World premiere of ‘The Storyteller of East LA’ celebrates
the resilience of family at Latino Theater Company
LOS ANGELES (March 10, 2026) — 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 from April 18 through May 17, preceded by six low-priced beginning April 9.
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.
“This play is about what happens when memory fades but responsibility doesn’t,” says Fernández. “It’s about how families navigate care, conflict and connection, and how stories can carry us through even the hardest moments.”
The creative team includes scenic designer Prairie T. Trivuth; lighting designer Josh Epstein; sound designer John Zalewski; projections designer Yee Eun Nam; costume designer Naila Aladdin-Sanders; and choreographer Urbanie Lucero. The production manager is May Congxiao Fei, and the stage manager is Alexa Wolfe, assisted by Martha Espinoza.
Born and raised in East LA., Fernández writes about the Mexican diaspora in the United States for both stage and screen. She is the recipient of two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, for her plays A Mexican Trilogy and The Mother of Henry. Her plays Solitude, Dementia, Hope (Part II of A Mexican Trilogy) and The Mother of Henry were all “Critic’s Picks” in the Los Angeles Times, and her holiday pageant play, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin was featured in both the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. She is the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award and multiple Ovation nominations. Her most recent play, Blow Away the Clouds, will be part of South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival in May 2026. In film and television, she is the winner of the Nosostros Golden Eagle Award for her produced screenplay, Luminarias and was nominated for the Humanitas Prize for an episode of PBS’s Maya and Miguel. She was a writer for Emmy nominated East Los High seasons 2 & 3. She adapted her play A Mexican Trilogy for television with Imagine Entertainment and worked on Amazon’s recent hit series, Cross.
Now celebrating its 41st season as a company and its 20th anniversary operating The Los Angeles Theatre Center, the Latino Theater Company was named a 2025 “Nonprofit of the Year” by California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. 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 LATC, a City-owned facility housed in a former bank building in Downtown L.A.’s historic core, since 2006, producing hundreds of plays, creating over 4000 jobs and helping hundreds of nonprofit organizations by providing space and resources. Recognizing the Latino Theater Company for its “effective first-class theater center operations,” the City recently extended the company’s initial 20-year lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056. Latino Theater Company was named to the Los Angeles Times “Best of Latino L.A.” and was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s prestigious Margaret Harford Award for Sustained Excellence in Theater. Artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela is the recipient of multiple awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award from theater review site Stage Raw and the Gordon Davidson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.
The Storyteller of East LA opens on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through May 17. Tickets range from $10 to previews and for all Thursday performances to $48 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, except students and seniors, who pay only $24, and opening night (April 18) 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
‘The Storyteller of East LA’
WHAT:
Blending intimate family drama with elements of magical realism, The Storyteller of East L.A. by Latino Theater Company resident playwright Evelina Fernández explores themes of memory loss and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones, while celebrating the sustaining power of love, compassion, storytelling, and the resilience of family.
WHO:
• Written by Evelina Fernández
• Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
• Starring Brenda Banda, Blanca Isabella, Ruth Livier, Sal Lopez, Zilah Mendoza, Lucy Rodriguez
• Produced by The Latino Theater Company
WHEN:
April 9 – May 17
• Previews: April 9 – April 17
• Performances: April 18 – May 17
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 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. 4): $48
• Students, Seniors, Veterans and LAUSD teachers: $24 with valid ID
• All Thursday night performances and previews: $10
• Opening night (Oct. 4): $75 (includes post-performance reception)
HOW:
latinotheaterco.org
(213) 489-0994
# # #