Tag Archives: Latino Theater Company

Theatre Review: The Travelers

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Latino Theater Company and San Francisco’s Magic Theatre present the L.A. premiere of The Travelers. Written by Luis Alfaro. Directed by Sean San José, based on original direction by Catherine Castellanos. Produced by Latino Theater Company in association with the Magic Theatre and Campo Santo.

Money is tight at the monastery and the Carthusian monks need to figure out a way to survive. In addition to this precarious scenario, the is a hint of rebellion among the monks against the direction of Brother Santo (Sean San José). To complicate things even more, a mysterious man (Juan Amador) is left injured at the doorsteps of the monastery. Now the monks have to tend to him and find out who he really is.

Reality and fantasy are turned into poetry in Luis Alfaro‘s play. His understanding of farm work and religion allows him to create three-dimensional characters that breathe and palpitate the textures of the life in the fields and the consecrated life in a religious order. The Brothers, the product of the fields, were abandoned at an early age by their parents, leaving them at the monastery to keep them away from the hardships of farming. For these kids, the Carthusian Order became a refuge, a home, a second chance in life. In exchange, they needed to offer themselves to God in silence and prayer, separated from the world. However, the austere environment makes the Brothers wonder what life would be beyond their secluded compound.

Even though there are no Carthusian monasteries in California—the only one in the US is in Vermont— the story is an allegory of the monastic experience through the eyes of farm workers from the Central Valley in California. The play shows the goals of the Order of the Carthusians: Intimacy with God through solitude, community, and the liturgy. But the story also shows the doubts the Brothers have about their devotion. Their insecurities, pain, and earthy temptations (they drink and cuss) lead them to achieve a transformation that will define their future and the fate of the monastery.

To turn the poetry of Alfaro’s text into a theatrical experience, Director Sean San José uses stunning visuals—scenery, lighting, background music, and video projections. All of these elements capture and elevate the soul of the story in an emotive fashion. The contemplative nature of the Carthusian way motivates the characters to find the truth deep inside their hearts. And it is that mysterious man, transformed as Brother Juan, the one that leads the way to find their true vocation with surprising results.

The Travelers is a moving play that connects the fruits of the fields with the Catholic faith and shapes them into a poetic vision that feels both ethereal and intensely human.

The Travelers

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

Performances: Sept. 23 – Oct. 15
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 5; Oct. 12
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 6; Oct. 13
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 23 (opening night); Oct. 7; Oct. 14
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: Oct. 8; Oct. 15

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Written by Luis Alfaro. Directed by Sean San José, based on original direction by Catherine Castellanos. Starring Juan Amador, Daniel Duque–Estrada, Guillermo Yiyo Ornelas, Sean San José, Kinan Valdez, Ogie Zulueta. Produced by Latino Theater Company in association with the Magic Theatre and Campo Santo. Creative Team: Scenic designer Tanya Orellana; lighting designer gg Torres; sound designer Christopher Sauceda; video designer Joan Osato; costume designer Jojo Siu; and movement director Patricia Ong. The stage manager is Lauren Quan.

 

The Travelers poster
A scene from The Travelers
A scene from The Travelers
A scene from The Travelers

Theatre Review: Las Diosas Subterráneas

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Latino Theater Company presents Las Diosas Subterráneas, created by Mexico City’s interdisciplinary and experimental ensemble Organización Secreta Teatro. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Greek Mythology and Mexican reality converge in Las Diosas Subterráneas. The tale of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades blends with the disturbing reality of the disappeared women in Mexico. Organización Secreta Teatro (Pueblo Espíritu), under the direction of Rocío Carrillo, brings to the stage the character Luz García, a young woman representing the countless cases of women kidnapped, abused, and killed in one of the darkest episodes of recent Mexican history. According to the Mexican Institute of Human Rights and Democracy, the number of disappearances of women, girls, and teenagers has tripled in the last six years. In many of those cases, families have to live with the demoralizing anxiety of not knowing the fate of their daughters, wives, sisters, etc.

The play delves into the cases where tips, whether from authorities or anonymous, have led some families to organize groups to dig remote areas, hoping to find the remains of the women that have been abducted and killed. In one of the scenes, a father is faced with the pressing urgency to keep searching for her daughter while still having to provide for the rest of the family. Yes, the search efforts take time, and for poor families, this could mean having to stop working, adding more pressure to the already distressed economy of the household.

Machismo, sex trafficking, drug trade, and inaction from the authorities are some of the factors that contribute to the elevated number of unresolved cases. But the play goes even further than that. It presents the relationship between the traditional attitudes toward women and the final destination of these female victims. The allegory to the witch-hunt is a vivid representation of how women are still seen in the eyes of a machista society—women themselves incite their abduction, rape, and killing, just for wearing revealing clothes, a flirty demeanor, or just for being perceived as a threat to men’s authority.

