Latino theater troupes at Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College will present a contemporary and local take on the Nativity story this weekend with the second annual production of "La Pastorela Mechicana."

Teatro Molcateje (based at Cal State San Marcos) and Teatro Dionisio (Palomar College) are collaborating on the humorous Christmas play, which will be presented Friday and Saturday nights at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

The play -- written by Carlos von Son, a Spanish professor at Palomar -- will be presented entirely in Spanish with some musical elements. Co-directed by sisters Diana and Nadia Cabuto the play features a cast of 25 and has a running time of two hours, including intermission.

Based on the traditional Pastorela holiday plays from Mexico, "La Pastorela Mechicana" is reset in modern-day North County. Shepherds in Ramona have learned about the birth of Jesus through dreams and prophecies, and they embark on a journey to see the Christ child in Santa Ysabel. Along the way, the shepherds are met by Leviathan, an evil prince, and his two female companions who tempt them with the seven deadly sins.

Von Son debuted the play last year at Cal State San Marcos, and since then it has been published for an anthology by the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in Mexico. On opening night, representatives from the university (with campuses in Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana) will be on hand to present a published copy of the play to von Son.

"It's a funny play," von Son said. "There are a lot of topical references and we bring some of the culture of Mexico into the play. For example, in most Nativity stories, it's Joseph and Mary who are seeking shelter to have their baby. But the Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint in Mexico, so we've replaced Mary with the Virgin of Guadalupe, and she's been pregnant for 500 years, so she's really ready to have this baby."

Von Son said that students are presenting the play as a volunteer effort. They will receive no school credit for their performances. The students also insisted that ticket prices be reduced to $8 so local working-class families could attend.

"It's a labor of love for them," von Son said. "It's rare to find students who will take time out of their schedules to do something with no return, but they are getting the satisfaction of knowing that they're continuing a tradition in the United States and contributing to the Mexican cultural diaspora."