by joel martens –
What do the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, the 50th Anniversary of the passing of gay icon Judy Garland, and National LGBTQ Pride Month have in common you might ask? Well, for CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights, each of these events represent a part of the queer stories and narratives that make up who we are as a community. Things that in their own way help usher in the beginnings of the Gay Rights Movement.
Telling our stories has been a vitally important part of building that movement and keeping it alive. As a part of that, CASA 0101 Theater works to present LGBTQ stories with an ongoing series of world premiere short plays during Brown & Out Fest, celebrating the LGBTQ LatinXperience. And, for the first time in 2019, include a transgender short film. It all takes place from Friday, June 7 through Sunday, July 7 at CASA 0101, 2102 East 1st Street in Los Angeles.
CASA 0101 Theater Founding Artistic Director Josefina López talked about the impetus for starting the festival five years ago, “When I began teaching a playwriting class in January of 2008, there were two young gay Latino men who told me about the double lives they led. Since their families weren’t openly accepting of their homosexual lifestyles, by day they were hardworking immigrant sons and by night they would go out to gay clubs. It was at that point, I realized there was a need for me to provide these young men with a comfortable space to be who they were and to celebrate their authentic selves without shame as gay Latino men.”
“We presented our first Brown & Out Play Festival at Little CASA in September 2011,” López continued. “At that time, the 10-minute original short plays were created in writing classes I was leading. Now, years later, with our 5th anniversary, plays are selected for production at the conclusion of a collective writing workshop. Since 2008, LGBTQ-themed plays and playwrights have graced our stages at Little CASA and CASA 0101 Theater, with over 80 Latinx LGBTQ short plays, one-acts plays and full-length plays appearing either in our Brown & Out Play Festivals or as fully-mounted productions at our theaters. It’s really personally fulfilling to me to provide opportunities and a space for all human beings to be who they truly are, living their own authentic lives, while at the same time expressing their inner creativity freely.”
Concurrently with Brown & Out V, there is an exhibition in the Jean Deleage Gallery, located in the lobby of CASA 0101 Theater, entitled: A Visual Exhibition Inspired by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o Short Story: Upright Revolution, Or Why Humans Walk Upright. Curated by Jimmy Centeno, the exhibit features 10 local and international artists, with paintings, sculptures, woodcuts, linocuts and other media.
The Brown and out Opening Night Gala is Friday, June 7 at CASA 0101 Theatre, 2102 East 1st Street in Los Angeles, with events all month long throughout the city. Finish the month with their Closing Night Party taking place on Sunday, July 7 at Casa Fina, 1842 East 1st Street in Los Angeles.
Some Brown & Out V Highlights
Butch
Written by Patricia Zamorano and directed by Diana Romo, this short play delves into toxic masculinity, with the social construct of patriarchal paradigms with butch women. A queer masculine, machista mujer gets played at “his,” own game, after “he” gets caught playing with fire.
CUMDUMP
Written by Matthew Ramos and directed by Rigo Tejeda, with Cinnamon Rivera as assistant director, #Cumdump explores chivalry and honesty in a hookup culture.
Better Than Grindr
Written by César Carmona and directed by Andrew Cervantes, a cute story about finding love in a digital world with a shy bear, and their boisterous friend.
Romana y El Cuerpo de Cristo: Anect-dotadas Apostolicas
(Romana and The Body of Christ: Anecdotes of the Apostles)
Written by Felipe Agredano and directed by Claudia Duran, this film is about a woman’s spiritual quest for complete trans-formation beyond mind and body along a timeless journey of the soul.
Colibrí
Written by Felipe Valladolid Chavez and directed by Diana Romo, this story is about an individual who experiences severe psychological trauma. As a result, he develops two other personalities, Shaitán and Colibrí, who battle it out to determine the fate of Gael.
Black Sheep, Rainbow Sheep
Written by Martin Olivera Carrillo and directed by Angela Moore, this film is about ghosts, family secrets and the people with whom we choose to share… with a splash of Magic-Mexican realism.
To Rocco, With Love
By Giovanni Navarro and directed by Rigo Tejeda, with Cinnamon Rivera as assistant director. A story about unrequited love and the search for clarity and answers within a hookup culture.
Zaddy
Written by Daniel Muñoz and directed by Benjamin (Benny) Perez. A young gay Latino man desperately searching for love who is stood up on a blind Internet date. Ready to give up on men, he meets an older gentleman who gives him advice about life and love.
Mija
By Ruben Mendive and directed by Claudia Duran, a Millennial couple faces tension in their relationship brought on by their mixed legal status and their possible future together.
Are You Gay or Latino?
Written by Conrado Terrazas Cross and directed by Claudia Duran, with Graciela Campos as assistant director. A young Latino political organizer coming of age in the early ‘80s who is confronted with whether he is Gay or Latino. Will he align himself with the straight Latino community or for LGBTQ empowerment?
Omens
Written by Devan Torres and directed by Diana Romo, this Native American queer love story is about a shaman and his lover surviving the arrival of the conquistadores.
Tacos y Tacones (Tacos and Heels)
Matthew Ramos, as writer and director debuts for the first time in Brown & Out’s history, a short film about three Transgender Latinx sex workers.
For more information about Brown & Out V, a complete list of plays and eventsor to purchase tickets, call the CASA 0101 Theater Box Office at 323.263.7684, check out their Facebook page or go to brownandoutfest.com.