Untold stories of Mexico’s underground railroad revealed
in historical sci–fi drama ‘Mascogos’ by Miranda González
LOS ANGELES (August 28, 2025) — From the Underground Railroad to the barrios of Mexico and Chicago, the fight for freedom continues. In the fourth company commission of Latino Theater Company’s 2025 season, Circle of Imaginistas playwright Miranda González embraces her Mexican and African American roots to explore the untold stories of Mexico’s Underground Railroad. Jose Luis Valenzuela directs the world premiere of Mascogos, opening October 11 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. Performances will continue through November 9, with six low-priced previews taking place October 2 through October 10.
“Mascogos” (Mahs-KO-gohs) are descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped slavery in Florida and Georgia to settle in northern Mexico, predominantly in Coahuila. There, the Mexican government granted them land in exchange for military service: they helped defend the northern frontier from raids. In 1852, the Mascogos established Nacimiento de los Negros, a village that still exists today. They lived alongside Kickapoo, Seminole and Mexican neighbors, developing a unique Afro-Indigenous-Mexican culture. They retained English and Gullah-influenced songs, dances, and oral traditions, while also adopting Spanish and Catholic practices.
In Gonzalez’s bold, historical sci-fi drama, 18-year-old Jamari (Rogelio Douglas III) is fighting an unknown illness that takes him through worlds he’s never seen before, time-traveling from 1864 Mexico to today’s West Side of Chicago. Unsure of where he belongs, trapped in a historical cycle, Jamari and his loved ones— his 15-year-old cousin Gechu (Rama Orleans–Lindsay), Mama Luz (Monte Escalante) and Padre Jose (Lakin Valdez)—seek answers as they try to break free from the shackles of time. Also in the cast are Stephanie Hoston and Sam Macias.
“I started thinking about the ways in which history repeats itself, about how the present so often mirrors the past… it’s almost like a parallel universe,” says Gonzalez, who identifies as “Blaxican.” “I was inspired by the fact that many of the runaway slaves settled in the town of Múzquiz, where my grandmother was born. They arrived searching for freedom, but found themselves trapped in other ways. I was born and raised in Chicago, and I see how people living here on the West Side may be ‘free,’ but remain trapped by societal barriers that prohibit them from moving forward or realizing success.”
“This play brings up all kinds of interesting questions,” suggests Valenzuela. “What is freedom? The characters fled to Mexico, but they can’t escape poverty or the military. Immigrants always want to move on to a place where they can find greater success… but how do you feel free in a city filled with bars and concrete, where an inescapable consumerist culture often leaves immigrants struggling?”
The creative team for Mascogos includes scenic designer François-Pierre Couture; lighting designer Xinyuan Li (Lee); composer and sound designer Robert Revell; projections designer Yee Eun Nam and costume designer Maria Catarina Copelli. Choreography is by Urbanie Lucero and assistant choreographer Cydney Watson. The production stage manager is Alexa Wolfe, who is assisted by Martha Espinoza.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, Latino Theater Company was named to the Los Angeles Times “Best of Latino L.A.” list. Artistic director José Luis Valenzuela was named the 2024 recipient of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s Gordon Davidson Award for lifetime achievement and distinguished service in the national not-for-profit theater, and he was honored in May with the 2025 Stage Raw Lifetime Achievement Award. The Latino Theater Company is dedicated to providing a world-class arts center for those pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future. The company has operated The Los Angeles Theatre Center since 2006, producing hundreds of plays, creating over 4000 jobs and helping hundreds of nonprofit organizations by providing space and resources. The City, recognizing the Latino Theater Company for its “effective first-class theater center operations,” recently extended the company’s initial 20-year lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056. extended the company’s initial 20-year lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056.
Mascogos opens on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. through November 9. Six preview performances take place October 2 through October 10 on the same schedule. Tickets range from $10–$48, except opening night which is $75 and includes a post-performance reception.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $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).
For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to latinotheaterco.org.
Details for Calendar Listings
‘Mascogos’
WHAT:
Latino Theater Company presents the world premiere of Mascaogos (Mahs-KO-gohs), a bold, historical sci-fi drama by Miranda González exploring the untold stories of Mexico’s Underground Railroad that brought runaway slaves from Florida and Georgia to Múzquiz, Coahuila. Eighteen-year-old Jamari is fighting an unknown illness that takes him through worlds he’s never seen before, time-traveling from 1864 Mexico to today’s West Side of Chicago. Unsure of where he belongs, trapped in a historical cycle, Jamari and his loved ones seek answers as they try to break free from the shackles of time.
WHO:
• Written by Miranda González
• Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
• Starring Rogelio Douglas III, Monte Escalante, Stephanie Hoston, Sam Macias, Rama Orleans-Lindsay, Lakin Valdez
• Produced by The Latino Theater Company
WHEN:
• Previews: Oct. 2 – Oct. 10
• Performances: Oct. 11 – Nov. 9
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.
WHERE:
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013
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)
TICKET PRICES:
$10-$48 (except opening night)
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (except opening night, Oct. 11): $48
• Students, Seniors, Veterans and LAUSD teachers: $24 with valid ID
• All Thursday night performances and previews: $10
• Opening night (Oct. 11): $75 (includes post-performance reception)
HOW:
latinotheaterco.org
(213) 489-0994
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