As a ticket holder to Underneath the Freeways of Los Angeles, you are now a member of the Los Angeles community in 1960. The LAPD is seeking your help unraveling a tragic and mysterious crime that recently took place at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights. Several witnesses and connected parties have been brought to the precinct and, while none have yet been charged, they may hold the answers the community needs.
Who you are in this world is up to you. Where do you work? How do you dress? Whom do you associate with? What neighborhood do you live in? What are your political beliefs? What and whom do you fear? Your answers to the above questions will impact what tactics you take in getting information from the persons of interest. Do you badger? Coax? Sit back and observe? The choice is yours. Whatever your approach, you’ll have a limited amount of time to get to know the connected parties to this horrific case. Explore the information on this page and think about who you are in this world. We encourage you to immerse yourself as deeply or as lightly as you’d like. Costumes are encouraged (but not required) and you may even choose to take on a “character” who is very different than yourself. You may prefer to come as you are and that is also welcome.
-Make sure you have downloaded the most current version of Zoom (in the App go to zoom.us in the upper left hand corner and click “Check for Updates”. If an update is available click “Install”
–Please download and print this document. It will act as your guide and a repository for your notes as you interview the persons of interest.
-Keep an eye out for the link to your particular performance. You should receive an email from Zoom prior to your experience.
Elie Kovner: Elie seems to have a particular interest in Boyle Heights, a particular insight into the case; what’s unclear is why.
Officer Banham: While the Hollenbeck Police lack sufficient evidence and facts, Officer Banham is insisting that he’ll have the case cleared up very soon; maybe he has a suspect in mind already.
Mrs. Kay Shimo: Mrs. Shimo is a single mother who lives almost right on top of the park, she heard “something” the morning of, but can’t be sure what it was.
Dee Dee Echeverria: A local artist who can’t stop talking about the painting she did the morning in question.
Oh, and Dee Dee was the one who discovered the bodies in Hollenbeck Park and called the police; so, why is she still being questioned?
James Rouser: A proud part of the Division of Highways, Mr. Rouser has been unapologetic with his personal views about the Anti-Freeway Protests and the sort of people who live in Boyle Heights.
Lucretia Jacobs: A passionate leader, a protest organizer, Lucretia insists she was not at the park at the time the incident took place.
Efren: What you’d call a true Boyle Heights native, Efren’s got a complicated history with the LAPD.