Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2026) – CASA 0101 Theater will present the World Premiere of STAND IN THE LIGHT, A Solo Show Festival consisting of 15 plays, starring 14 actors, helmed by seven directors, to be presented for a four-week run at CASA 0101 Theater in the Gloria Molina Auditorium, 2102 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 from August 21 – September 13, 2026. Learn more at www.casa0101.org
Josefina López, Festival Creator, Co-Producer, Playwright and Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater said: “STAND IN THE LIGHT, A Solo Show Festival will be a celebration of Latino actors and their stories demonstrating their range of cultural experiences in the United States, getting beyond the stereotyped and usual tropes to reveal the humanity of Latinos today. I’ve devised the Festival to be culturally diverse, to be presented over the course of four weeks in rotation in four separate programs.”
Corky Dominguez, Co-Producer and a Director of STAND IN THE LIGHT, A Solo Show Festival said: “Our Festival will include four different programs including a Program in Spanish entitled, ‘Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos/Here We Are and We Won’t Leave;’ an LGBTQ Program entitled, ‘Brown & Out & Fabulous!;’ a stand alone full-length play, ‘OMG, I Married A Narcissist!;’ and a program entitled, ‘Latinos-R-Us.’”
Emmanuel Deleage, Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater and Producer of STAND IN THE LIGHT, A Solo Show Festival said: “Theater’s purpose is to deliver a message. The beauty of this festival is there are 15 unique and important messages over four different programs. With STAND IN THE LIGHT, CASA 0101 is fulfilling its mission of nurturing the future storytellers of Los Angeles who will someday transform the world. We welcome our audiences to experience all four of the programs of this unique festival.”
The performance schedule for STAND IN THE LIGHT: A Solo Show Festival is a follows:
Friday, August 21, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM A: Show in Spanish: “Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos – Here We Are and We Won’t Leave”
Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM A: Show in Spanish: “Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos – Here We Are and We Won’t Leave”
Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM B: LGBTQ show in English: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!”
Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM B: LGBTQ show in English: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!”
Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.: PROGRAM A: Show in Spanish: “Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos – Here We Are and We Won’t Leave”
Friday, August 28, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM C: “OMG, I Married A Narcissist!”
Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: There will be no Festival Plays presented on Saturday, August 29th. However at 8:00 p.m. on August 29th, there will be a Special Evening entitled “Art Is Resistance” with La Artivistas and others, to be presented in observance of 54th Anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium Day and the 2nd Anniversary of Gloria Molina Day in Los Angeles, which is not part of the Solo Play Festival. For more info, please email: LAArtivistas@gmail.com
Sunday, August 30, 2026 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM D: “LATINOS-R-US”
Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.: PROGRAM C: “OMG, I Married A Narcissist!”
Friday, September 4, 2026 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM B: LGBTQ show in English: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!”
Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM B: LGBTQ show in English: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!”
Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM A: Show in Spanish: “Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos – Here We Are and We Won’t Leave”
Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM A: Show in Spanish: “Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos – Here We Are and We Won’t Leave”
Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.: PROGRAM B: LGBTQ show in English: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!”
Friday, September 11, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM D: “LATINOS-R-US”
Saturday, September 12, 2026 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM D: “LATINOS-R-US”
Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.: PROGRAM C: “OMG, I Married A Narcissist!”
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.: PROGRAM C: “OMG, I Married A Narcissist!”
