LAFPI

World premiere of ‘The Storyteller of East LA’ celebrates
the resilience of family at Latino Theater Company

Dedicated to her mother, the newest work by Latino Theater Company resident playwright Evelina Fernández celebrates the sustaining power of love, compassion, storytelling, and the resilience of family. Jose Luis Valenzuela directs the world premiere of The Storyteller of East LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles,

Developed in the company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group and set in East L.A., where Fernández grew up, the play blends intimate family drama with elements of magical realism to explore themes of memory loss, family dynamics and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones.

Lucy Rodriguez and Sal López (founding members of the Latino Theater Company alongside Fernández and Valenzuela) star as Mercedes, a 90-year-old woman with dementia, and Serafina, the guardian angel with whom Mercy interacts in “The Other Place,” a liminal space existing somewhere between memory and reality. As Mercy’s health declines, her daughters Grace and Mary (Zilah Mendoza and Brenda Banda) and granddaughter Lulu (Blanca Isabella) are forced to confront unresolved tensions and make difficult choices about her care. Their fragile caregiving arrangement is further strained when Mercy’s nighttime caregiver stops coming, afraid to leave home during ICE immigration raids. Daytime caregiver Josefa (Ruth Livier) faces similar fears, even as she tries to ensure that Mercy’s care continues.

Previews: April 9 – April 17
Performances: April 18 – May 17
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

PARKING:
• $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater)
• Metered parking available on streets surrounding the theater.
• Take the Metro: nearest stop is Pershing Square (two blocks west of The LATC)