Through the intricate blend of mythology, colors, dance, and drama, the actors portray the desperation and the pain inflicted on the most vulnerable sectors of society. It also reflects these families clinging on to a ray of hope, as slim as it might be, to find their women alive.

Las Diosas Subterráneas presents these facts with a sense of urgency. Indifference is becoming a part of the problem. While society keeps going on with their lives, there are thousands of families still searching. Still digging. Still crying. “Vivas se las llevaron, vivas las queremos!” They took them alive, we want them back alive! 

Las Diosas Subterráneas

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 14 at 4 p.m.

Director Rocío Carrillo. Created collectively by ensemble members Beatriz Cabrera, Alejandro Joan Carmarena, Brisei Guerrero, Stefanie Izquierdo, Ernesto Lecuona, Mercedes Olea and Jonathan Ramos from original ideas by Rocío Carrillo.

Las Diosas Subterráneas poster
A scene from Las Diosas Subterráneas
A scene from Las Diosas Subterráneas

Theatre Review: Whittier Boulevard

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The World Premiere of Whittier Boulevard is presented by Latino Theater Company. Created by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, and Jose Luis Valenzuela. Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela.

In a futuristic world, four characters face the predatory policies of a repressive government that deems elderly people a nuance to society. In a controversial action called the Age of Relief Protocol, law enforcement agencies are delegated the responsibility to detain any unmarried person over the age of 75. This discriminatory policy triggers social unrest and the birth of a mysterious insurgent called “Ramone”.

Due to an anonymous tip, Officer Roger Dimas (Geoffrey Rivas, Celestial Events) visits the residency of faded Chicana star Veronica Del Rio (Evelina Fernández, Sleep with the Angels), who is about to turn 75. Roger is greeted by Pilar (Lucy Rodriguez), Veronica’s nurse. Soon, they’re joined by Pablo (Sal López), a senior neighbor and a poet who is in love with Veronica. Roger explains that even though he must enforce the law, he is also troubled by the injustice of the Age of Relief Protocol. As he expresses his admiration for Veronica Del Rio, he also reveals a secret that would get him arrested and prosecuted. The four characters then need to come up with a plan to save both Veronica and Roger from the draconian policies of the totalitarian government.

In the play, seniors are arrested and taken down Whittier Boulevard. This boulevard has been for Chicanos a symbol of their culture, commerce, and lifestyle. It has also been a banner of their activism and resistance in the face of systemic racism and segregation. It’s been a place for cruising and lowriding, but also for historical demonstrations such as the Chicano Moratorium and the Chicano Blowouts. Organizations like M.E.Ch.A and UMAS have used Whittier Boulevard for political activism, and the art collective ASCO used it for artistic expression. It was in Whittier Boulevard during the Chicano Moratorium that artist, author, and educator Harry Gamboa Jr. was anointed editor of the political and arts magazine Regeneración by activist and journalist Francisca Flores. In the play, however, seniors are taken to Whittier Boulevard for more sinister reasons.

The tribulations of Roger and Veronica are a reflection of the struggles that have become a contentious aspect of many in the Latino community. The label “Latino” has been carried as a badge of honor for generations. Latino, an identification that brings a sense of pride. Latino, a label that carries a mark of exclusion and discrimination, a stark difference between first world and third world. As for the character of Veronica, it has a veiled reference to the Dreamers. Her real identity, revealed in extreme and pressing circumstances, give a sense of urgency. As theatre reflects life, Veronica carries the weight of innumerable individuals, lost and saved in political activism with partial results.

A poet, an angel, an officer, and a star in full decline, all trying to save each other. This is the story of generations that lost, won, failed, and succeeded. But the main highlight is their resilience and the willingness to keep on fighting.

Director Jose Luis Valenzuela achieves a fascinating play with notes of Chicano Noir, Latinx Futurism, magic realism, and a cunning infusion of glamour from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. The result is a visually stunning production with special emphasis on lighting and projections (lighting designer Pablo Santiago; projection designers Yee Eun Nam and Yuki Izumihara), bathing the characters with a nostalgic vision that honors those that sacrificed their lives for the ones that followed.

Whittier Boulevard

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

Performances: April 29 – May 28
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: May 11; May 18; May 25
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 12; May 19; May 26
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 29 (Opening); May 13; May 20; May 27
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: May 14; May 21; May 28
• Monday at 8 p.m.: May 15 ONLY

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Created by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, and José Luis Valenzuela. Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela. Starring Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, and Lucy Rodriguez. Produced by Latino Theater Company. Creative team: Original music and sound design by Robert Revell; choreography by Urbanie Lucero; scenic designer François-Pierre Couture; lighting designer Pablo Santiago; projection designers Yee Eun Nam and Yuki Izumihara; and costume designer Naila Aladdin Sanders. The production managers are Nathan Edelman and May Fei.