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.: PROGRAM D: “LATINOS-R-US”
The World Premiere production team for STAND IN THE LIGHT: A Solo Show Festival includes: Josefina López (of Silver Lake, CA) Festival Creator, Co-Producer, Playwright and Founding Artistic Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake, CA) Executive Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Corky Dominguez (of Boyle Heights) Festival Co-Producer and Director; April Ibarra (of Mt. Washington, CA) Director; Carmelita Maldonado (of El Sereno, CA) Director; Vilma Villela (of Panorama City, CA) Director; Joaquin Palafox (of Los Angeles, CA) Director; Andrea Ramirez-Martinez (of East Hollywood, CA) Actress and Playwright; Deborah Cortez (of Hollywood, CA) Actress and Playwright; Eugene Antonio Negrete (of East Los Angeles, CA) Actor and Playwright; Jesus Yanez (of East Los Angeles, CA) Actor and Playwright; Mariana Montes Sandoval (of Whittier, CA) Actress and Playwright; Miriam Peniche (of Culver City, CA) Actress and Playwright; Rogelio Hernandez Nieto (of North Hollywood, CA) Actor, Playwright and Director; Dr. Tomas Avila Carrasco (of Oxnard, CA) Actor, Playwright and Director; Yelba Zoe McCourt (of Chatsworth, CA) Actress and Playwright; Luciana Di Laura (of North Hollywood, CA) Actress and Playwright; Christiana Leucas (of Hollywood, CA) Actress; Gabriela Pedraza (of Burbank, CA) Actress; Alejandro Bravo (of Culver City, CA) Actor; Julian Armaya (of West Hollywood, CA) Actor; Abel Alvarado (of Silver Lake, CA) Playwright; Claudia Duran (of Highland Park, CA) Playwright; Carlos Chavez (of Burbank, CA) Guitar Player; Rigo Tejeda (of Whittier, CA) Stage Manager; Jimena Jimenez-Barrera (of Boyle Heights) Assistant Stage Manager; Alejandro Parra (of Burbank, CA) Lighting Designer; Miguel Angel Delgado (of South Gate, CA) Production Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Technical Director; Mark Kraus (of Los Angeles, CA) CASA 0101 Theater Development Director; Itzel Ocampo (of Alhambra, CA) Graphic Art Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Marketing and Operations Manager; Karla Melendez (of East Los Angeles, CA) CASA 0101 Theater Program Administrator; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Studio Inc. (of Los Angeles, CA) Program; Oscar Basulto (of the Boyle Heights) Box Office Manager; Al Aguilar (of Los Angeles) Foyer Designer and Production Assistant; Rudy Torres (of Los Angeles, CA) Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations (of Los Angeles, CA) Press Representative.
More About STAND IN THE LIGHT: A Solo Show Festival:
PROGRAM A: Friday, August 21st at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, August 22nd at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, August 23rd at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 5th at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 6th at 3:00 p.m. Running Time is 111 minutes not including intermission.
PROGRAM IN SPANISH: “Aqui Estamos Y No Nos Vamos/Here We Are and We Won’t Leave” (Program Rating: Ages 16+ for Adult Themes, Language and Content)
- “El Lava Platos/El Dishwasher” – Written and Performed by Rogelio Hernandez Nieto, Directed by Joaquin Palafox
Un dishwasher mexicano intenta escapar de un pasado violento hasta que el pasado vuelve a cobrarle por sus pecados. – A Mexican dishwasher tries to escape a violent past until the past comes back to collect on his sins
- “Cascarones Vacios/Empty Eggshells” – Written and Performed by Andrea Ramirez-Martinez, Directed by Vilma Villela; World Premiere
Una emprendedora milenial al borde del divorcio y el final de su etapa fértil, tendrá que escoger entre su carrera, mantener su dignidad o la maternidad. – A milenial Latina entrepreneur at the brink of divorce and the end of her fertility window must choose her career, self worth and motherhood.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Andrea Ramirez-Martinez said: “I wrote my play to redefine women’s reproductive timelines and motherhood expectations and to raise awareness and sensibility and to empower women. We have it hard as it is, wearing many hats for many people. We never stop to think there is no perfect formula to achieve happiness. Society has placed us with the burden of expectations, especially with women’s reproductive timelines; if we don’t meet it we become obsolete and disposable. But how about we play by our own rules, we have the technology now, it’s time to take back our power back with motherhood by defining a new: how and when am I experiencing motherhood instead of with whom and how soon by sacrificing of x, y, or z. I’m here to change the perspective and shift our mindset into hope and light at the end of the tunnel.”
- “¡Madre Mia!/My Good Grief!” – Written and Performed by Deborah Cortez, Directed by Vilma Villela; World Premiere
Una madre Latina inmigrante, sumida en el duelo, quiere sentir la pérdida de su hijo sin complejos y sin el juicio de la sociedad. Quiere que se le acepte en su dolor. A medida que afronta su pérdida, se vuelve muy dura consigo misma, pensando que ella fue la causante de la muerte de su hijo. – A grieving immigrant Latina mother wants to feel the loss of her son unapologetically without society’s judgment. She wants to be accepted in her pain. As she navigates her loss she becomes hard on herself thinking she caused her child’s death.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Deborah Cortez said: “After losing my son, I experienced the profound loneliness and isolation that so many grieving people face, often feeling misunderstood and unsure where to turn for support. Sharing my story is my way of breaking the silence around grief, helping others understand what it’s like to live with loss, and encouraging more compassionate ways to support those who are grieving. My hope is to inspire honest conversations, rebuild a sense of community around mourning, and remind people that grief was never meant to be carried alone.”
