Casa 0101 Theater's 3rd Annual Brown & Out Theater Festival Set for 10/11

Casa 0101 Theater, Josefina López, Artistic Director, and Miguel Garcia, Festival Executive Producer, will present Casa 0101's 3rd Annual Brown & Out Theater Festival (BAOTF) featuring a collection of eight new comedic and dramatic short plays celebrating the Latino/a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning/Queer experience. The Festival will be presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m., kicking off on Friday, October 11, 2013, National Coming Out Day, and continuing through Sunday, November 3, 2013 at The New Casa 0101 Theater, 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights, CA 90033.

Casa 0101 Theater's sponsors include: The California Endowment, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, The Herb Alpert Foundation, The California Foundation for Stronger Communities, The Community Redevelopment Agency/LA - A Designated Local Authority and Metro.

Miguel Garcia, Executive Producer Casa 0101 Theater's 3rd Annual Brown & Out Theater Festival said: "The inspiration for this new play festival came from the need to provide a creative, safe space where LGBTQ Latino/as could share their many diverse stories out on the stage for ALL audiences to hear in an effort to reduce the stigmas and struggles associated with being Latino/a and LGBTQ. The Theater Festival's mission is to present plays which will inspire audiences, artists and youth to 'Live Brown, Out and Proud.'"

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. Tickets are $20 per person for General Admission; $15 per person for Students, Seniors and Veterans, and $12 per person for Boyle Heights residents. Discounts for Groups are also available. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Theatre patrons can get a $2 discount by presenting their Metro Bus Cards at the Box Office when buying tickets. Metro bus stations are located on First Street in Boyle Heights at both Soto Street, and at Boyle Street (Mariachi Plaza), within a short walking distance to the theatre.

The mission of BAOTF is to present plays written by Latino/a and LGBTQ storytellers representing the rich, diverse and ever-evolving Latino/a and LGBTQ culture. BOTF first premiered on September 23, 2011 at Little Casa Theater as a new play development project produced by playwright/producer Miguel Garcia, under the mentorship of Casa 0101's founder and artistic director Josefina López.

Nine actors will portray multiple roles in the eight new plays to be presented in this year's BOATF. The actors include: Lauren Ballesteros (of El Monte); Jaime Miguel Barcelon (of Studio City); Jose A. Garcia (of Alhambra); Monica O'Malley de Castillo(of Los Angeles); Masha Mendieta (of Los Angeles); Karina Noelle (of Los Angeles); Miriam Peniche (of North Hollywood); MJ Silva(of Los Angeles) and Andres Rey Solorzano (of Los Angeles). The work of nine playwrights will be staged by two directors. The playwrights include: Natalie Camunas (of Valley Village); Miguel Garcia (of El Monte); Uvaldo Baltazar and Arriola Baltazar (of Commerce); Jaime Mayorquin (of Maywood); Monica Palacios (of Santa Monica); Rosa Marie Rodriguez (of Echo Park); Michael Patrick Spillers (of Huntington Beach) and Mary Steelsmith (of Miracle Mile). The directors include: Nina Harada (of Silver Lake) andMartin Morales (of Los Angeles).

About The New Plays:
"Crazy" written by Natalie Camunas, directed by Nina Harada, featuring Masha Mendieta (as E), Lauren Ballesteros (as Mitch) and MJ Silva (as Johnnie). A play about two Latinas who meet at a house party and decide to run away to New York City together.

"Safe" written by Miguel Garcia, directed by Nina Harada, featuring Andres Rey Solorzano (as Gabriel). A play about a young, gay Latino man facing his inner demons in order to overcome a childhood trauma.

"Prom" written by Monica Palacios, directed by Nina Harada, featuring Karina Noelle (as Lesbian Teen), MJ Silva (as School Board), Masha Mendieta (as Girlfriend), Jaime Miguel Barcelon (as Sissy), Monica O'Malley de Castillo (as Mom) and Jose A. Garcia(as Dad). When denied her right to take her girlfriend to the prom, Lesbian Teen fights for equality in her ass-kicking tuxedo.

"Whittier Blvd" by Michael Patrick Spillers, directed by Martin Morales, featuring Jose A. Garcia (as Will) and Masha Mendieta(as Vic). A story about fathers, sons, the Midniters and East Los Angeles trans-Butch Morrissey realness.

"LGBTQ" written by Uvaldo Baltazar and Arriola Baltazar, directed by Martin Morales, featuring Miriam Peniche (as Captain Lupe Lopez), Jose A. Garcia (as Lieutenant Armando Aguila), MJ Silva (as Ensign Miguel Molina) and Andres Rey Solorzano (as "Q"). A gay Latino parody of "Star Trek" that shows the future that lies ahead for the LGBTQ Latino/a community.

"Happy and Gay" written by Mary Steelsmith, directed by Martin Morales, featuring Miriam Peniche (as Veronica) and Monica O'Malley de Castillo (as Betty). A play about two middle age church-women preparing for a wedding reception and revealing each other's love for one another.

"Sunday Brunch" written by Rosa Maria Rodriguez, directed by Martin Morales, featuring Karina Noelle (as Lydia), Jaime Miguel Barcelon (as Victor), Lauren Ballesteros (as Sammy) and Miriam Peniche (as Mom). Over Sunday brunch a daughter reveals to her elderly mother the secret about her sexuality.

"Los Novios" ("The Wedding Couple") written by Jaime Mayorquin, directed by Nina Harada, featuring Andres Rey Solorzano(as Armando), Jaime Miguel Barcelon (as Tomas), Monica O'Malley de Castillo (as Teresa), Jose A. Garcia (as Mr. Reyes) and Lauren Ballesteros (as Mrs. Reyes). On the eve of a not-so-traditional wedding, a gay couple's attempt at intimacy proves challenging.

The Production Team includes: Josefina López (of Silver Lake), Artistic Director, Casa 0101 Theater; Miguel Garcia (of Los Angeles) Executive Producer/Playwright; Sophia Sanchez (of Los Angeles) Co-Producer; Vimmi Jaggi (of Los Angeles) Associate Producer; Gina Linn Espinoza (of Los Angeles) Associate Producer; Helen Barriere (of Los Angeles) Associate Producer; Martin Morales (of Los Angeles) Director; Nina Harada (of Silver Lake) Director; Uvaldo Baltazar (of Commerce) Production Stage Manager/Props Master/Playwright with Arriola Baltazar (of Commerce); Maura McGuinness (of Los Angeles) Lighting Designer; Cesar Retana-Holiguin (of Panorama City) Set Designer; Monica Hernandez (of Los Angeles) Costume Designer; Dallas Wexler (of Los Angeles) Video Designer/Projectionist; Karlo Ishibashi (of Los Angeles) Assistant Producer; Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake) Executive Director, Casa 0101 Theater; Edward Padilla (Board President, Casa 0101 Theater); Natalie Camunas (of Valley Village) Playwright; Jaime Mayorquin (of Maywood) Playwright; Monica Palacios (of Santa Monica) Playwright; Rosa Marie Rodriguez (of Los Angeles) Playwright; Michael Patrick Spillers (of Huntington Beach) Playwright; Mary Steelsmith (of Miracle Mile) Playwright; Sohail j. Najafi (of Culver City) Technical Director; Vincent Sanchez (of Commerce) Facilities Manager/Playwright; Mark Kraus (of Los Angeles) Webmaster; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Design Co. (of Los Angeles) Graphic Designer; Ed Krieger (of La Crescenta) Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations (of Los Angeles) Press Representative.

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