New Production of MELANCHOLIA to Tour to Three Colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District

Combat fatigue, shell shock, PTSD. Twenty students from the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy, directed by Latino Theater Company artistic director and UCLA emeritus distinguished Professor José Luis Valenzuela, will tour a new production of the Latino Theater Lab-created, Iraq war-themed Melancholia to three colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District, followed by a two-week residency at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. As part of the Latino Theater Company's "IMPACT" partnership with the community college district, the production will travel to Los Angeles Valley College, Los Angeles Mission College and East Los Angeles College over the course of three weeks in September, then play for two weeks in October at The LATC in Downtown L.A.

Developed and written collectively by members of the Latino Theater Lab (a program of the Latino Theater Company) through a process of research, improvisation and the exploration of new theatrical expressions, Melancholia is a highly stylized performance work about a young Latino marine who, having returned home from the Iraq war, struggles to reconnect with a world that no longer makes sense. The original production premiered at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in 2007 before traveling to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was revived by the Latino Theater Company in 2013 to rave reviews.

Produced by the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy in collaboration with the Latino Theater Company, the student production of Melancholia initially received eight performances in Spring 2022 on the LACC Main Quad. Performances at the three colleges will take place in an outdoor tent. The tour is supported by the Los Angeles Community College District.

The creative team includes costume designer Maria Catarina Rodrigues, currently a student at Los Angeles City College, and scenic and lighting designer Johnny Garofalo, a member of the faculty.

In addition to the production of Melancholia, Latino Theater Company's IMPACT initiative includes the creation of a districtwide Theater 285 - Directed Study course taught by Valenzuela that was introduced in Spring 2022 at Los Angeles Mission College. The first of its kind course was made available to students from all nine district colleges and community college students throughout Los Angeles County. The initiative provides free Latino Theater Company tickets to students so they can attend live productions at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in Downtown L.A.

Performances of Melancholia will take place on Thursday, Sept. 15; Friday, Sept. 16; and Saturday, Sept. 17 at Los Angeles Valley College (5800 Fulton Ave., Valley Glen, CA 91401); on Thursday, Sept. 22; Friday, Sept. 23; and Saturday, Sept. 24 at Los Angeles Mission College (13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342); and on Thursday, Sept. 29; Friday, Sept. 30; and Saturday, Oct. 1 at East Los Angeles College (1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754). All performances at the colleges begin at 7 p.m. Eight additional performances will take place October 6 through October 16 at The Los Angeles Theater Center (514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013) on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.

Admission to all performances is free, with a suggested donation of $10.

For more information, call 213-489-0994 or go to www.latinotheaterco.org.

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