MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMEN ON THE VERGE) to Kick Off CASA 0101 Theater's 25th Anniversary Season

The 25th Anniversary Season of CASA 0101 Theater will kick off with the World Premiere of MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMEN ON THE VERGE), Four One-Act Plays in celebration of Women's “HER”story Month, to be presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. for a Four-Week run, February 28 – March 23, 2025 in the Gloria Molina Auditorium at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, CA  90033.
 
MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMEN ON THE VERGE) brings together four one-act plays that explore love, friendship, ambition and the unexpected turns in life.  From former Pachucas reigniting an old rivalry (Pleito) (Flight), to best friends sweating through menopause and tough choices (The Fan Club), to a woman whose dreams of writing are sidelined by caregiving (La Noche de Anoche) (Last Night), to a holiday gathering that unravels a lifetime of addiction (La Mano de Dios) (The Hand of God).

Playwrights include:  Lindsey Haley, Mariana Herrera, Maria G. Martinez and Raquel Salinas. Directors include: Olivia Chumacero, Jacqueline Guido, Karla Ojeda and Vilma Villela.  Actors include:  Alejandro Bravo, Tricia Cruz, Tina D'Marco, Alejandra Flores, Carmelita Maldonado, Gisel Murillo, Ariana Raygoza, Saul Rodriguez, Raquel Salinas, Jasia Topete and
Myrna Velasco.

Josefina López, Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater, said:  “I started CASA 0101 Theater 25 years ago with a student loan from UCLA with the hope of establishing a safe and welcoming artistic space to nurture the talents of aspiring Latino and women writers to provide them with hands on experience and opportunities to develop their craft, so that they could go out into the world to create their own destinies.  And now, 25 years later, I believe we have accomplished that goal, and we aspire to continue doing the same in the years that lie ahead.”
 
Emmanuel Deleage, Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater, said:  “Since our humble beginnings as an all-volunteer organization running out a storefront venue our little theater that could has flourished and grown into a leading arts venue on Los Angeles' East Side dedicated to providing vital arts, cultural, and educations programs in theatre, digital filmmaking, art and dance – to Boyle Heights.  Over the last 25 years, we have presented over 125 productions, many of which were World Premieres.”
 
Other productions in CASA 0101 Theater's 25th Anniversary Season, (subject to change), will include:  Visions and Voices, in association with CASA 0101 Theater Present Homeboy The Musical, A Staged Reading, April 3 – 6, 2025; Tuesdays With Morrie written by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom, to be presented April 18 – May 11, 2025; Macha Theatre Company in association with CASA 0101 Theater Present FRIDA – Stroke of Passion – The Immersive Experience, written by Odalys Nanin, to be presented May 16, 17 and 18, 2025; En Mi Jardín:   The Corazon Chronicles, One Day Reading To Be Announced; Macha Theatre Company in association with CASA 0101 Theater Present My Return to Cuba by Odalys Nanin, to be presented August 15 – 31, 2025; the World Premiere of Fernando Mania Forever, A Collection of Short Plays, including one written by Josefina López, Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela, to be presented September 12 – 28, 2025; the World Premiere of Electrico, a new play by Josefina López directed by Corky Dominguez, to be presented October 10 – November 2, 2025; and the musical, The Prince of Egypt, with Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, Orchestral Score by Hans Zimmer and Book by Philip LaZebnick, to be presented November 21 – December 21, 2025.
 
More About MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMEN ON THE VERGE):
Kicking off CASA 0101 Theater's 25th Anniversary Season will be the World Premiere MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMEN ON THE VERGE), in which four Chicana playwrights present four original one-act plays.  They are:
 
Pleito (Flight) is written by Lindsey Haley (of Santa Monica) directed by Vilma Villela (of Panorama City) starring Carmelita Maldonaldo (of El Sereno) as Lupita Delgado, Myrna Velasco (of Santa Clarita) as Pauline, Jasia Topete (of Highland Park) as Jasmine, Saul Rodriguez (of Pico Rivera) as Mr. Montes, Alexandra Flores (of Montebello) as Mrs. Sanchez, Tricia Cruz (of Koreatown) as Mrs. Ramirez, Tina D'Marco (of Alhambra) as La Red and Alejandro Bravo (of Culver City) as Mr. DeLeon.  In Pleito former Pachucas and fierce Chicana seniors reunite to settle a decades-old feud over love, loyalty and a saxophonist who stole more than just a heart.  As old wounds resurface, one thing is clear – some rivalries never fade, they just get bolder.  Lindsey Haley said, “While taking playwriting classes at CASA 0101 Theater, Josefina López asked me if I had been a Chola, to which I responded, ‘yes.'  Josefina then suggested I write a play about Senior Cholas fighting with their walker and cane.  I ran with the idea and set the conflict of the play in 1965 when the two women were 18-years-old.  Decades later, the women are now residents of an Assisted Living Home and are now forced to face the betrayal of the man they fell in love with and how he changed the trajectory of their lives.”

The Fan Club is written by Mariana Herrera (of El Sereno), directed by Karla Ojeda (of East Los Angeles) and starring Gisele Murillo (of Long Beach) as Sonia Gomez, Alejandro Bravo (of Culver City) as Marco, Myrna Velasco (of Santa Clarita) as Anna, Carmelita Maldonaldo (of El Sereno) as Terry, Tricia Cruz (of Koreatown) as Diana and Saul Rodriguez (of Pico Rivera) as Raul. In The Fan Club Sonia's friends ascertain that the myriad of symptoms Sonia experiences may be signaling the onset of perimenopause.  Sonia must decide if she will grow her business or stay in a relationship.  Mariana Herrera said:  “I was inspired to write about menopause when I arrived at a restaurant and noticed that all my friends were all fanning themselves simultaneously and discovered that they were all experienceing hot flashes.  I thought it would be funny to write about their experiences.”
 
La Noche de Anoche (Last Night) is written by Maria G. Martinez (of Pico Rivera) directed by Jacquline Guido (of Whittier) starring Carmelita Maldonado (of El Sereno) as Maria, Alejandra Flores (of Montebello) as Luz and Ariana Raygoza (of Highland Park) as Vanessa.  La Noche de Anoche is the story of Maria who retires early to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer.  Maria's dreams are derailed when she becomes a full-time caregiver for her mother, Luz.  The physical and emotional demands of caregiving come to a head when Vanessa, Maria's daughter, visits and witnesses the changes in the family dynamics including the isolation of her mother, the absence of her father and the physical and emotional deterioration of her mother.  Maria's resistance to remedy the situation addresses her overwhelming stress and anxiety that many caregivers experience.”  Maria G. Martinez said, “My personal experience taking care of my mother was my inspiration in writing this play.”
 
In La Mano De Dios (The Hand of God), a one-person show, written by and starring Raquel Salinas (of the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles), directed Olivia Chumacero (of Los Angeles), a middle-aged woman attends a Christmas family gathering and finds no one at home.  The play takes the audience along the protagonist's journey of alcohol addiction, beginning with her experiences as an innocent teenager who takes her first drink, to the continuous and unexpected appearance of miniature tequila bottles that appear through a lifetime.  Raquel Salinas said she began writing the piece in CASA 0101 Theater's writing workshop for Chicanas, Cholas y Chisme and it is now a one-act play.”

Tickets for the Four-Week Run of MUJERES ON THE VERGE (WOMAN ON THE VERGE), to be presented from February 28 – March 23, 2025 are $25.00 per person for General Admission; $22.00 per person for Students and Seniors 60+ and $20 per person for Boyle Heights residents and Groups of 10 of more.  The official press opening night of the play for reviewers will be on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.