Photos: First Look at the West Coast Premiere of Jesús I. Valles' (UN)DOCUMENTS at the LATC

The West Coast premiere of (Un)Documents, written and performed by queer actor, theatermaker and poet Jesús I. Valles and directed by Rudy Ramirez, opened last weekend in a Latino Theater Company production at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, where performances continue through November 20.

See photos below!

(Un)Documents is the lyrical tale of Valles's journey across both sides of a river with two names, moving between languages to find their place in a nation that demands sacrifice at the altar of citizenship. In doing so, they create a new kind of documentation written with anger, fierce love, and the knowledge that what makes us human can never be captured on a government questionnaire.

Valles immigrated to the U.S with their family at the age of nine. Their multiple award-winning solo work was adapted from a series of 20 poems they wrote following their brother's deportation in a workplace raid - poems about their brother, citizenship, identity and the LGBTQ community.

"I learned early on what some people are able to do or unable to do, all based on a few pieces of paper and, you know, some holograms on some plastic," said Valles in an interview. "(Un)Documents asks the audience rethink how they watch and talk about migrant communities, queer people of color, systems of oppression. And to ask questions of themselves and those in positions of power."

Performances of (Un)Documents take place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. through November 20. Tickets range from $10-$48. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $5 with box office validation at Joe's Parking structure, 530 S. Spring St. (immediately south of the theater). To purchase tickets and for more information, call (213) 489-0994 or go to www.latinotheaterco.org.