- “El Brillo de Mis Ojos/The Spark in My Eyes” – Written and Performed by Luciana Di Laura, Directed by Rogelio Hernandez Nieto (Performed Only on August 21, 22, 23)
Una jugadora de tennis, encuentra el coraje para seguir sus sueños a través del deporte. – A Latina tennis player discovers the courage to pursue her dreams through sports.
Inspiration for the Play: Playwright Luciana Di Laura said: “I wrote this story because when I was a kid, and I was playing tennis I wanted to see a story that would give me the courage to follow my dreams. And I wrote it out of the necessity of telling my story and hopefully inspiring someone who is watching it.”
- “¡Venimos aqui a Trabajar!/We Came Here to Work!” – Performed by Miriam Peniche, Written by Josefina López, Directed by April Ibarra (No Performances on September 5th and 6th)
Una vendedora ambulante que vende elotes cocido relata su historia de ser arrestada y el valor que tomo para defender sus derechos. – A street vendor who sells corn on the cob recounts her story of being arrested and the courage it took to stand up for her rights.
Inspiration for the Play: Playwright Josefina López said: “I wrote ¡Venimos aquí a Trabajar! back in 1995 to celebrate a Mexican Street vendor who sold corn on the corner of First Street and St. Louis Street. She was an indigenous woman with strong arms and hands and a quiet dignity that made me notice her as a heroic woman. I was also inspired by the street vendors and their fight to be legitimized. I saw a documentary about this legal fight which featured a woman who was arrested for selling corn. I created the character of Calletana in this piece to imagine what her life was like and the challenges she had to face to survive and give her child a future. Miriam Peniche has embraced this character and made it her own. She has performed this character on many occasions including at Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s swearing in as a way of celebrating her fight for the working class immigrant in Los Angeles. Miriam Peniche, who is formerly undocumented represents the struggle to feel seen and the courage it takes to speak truth to power.”
- “Pelotas/Big Balls” – Written and Performed by Mariana Montes Sandoval, Directed by Carmelita Maldonado (Performed only on September 5 & 6). World Premiere
Una mujer mexicana revive las experiencias que la llevaron a odiar su cuerpo. Entre humor y dolor, confronta el bullying, la vergüenza y los mensajes de una sociedad obsesionada con la apariencia para descubrir el poder de aceptarse a sí misma. – A Mexican woman revisits the experiences that taught her to hate her body. Blending humor and heartbreak, she confronts bullying, shame, and the beauty standards of the 1990s in a journey toward self-acceptance.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Mariana Montes Sandoval said: “Children shouldn’t be embarrassed by their bodies. Childhood is like a blank map. Whatever a person experiences during those early years can later shape their adult life, for better or worse. Words can stay in someone’s mind forever, so no one should have their personal power taken away.”
PROGRAM B: Saturday, August 22nd at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, August 23rd at 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 4th at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 5th at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. Running Time is 123 minutes not including intermission.
LGBTQ Program: “Brown & Out & Fabulous!” (Program Rating: For mature audiences only. Under Age 17 not recommended without a parent.)
- “Vistiendo Santos/Dressing Saints” (In English) – Written and Performed by Jesus Yanez, Directed by Corky Dominguez. World Premiere
A gay Latino clothes whore from East L.A. taking care of his sick mother confronts the reasons he has shut himself away from the world and realizes why clothing and dresses inspire him to be his authentic self.
- “Uninvited” – Written and Performed by Eugene Antonio Negrete, Directed by Corky Dominguez.
On the eve of Alejandro’s 28th birthday, his boyfriend invites Alejandro’s parents, who do not approve of him being gay, to his birthday party. Through recollections of his upbringing and confrontations with himself, Alejandro must face his fear of truly feeling himself even amongst the presence of his parents.
- “Committed” – Written by Claudia Duran, Performed by Gabriela Pedraza, Directed by Corky Dominguez. World Premiere
Based on true events. Haunted by demons from her past, mental health, and sexuality, Carmen struggles to carve a new path for her family. As she approaches 30, Carmen must accept herself to create a new definition of modern day motherhood.
