Kimberly Santana started at central New York’s only Spanish-language pre-professional theater, La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino, when she was 5. When she stopped performing at age 12,

Santana returned to her childhood theater, being the oldest among nine other cast members, including her younger brother.

“What brought me back was seeing my younger brother do what I did at a similar age, and that just opened doors for me,” Santana said. “And then I saw all the other kids, and I want to continue to see their growth and see La Joven Guardia be what it was for me.”

“La Vida es Sueño,” based on the 1636 play by Calderón de la Barca, has been in production since January. The cast, between the ages of 7-to-13 with 20-year-old Santana as the outlier, has come together to perform for Latine Heritage Month — an annual theater tradition at La Joven Guardia. The performance, funded through the Onondaga County Arts Agency Funding administered by CNY Arts, is on stage from Wednesday through Saturday.

La Joven Guardia Owner, José Miguel Hernandez, directed the Spanish-language philosophical play. He had help from his assistant director, 18-year-old Lily Beckman, and Syracuse University acting instructor Brad Beckman, who adapted the play — which follows a prince who questions the meaning of life while in confinement.