she might be able to do, specifically concerning the Latinx community and took it to her Facebook friends. A friend suggested “Just Like Us” by Karen Zacarias.

The play is an adaptation of  Helen Thorpe’s, an award-winning journalist’s first book, “Just Like Us.”

When Director Susan A. Robinson first began teaching at Elgin Community College, her interests were to work and showcase plays for social justice. She has succeeded to do so and in the last couple of years the department has done “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” and most recently “The Laramie Project.”

“Social justice is really important to me,” Robinson said.

Robinson had been interested in presenting a play that incorporated Latinx students and believes “Just Like Us” is fitting. With the announcement of the rescindment of the Deferred action Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the topic of deportation and undocumented people, in the past year, the play comes when the topics it covers, are very relevant.

“I thought it was a great idea. When she [Robinson] told me what play it was and to read it, I thought it was really cool especially because the issues that it talks about sadly are so relevant today,” said Gwendolyn Madrigal, a second-year student.

Madrigal plays the role of Yadira Vargas who is one of the two young women who is undocumented.

Thorpe’s book is based in 2006 and follows the lives of four teenage friends from Denver, CO, two of which were documented and two undocumented. She follows them and their stories as they attend college and witnesses the obstacles they face.

“It’s a play about important issues, but it’s also really fun. It’s about high school girls and they go to college, and what their life is about. The students can really relate to it. There’s also celebrations, parties, dancing, and music as well as heartbreak because two of them are undocumented, or some of their family is undocumented. Some of the play is really hard hitting as well,” said Robinson.

ECC Theatre will host its first premiere of “Just Like Us” on Nov. 3 and showcase the play for a whole week from then on after. After every show the cast will stay behind to provide a ‘Talk-Back,” to promote interaction, feedback, and discussion with the audience.

There is much excitement for the play and the opportunity it has brought to students. “ I’ve always been really proud of my heritage and my culture and I want to be a part of that, I want to be on stage representing,” Madrigal said.