- “Re-Born Again” – Written by Abel Alvarado, Performed by Julian Armaya, Directed by Corky Dominguez. World Premiere
After several brushes with death, a gay Latino man realizes the many times he has been Re-born Again.
PROGRAM C: Featured Play, Friday, August 28th at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, August 30th at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 12th at 8:00 p.m., Sunday September 13th at 3:00 p.m. Running Time is 69 minutes; there is no intermission.
- OMG, I Married A Narcissist! Written and Performed by Yelba Zoe McCourt, Directed by April Ibarra. World Premiere (Program Rating: 16+ for Adult Themes, Language and Content.)
When a Catholic annulment compels a Latina nurse to reconnect with the charismatic Hollywood actor she once married – a chapter of her life she thought she left behind – she tumbles back into a whirlwind of movie premieres, celebrity encounters, magical signs, and enough red flags to wallpaper Manhattan.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Yelba Zoe McCourt said: “OMG, I Married a Narcissist! is inspired by lived experience but transformed through humor, magical realism, and theatrical imagination. The play explores love, illusion, faith, identity, and the journey of reclaiming one’s own voice after losing oneself inside someone else’s story. While deeply personal, it ultimately asks universal questions about healing, resilience, forgiveness, and hope.”
PROGRAM D: Sunday, August 30th at 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 11th at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 12th at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m. Running Time is 79 minutes not including intermission.
“Latinos-R-US” (Program Rating: Age 16+ for Adult Themes, Language and Content)
- “Faking It” – Written and Performed by Miriam Peniche, Directed by April Ibarra.
After losing both her parents and giving her father the ultimate gift — a kidney — a sharp-witted Latina explores why she feels she has to pretend she has her life together.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Miriam Peniche said: “I wrote the show in 2011 and did a weekend run at CASA 0101 Theater in January 2012. I was inspired to write this show to tell my story and work through a lot of devastating events that had happened in my life. The show was a way of coping and finding peace with how my life was then.”
- “Latino Licious L.A.” – Written, Performed and Directed by Dr. Tomas Avila Carrasco, Assistant Directed by Corky Dominguez. World Premiere
From the mind of Professor Dr. Tomas Avila Carrasco, who will present a lecture on Chile Studies, comes Aztlan’s Most Dangerous Chicanos – Saddam Jose and Dr. Dennis Sabelevo Todo.
- “Confessions of A Sexy Latina Exorcist” – Written by Josefina López, Performed by Christiana Leucas, Directed by April Ibarra. World Premiere
A sexy Latina who helps people with paranormal problems and has a passion for vanishing demons, hates dating, but is afraid of ending up alone.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Josefina López said: “I wrote Confessions of A Sexy Latina Exorcist to share some of my paranormal experiences and create a complex character that would be challenging for a Latina actress who normally only gets to play the role of a sexy woman. I wanted to combine supernatural elements with comedy and make it contemporary by dealing with the difficulties of dating when you’re also an exorcist. I was inspired to write this story because I was trying to help someone with their haunted house and the complexity of that particular case made me realize what a unique story it was even for people who know a lot about the paranormal. With this one-woman show I also hope to empower people with the knowledge I have acquired as a shaman-in-training so they know they too are powerful.”
- “Hollywood Cholo” – Written by Josefina López, Performed by Alejandro Bravo, Directed by Carmelita Maldonado. World Premiere
An actor who only gets casts as Cholos on TV and Hollywood films has to go to therapy to deal with his PTSD after he got shot in the ass by an LAPD officer who mistook him for a real cholo who is wanted by the police.
Inspiration For The Play: Playwright Josefina López said: “I wrote Hollywood Cholo to give an actor who mostly gets casts as a Cholo in Hollywood films and TV an opportunity to show their acting range and an opportunity they may never get in Hollywood. As a professional screenwriter I have attempted to create nuanced and complex roles for Latinos, but the persistent desire to portray Latino men as drug dealers/narcos/thugs/outlaws/
CASA 0101 Theater is supported in part by: The State of California, Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, Eastside Arts Initiative, National Latinx Theater Initiative, Herb Alpert Foundation, Perenchio Foundation, The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, U.S. Bank, David Lee Foundation and The Herb Block Foundation.
