Lights, camera, enchilada! Jade Esteban Estrada, aka The Prada Enchilada, performed at SPArC Indoor Theatre at Bakersfield College on Oct. 15. Jade held a free performance of the one-person play, Tortilla Heaven, written by his sister, Celeste Angela Estrada, and directed by his brother, David Miguel Estrada.

Tortilla Heaven tells the story of a boy, Charles, who went from living with his mom in Los Angeles to living with his grandmother and uncle in San Antonio, Texas.

Charles struggles with adjusting to the Hispanic lifestyle of his grandmother and uncle compared to the luxuries of living with his mother. While at first living with the feeling of abandonment, Charles eventually grows to move on about his feelings toward his mother, and becomes thankful of his grandmother for helping him become the man he is today.

Estrada captivated the audience by demonstrating his talent, acting out all of the characters in the show. “I am more of a performer than a human being,” said Estrada. He learned his craft early at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York studying theatre and musical arts with notable pop-star Jennifer Lopez.

With quick wardrobe changes to changing between characters, Estrada’s performance was able to keep moving, never having a dull moment.

The play showed examples of three different generations of a Mexican upbringing in the United States, and Estrada is no stranger, as he was born and raised to Mexican parents in Texas.

For Estrada, it was a struggle as not only a Mexican-American kid in Texas, but also as one who identified as LGBTQ. “Every young person from that generation who was LGBTQ has their story of how they moved forward,” Estrada said. “Whether it was a teacher, or a family member, or a hobby. Mine was theater. If I did not have that, if I haven’t discovered my talents, I would have allowed people to really affect my direction and who I was.”

Actor, comedian and singer are just some of the talents Estrada possesses, and he demonstrated every single one in Tortilla Heaven. Estrada is currently on his comedy tour that will take him across the United States and overseas to Italy and Australia. Go to www.getjaded.com for more information.