Neighbor News
'The Storyteller of East L.A.'
The newest play by award-winning playwright Evelina Fernández celebrates love, compassion, storytelling, and the resilience of family
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.
The action centers on 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 and granddaughter Lulu 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 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 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.
