Mexican Trilogy presented on Los Angeles Theatre Center stage - Beverly Press & Park Labrea News
Mexican Trilogy presented on Los Angeles Theatre Center stage - Beverly Press & Park Labrea News
Students from East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Valley College and Los Angeles City College will come together to perform the complete, three-play “A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story” at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, with each college presenting one part of the award-winning trio by Evelina Fernandez as part of Latino Theater Company’s “IMPACT” community engagement initiative. José Luis Valenzuela, artistic director of the Latino Theater Company and an emeritus distinguished professor of theater at UCLA, directs the students in each of the three plays.
Travel with the Morales family through decades of the Mexican-American experience, from a remote mining town in Arizona during World War II in “Faith”; to the Phoenix family home during the Cuban Missile Crisis in “Hope”; and finally to Los Angeles in 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, in “Charity.” “A Mexican Trilogy” is the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s Ted Schmitt Award and was published by Samuel French in 2015.
Compelling, funny, peppered with song and flavored with a splash of magical realism, the trilogy touches on aspects of tradition, religion, labor issues, war and the clash between immigrants and their first and second generation American offspring. The three plays portray members of the Morales family over the course of 90 years and four generations. As the years fly by, we recognize the music of each era in classic songs ranging from the Andrews Sisters and Glenn Miller, to the Isley Brothers and Elvis, to Jimi Hendrix, all sung live by the cast.
Although the three plays are linked stylistically, thematically and by their characters, each also functions as a stand-alone work
Students from East Los Angeles College will perform “Faith” in Theater 3 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m., as well as on Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 when all three plays will perform back-to-back beginning at 2 p.m.
Students from Los Angeles Valley College will perform “Hope” in Theater 1 (Tom Bradley Theatre) at The Los Angeles Theatre Center on Thursdays, Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.; Fridays, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m., as well as on Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 when all three plays will perform back-to-back beginning at 2 p.m.
Students from Los Angeles City College will perform “Charity” in Theater 2 (Lupe Ontiveros Cinema Center) at The Los Angeles Theatre Center on Thursdays, Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.; Fridays, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m., as well as on Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 when all three plays will perform back-to-back beginning at 2 p.m.
Admission to all performances is pay-what-you-can, available in $5 increments from $10-$50, including on Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 when it will be possible to see all three plays consecutively for a single admission price.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St. Parking is available for $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater. For information, call (213)489-0994 or go to latinotheaterco.org.
