Theater enthusiasts are in for a treat. A national theater festival featuring 19 theater companies and 165 artists from across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Mexico, kicks off Thursday in Los Angeles.
“Encuentro 2024: We Are Here — Presente!” presented by the Latino Theater Company, will mark its 10th anniversary with a three-week festival of contemporary Latine theater.
Each weekend from Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 24 to Nov. 10, attendees can enjoy performances in six distinct spaces within the Los Angeles Theatre Center complex in downtown L.A.
The lineup will showcase 19 productions on a rotating schedule that spotlight diverse narratives from the Latine community and offer a chance for engaging discussions.
The Latino Theater Company will be presenting two original works: “A Girl Grows Wings,” a visual narrative that follows the journey of a young undocumented “Dreamer,” and “Whittier Boulevard,” a “Chicano Noir” satire that combines comedy and drama to celebrate Whittier Boulevard in East L.A., known for its lowriding culture and the “Latino Walk of Fame.”
“In [Whittier Boulevard], we look at ageism, but we also explore finding the divine within ourselves so that we can create a better society,” explains the play’s director Joe Luis Valenzuela. “It’s fun and campy, but we also address serious social issues, such as the current whittling away of civil rights in this country.”
Other featured productions include “La Vida es Sueño” (“Life is a Dream”), a Spanish Golden Age play by the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts exploring themes of dreams and identity (performed in Spanish with English subtitles).
Tickets for Encuentro 2024 range from $10 to $48 for a single show, with package deals available for multiple performances. Box office validation at the nearby Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure allows parking for $8.
For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to www.latinotheaterco.org.
Click here to view the performance schedule.
This blog wonderfully highlights the Latino Theater Company’s ‘Encuentro’ festival in L.A., showcasing diverse talent and powerful performances. It’s a fantastic celebration of Latinx culture and creativity in the theater world.