Tickets for the Four-Week Run of the World Premiere of STAND IN THE LIGHT, A Solo Performance Festival, to be presented August 21 – September 13, 2026 are $20.00 per person for General Admission; $17.00 per person for Students and Seniors 60+ and $15 per person for Boyle Heights Residents and Groups of 10 or more.
In some of the plays there is strong language and mature themes. The recommended age rating for each of the four programs varies. For tickets, please call the CASA 0101 Theater Box Office at 323-263-7684, E-mail tickets@casa0101.org or buy online at www.casa0101.org
Join the conversation on Facebook @CASA0101Theater; on Instagram @CASA0101 To learn more about CASA 0101, please visit www.casa0101.org
Free Parking is available on several streets surrounding the theater. Limited Free Parking is also available at the Boyle Heights City Hall Parking Lot located at 2130 East First Street (at Chicago Street) by entering the lot from Chicago Street.
Concurrently during the run of the show, STAND IN THE LIGHT – A Solo Show Festival, a FREE Art Exhibit will be presented in the Jean Deleage Art Gallery located in the lobby of CASA 0101 Theater entitled, LA REVOLUCIÓN SANDINISTA: A Life in Images by Marti Guerra (Photographic Images taken between 1979-1984). The exhibition will feature 35 images taken during the celebration of the Sandinista Revolución. The Photography Exhibit, curated by Jimmy Centeno, will be on display through September 30, 2026. The exhibit can be viewed prior to performances of STAND IN THE LIGHT: A Solo Show Festival, and during Art Gallery Hours, which are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Up Next at CASA 0101 Theater:
The World Premiere of Dive Bar written by Chris Banda, directed by Miguel Delgado will be presented October 9 – November 1, 2026, followed by the Back By Popular Demand production of Josefina López’s play, Real Women Have Curves, December 4 – 20, 2026, in both English and Spanish performances directed by Corky Dominguez.
More About The Festival Creators:
Josefina López (Festival Creator, Co-Producer, Playwright and Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater) is best known for authoring the 1988 play and co-authoring the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Audience and Jury Award-winning film Real Women Have Curves, which were the source materials for the 2025 Broadway production of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, which garnered critical acclaim and 12 award nominations, including “Best Musical” nominations from the New York Drama League and Outer Critics Circle, as well as nominations for the New York Drama Critics Circle and two Tony Award nominations.
López started her writing career at 17 and has had productions produced of her many plays throughout the country. López’s first short play, Simply Maria or the American Dream was filmed as a PBS special and won a Gold Award from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and an Emmy Award. Other plays include: Confessions of Women from East L.A.; Boyle Heights; Remembering Boyle Heights I and II, Hungry Woman in Paris; Detained in the Desert (which was also made into a feature film); Trío Los Machos (now in development as a musical); A Cat Named Mercy; Piñata Dreams; Drunk Girl; Lola Goes To Roma; A Cat Named Mercy; Hpysteria; A Woman Named Gloria; An Enemy of the Pueblo, Queen of the Rumba, Eléctrico, Erótica Diabolica, Hollywood Chola (which premiered at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival) and the 2025 award-winning film, 20 Pounds To Happiness (Eat. Love. Joy.), which López executive produced and wrote.
López has been working as a professional screenwriter for over 30 years, with many established producers like Norman Lear and Jaime Paglia to bring Latinos to television. She has been the recipient of dozens of awards and accolades, and has penned seven books as an author. López is the Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, CA (founded on April 1, 2000).
