Typical of his selfless, altruistic nature, San Diego’s iconic theater director William “Bill” Virchis decided to forgo a typical celebration befitting an accomplished man’s 80th birthday, choosing…
Typical of his selfless, altruistic nature, San Diego’s iconic theater director William “Bill” Virchis decided to forgo a typical celebration befitting an accomplished man’s 80th birthday, choosing instead to honor others at a gala event to benefit the company he co-founded, Teatro Máscara Mágica.
The event will take place this Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town.Greg and Cheryl Cox have been able to steer funding for the arts over the years, both when each served as mayor of Chula Vista and in Greg’s case, as a San Diego County supervisor. Roger and Norma Cazares, as a former executive director of MAAC Project and a college counselor, respectively, have combined community activism with their love for theater and have been great supporters of Teatro Máscara Mágica. Robert and Stephanie Horsman have been instrumental to the success of many theatrical organizations over the years, including the San Diego Opera and Teatro Máscara Mágica. And Chuck and Gail Ross, known for their contributions to revitalizing Old Town, proprietors of restaurants and the Cosmopolitan Hotel, have been extremely generous in their support of the arts and most significantly, Teatro Máscara Mágica. With the founding of Teatro Máscara Mágica, Virchis cemented his reputation as an outspoken proponent of multiculturalism in community theater, introducing hundreds of young people from diverse communities to the arts. That reputation didn’t start with Teatro Máscara Mágica. The seeds for Bill Virchis’ altruism were planted in his youth. He was born in Mexico City in 1944 and moved to Chula Vista with his family at a young age. “At first, it was a shock. School was harder in Mexico,” Virchis said. “I didn’t speak any English, but I learned the language watching TV.” Virchis attended Chula Vista High School and studied at Southwestern College and San Diego State, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, earning the Sibyl E. Jones Scholarship for outstanding achievement in drama. “I imitated people as a kid, that’s where my love of theater came from,” Virchis says. “I also remember that my mother could make people cry with her poetry, which showed me the power of literature and drama, so I started imitating people; I even won a contest doing Nat King Cole, Jerry Lewis and more. They were my voices.” With his master’s degree in hand, Virchis was well-armed and on a trajectory to do great things not only in theater, but as an inspiration to young people in the sports world as well as a wrestling coach at Chula Vista High School. One of his most famous students is actor Mario Lopez. A co-founder of the Old Globe Theatre’s Teatro Meta and a producer of dozens of mariachi festivals, Virchis has collected numerous awards and accolades as an actor, director and educator. His decades of influence over students in the arts in the Sweetwater Union High School District led to the William Virchis Visual and Performing Arts Department beingTeatro Máscara Mágica is a national role model that has been cited by the National Endowment for the Art, California Arts Council, National Conference of Community and Justice and other civil rights, arts and community organizations. Bill Virchis’ volunteer work and community service have been widely recognized not only in San Diego, but nationally as well. He has received a Citizen of the Month Congressional Award and was honored to receive George W. Bush’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. This Saturday’s event is already sold-out, but you can find other ways to support Teatro Máscara Mágica by visitingCamp Pendleton Marine who made and sold ‘ghost’ rifles sentenced to prisonTwo San Diego teens investigated their high school foundation’s finances. Then one got called in to the principal.Del Mar, Solana Beach and Del Mar Fairgrounds agree to joint resolution on rail relocation projectAztecs wide receiver Baylin Brooks, defensive back Bennett Walker leave the teamFantasy Football Week 3: Waiver Wire Targets
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