A Man with a Mission

​Jose Mercado has been a man with a mission when it comes to turning inner-city kids into accomplished thespians for years now, and his ardor for what seems an impossible task never seems to diminish.

t’s just that he’s so good at it. Mercado came from his own barrio roots; his own love of cultural life and a memorable mentor at UCLA helped him overcome whatever obstacles life might have thrown in his path. His most recent project is the rejuvenation of the Historic Elitch Theatre, and he’s thrown that cause into an earnest symbiosis with his goal to introduce barrio youth to theater by presenting student productions on an outdoor stage under the aegis of the Historic Elitch Theatre School for Arts Education. Full story in the Westword.