Upcoming Projects for Josefina López include: a newly commissioned play for the Centre Theatre Group about the controversial case, Madrigal vs. Quiligan, entitled, Consent, a Back By Popular Demand return of her seminal play Real Women Have Curves at CASA 0101 Theater December 4 – 20, 2026, the upcoming Los Angeles Premiere of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical at Pasadena Playhouse, April 14 – May 16, 2027, and her autobiography, Real Women Have Courage. Learn more at: www.Josefinalopez.biz and www.casa0101.org @JosfinaLopezRWHC @realwomenhavecurvesthemusical @20PoundsToHappiness
Corky Dominguez (Festival Co-Producer and Director) has over 40 years theatre experience as a producer, director, choreographer, performer, writer, and theatre teaching-artist. He has worked with several Los Angeles professional theaters and educational institutions. He is an advocate for youth oriented theatre programs. Directing credits at CASA 0101 Theater include: Remembering Boyle Heights Part 1 & 2, An Enemy Of The Pueblo, Unmasking Hercules, Eastside Heartbeats, Bad For The Community, Piñata Dreams, Hungry Woman, Real Women Have Curves (20 Year Anniversary and Los Angeles Premiere productions), Midnight Marauder: A New Year’s Eve Masquerade Murder Mystery Show, Hoop Girls, Tamales De Puerco (2008 Production), When Nature Calls, and with the LGBTQ Brown and Out Festival: Dona Conception, My Perfect Boyfriend, The Baby Cries, Miercoles Loves Luna, Frankie & Johnny, Forever Young, Young Dudes, L.U.G., and Twinks & Boobs MC. Corky Dominguez has also directed CASA 0101 Theater’s and Brown Fist Productions’ critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and CASA 0101 Theater’s World Premiere productions of Josefina López’s Queen of the Rumba, A Woman Named Gloria, Eléctrico, and most recently Josefina López’s critically acclaimed production of Real Women Have Curves, which will return for a Back By Popular Demand run at CASA 0101 Theater, December 4 – 20, 2026.
Emmanuel Deleage (Show Producer and Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater) is a graduate of UCLA in World Arts and Cultures. While in college he joined the skid row theater troupe, Los Angeles Poverty Department, founded by performance artist John Malpede. He later became the company’s administrator. In 2001 he formed his own company Courage Productions, and produced Armand Gatti’s Public Song Before Two Electric Chairs at the Los Angeles Theater Center. He also met Josefina López that same year, and merged Courage with the newly formed CASA 0101 Theater. He is currently the Executive Director of CASA 0101. He has overseen the growth of CASA 0101 from an all-volunteer organization running out of a storefront venue, to becoming a leading arts organization in Boyle Heights offering a full season of theater productions, arts education classes and art exhibitions. He also has had the privilege of working with theater directors, Peter Sellars, Gino Zampieri, Pascal Rambert and Armand Gatti. At CASA 0101 Theater, he has directed The Imaginary Life of the Street Sweeper August G by Armand Gatti, Locked Up and You Don’t Know Me by Patricia Zamorano, Nat Turner by Randolph Edmonds and Food for the Dead, by Josefina López. He has co-produced, along with Brown Fist Productions, a critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, as well as the critically acclaimed productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and World Premiere productions of Josefina Lopez’s plays, Queen of the Rumba, A Woman Named Gloria and Eléctrico. He recently produced CASA 0101 Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season, which included Three World Premieres: Mujeres On The Verge (Women On The Verge), Fernandomania, and Eléctrico, as well as productions of Tuesdays With Morrie and DreamWorks – The Prince of Egypt: The Musical. Earlier this year he produced a critically acclaimed six-week run of Josefina López’s signature play, Real Women Have Curves, which opened CASA 0101 Theater’s 26th Anniversary Season, and the recent critically acclaimed World Premiere production of Consuelo G. Flores’ play, Soul Sacrifice. As a writer, his first play was Selma Worth, about homelessness and finding self worth. His second play, which he directed and co-wrote with Lorenzo Alfredo, was An L.A. Journey.
About CASA 0101 Theater:
CASA 0101 Theater, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded 26 years ago by Founding Artistic Director, Josefina López, author of Real Women Have Curves, in 2000 to fulfill her vision of bringing art and live theater programs to Boyle Heights. From its humble beginnings in a former bridal shop, CASA 0101 Theater has established itself as a leading arts venue for Los Angeles’ East Side, currently offering year round theatrical productions and
classes in dramatic writing and acting for youth and adults. CASA 0101 Theater is dedicated to providing vital arts, cultural, and educations programs in theatre, digital filmmaking, art and dance – to Boyle Heights, thereby nurturing the future storytellers of Los Angeles. CASA 0101 is named such, as casa means house of home in Spanish. 0’s and 1’s are the binary language computers use to operate. CASA 0101 Theater was founded at the dawn of the digital age, when digital cameras started appearing and moviemaking became accessible to more people. Early on Josefina López taught digital video classes. Though the organization subsequently focused its energies on theatre and not digital filmmaking, the name stuck. To learn more, please visit www.casa0101.org