Whittier Boulevard poster
An image of Whittier Boulevard
An image of Whittier Boulevard
An image of Whittier Boulevard

Theatre Review: Pueblo Espíritu

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Pueblo Espíritu is presented by Latino Theater Company. Created by Organización Secreta Teatro from Rocío Carrillo’s original idea. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Pueblo Espíritu is some kind of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Mexican style. Deep in the forest, five characters try to survive the Covid pandemic. Distrusting each other, they need to find a way to work together and fight for their lives.

In order to imagine a brighter future, they need to look back and learn from their ancestors. In a world of images, sounds, and rituals, the characters start to reconnect with their natural surroundings. During that process, their animalistic instincts are heightened and the tribal structure starts to shape the relationships among each other. Even though the characters in Pueblo Espíritu live in modern times, their transformation is a vision to the lifestyle of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican civilizations. 

Rocío Carrillo takes elements from the Chichimeca peoples to recreate the rituals and mythical figures seen in the play. This production relies on music, colors, kinetics, and lighting to tell the story, as there is no dialogue. The result is an enthralling and emotional journey that enraptures the audience from beginning to end. The modulation of intensities throughout the play is a visual language that is rarely seen in theatre. It’s poetic, mysterious, and open to interpretations. In that sense, the relationship with the audience becomes dynamic, never static.

Pueblo Espíritu is a reference to the values that have been lost in the frenetic pace of today’s world. It is a ritual of life and death, an exorcism to clean the soul. It’s an invitation to go back to the basics, to open up our hearts and minds to Mother Earth. In the words of Michael Cretu, it is the return to yourself, the return to innocence. It is a mystic and cathartic experience worth trying.       

Pueblo Espíritu

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

May 3 – May 14

  • Wednesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. (opening night)
  • Thursday, May 4 at 8 p.m.
  • Friday, May 5 at 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 6 at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m.

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Original idea by Rocío Carrillo. Cast: Beatriz Cabrera, Alejandro Joan Carmarena, Brisei Guerrero, Stefanie Izquierdo, Ernesto Lecuona, Mercedes Olea and Jonathan Ramos. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Pueblo Espíritu poster
An image from Pueblo Espíritu
An image from Pueblo Espíritu

Theatre Review: André & Dorine

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The Latino Theatre Company presents André & Dorine, a Spain’s Kulunka Teatro production. This play is directed by Iñaki Rikarte.

In film school, they tell you that a good story that connects with the audience is the one you can tell without words, just action. This concept is translated to the stage in André & Dorine, a touching story about an old couple dealing with the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dorine is a cello player who eventually forgets how to play the instrument. André is a writer that still uses a typewriter. With the passing of time, they go through the motions of a typical married life, annoying each other with little actions here and there. Their son takes Dorine to the doctor and that’s when the Alzheimer’s diagnosis is revealed.  At first, André refuses to accept the diagnosis, but as time goes by, reality takes over. This turning point will put to the test the strength of their relationship and will uncover whether or not their love for each other is still holding together their marriage.

The play shows the difficulties, the sadness, and the frustrations of the people affected by the disease and those around them. As her condition deteriorates, Dorine becomes increasingly dependent on André’s help even for the most basic personal care. This new reality triggers André’s memories of happier times when they first met and their son was born. Those memories unlock the intrinsic value of their relationship and give André the drive to keep going despite the challenges ahead.

The use of masks (Garbiñe Insausti, masks) in this production is an ode to the Greek, Roman, Japanese, and other ancient theatrical performances where masks have played an important role in portraying the wide range of human emotions. They add a unique dramatic effect to the story and the performances.

The excellent direction of Iñaki Rikarte shows his mastery at working with movement, music (Yayo Cáceres, composer), lighting (Carlos Samaniego “Sama”, lighting design), and set design (Laura Gómez, set designer) to deliver the compelling message of the story.

The play presents the cycle of life with all of the sadness and happiness that come with it. The end of one love story and the beginning of a new one. The demise of one life and the birth of a new one. A cycle that repeats itself, again and again, as a perpetual movement. The poignant story and the emotional performances of José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, and Edu Cárcamo touched many hearts and moved the audience to tears.

André & Dorine

Written by El José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, Iñaki Rikarte, Edu Cárcamo, and Rolando San Martín. Music by Yayo Cáceres. Directed by Iñaki Rikarte. Starring Edu Cárcamo, José Dault, and Garbiñe Insausti. Produced by Kulunka Teatro. Presented by The Latino Theater Company.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

Performances: June 8 – June 19:
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: June 8 and June 15
Thursdays at 8 p.m.: June 9 and June 16
Fridays at 8 p.m.: June 10 and June 17
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: June 11 and June 18
Sundays at 4 p.m.: June 12 and June 19

Tickets: https://www.latinotheaterco.org/