Themes of family, honor and loyalty lie at the heart of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1.”

These are also some of the same principles that Chicano gangs live by. When actor and writer Herbert Siguenza noted the commonality, he decided to adapt the Shakespearean play.

The result is “El Henry,” produced by La Jolla Playhouse as part of its site-specific Without Walls series, in association with San Diego Repertory Theatre. The play runs June 14-29 at SILO, in the East Village downtown.

While “not a big Shakespeare guy,” Siguenza said he wanted to offer a fresh version of the play that would be relevant and accessible to modern audiences, particularly young people who may have a hard time relating to an English king that lived 600 years ago.

The founding member of Chicano performance troupe Culture Clash is more accustomed to doing political satire than classics. For 30 years, the group has been entertaining audiences with its humorous stage antics and thought-provoking social commentary on the complexities of race, community and politics in America.

So it’s no surprise that Siguenza put a Latino spin on “Henry IV, Part 1,” a history play about the English king and his defiant son, Prince Hal.

“El Henry” is set in Aztlan City (formerly San Diego) in the year 2045. In this post-Anglo future, there is no Mexican-American border and violent barrio families run the decaying metropolis. Chicanos, Latinos and Hispanics rule the city overrun by political apathy and corruption.

“So you can imagine it’s a totally different world. The political and cultural lines get really blurry,” Siguenza said. “San Diego becomes Aztlan City, which becomes in a sense an extension of Mexico, and all the violence and corruption going on down there right now. It’s my apocalyptic vision of the future of California and San Diego — a sci-fi take on ‘Henry IV.’”

Although the setting has changed, those familiar with the Shake-spearean classic will recognize the story of the unruly prince who redeems himself by saving his father and defeating his rival.

“I didn’t change the story at all. The story is intact,” Siguenza said.

He did, however, change the language. Siguenza wrote the play in modern English, using Calü, a poetic cadence that mixes urban Spanish and English slang.

“I have difficulty understanding Shakespeare, and I think a lot of people do, because of the language and the poetry,” Siguenza said. “It’s unfortunate, because when people go to the theater, they should understand every word. As an audience member I found Shakespeare very excruciating and frustrating because I don’t understand everything.”

“El Henry,” Siguenza assured, is much more accessible than Shake-speare. The pared down play runs about 90 minutes.

San Diego Rep artistic director Sam Woodhouse helms the production. Lakin Valdez and Kinan Valdez star as the titular prince and his rival, respectively. Both actors are sons of playwright Luis Valdez, who wrote “Zoot Suit” and the screenplay for the film “La Bamba.” Siguenza will play Fausto, the equivalent of the Falstaff character in the Bard’s original. Local Latino actors complete the cast.

Woodhouse and Siguenza share a long history. The Rep co-founder put Culture Clash on the map, Siguenza said, by seeing the troupe’s potential and giving it a shot at regional theater. The Rep has worked with Culture Clash ever since, and Siguenza served as the theater’s resident artist in 2012-’13.

“I have enormous respect for his vision and his talent,” Woodhouse said of Siguenza. “I find making plays based on what he dreams about to be very challenging and satisfying.”

“El Henry” has the added complexity of being site-specific work. SILO is basically a large, outdoor sand lot. The production team must bring in chairs and bleacher seating, lighting and sound. There are also environmental elements to contend with.

“We’re not just doing a play, we’re making a theater,” Woodhouse said.

The best site-specific work provides an immersive theater experience and a space that collaborates in our understanding of the play. SILO, in a mostly neglected but slowly reviving area of East Village, provides an apt setting for the post-border city struggling to determine its future.

“It’s kind of run-down. It almost looks apocalyptic already. It has graffiti, old brick walls, a dirt floor,” Siguenza said.

“We’re going to enhance it a little bit, but we don’t have to construct sets, we’re just bringing in props and costumes.”
For the 15-member cast, there are some 75 costumes. Props include three low-riders and a motorcycle.

“It’s the biggest project I’ve ever done,” said Siguenza, referring to the cast, complexities and collaborations involved.

The playwright hasn’t dismissed the idea of future adaptations of the next plays in Shakespeare’s tetralogy, “Henry IV, Part 2” and “Henry V.”

“We’ll see how this one goes,” he said. “I would love to do more Shakespeare for the 21st century. I think a lot of the plays and stories are still relevant and could be adapted.”

The playwright’s next project, “Steal Heaven,” about the life of late activist Abbie Hoffman, will be mounted at the Rep in early 2015.