Tacos La Brooklyn at The Los Angeles Theatre Center

Appropriation… or appreciation? Latino Theater Company presents the world premiere of an exciting, multilingual comic drama developed in Latino Theater Company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group Chino, a young and ambitious Korean American who grew up in a foster family on Los Angeles’ Eastside, hopes to grow his successful taco stand, “Chino’s Underground Tacos,” into a brick and mortar restaurant. When Yesenia Tapia, a Mexican American social media influencer, accuses Chino of cultural appropriation and pandering to a gentrifying neighborhood, he must convince the community of his cultural authenticity in a multi-faceted and complicated city. Written by Joel Ulloa and directed by Fidel Gomez, Tacos La Brooklyn looks at cultural identity, interracial dynamics, gentrification, street vendors, social media and cancel culture — all through a distinctly Los Angeles lens.