A Caregiver’s Journey: Exploring Love, Resilience, and Family in a New Play

World Premiere of "The Storyteller of East LA" Explores Family and Caregiving Challenges

East Los Angeles – Playwright Evelina Fernández has drawn from her family’s experiences to craft “The Storyteller of East LA,” a poignant play that navigates the complexities of caring for elderly loved ones with dementia. The show is currently in its world premiere run, presented by the Latino Theater Company at the Los Angeles Theatre Center through Sunday, May 17.

The performance includes public shows and matinee student performances, which feature talkbacks with audiences. This marks the theater company’s 41st season, and it has recently been recognized as the 2025 “nonprofit of the year” by California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. Since 2006, the company has operated out of a former bank building in Downtown LA, promoting cultural diversity through the presentation of a wide array of ideas and nurturing both new and traditional works.

Fernández, a founding member of the theater company, noted that her latest play was commissioned by the Circle of Imaginistas. Celebrated for her contributions to the theater, she has won multiple Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards and is a recipient of a GLAAD Media Award. Fernández, who often writes about the Mexican diaspora, is also known for works like “A Mexican Trilogy” and “La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin.” Her upcoming piece, “Blow Away the Clouds,” will feature in this year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival.

Set against the backdrop of East LA, “The Storyteller of East LA” employs elements of magical realism to delve into everyday challenges faced by family caregivers. The narrative follows a 90-year-old woman named Mercedes, played by Lucy Rodriguez, as she interacts with her guardian angel, Serafina, portrayed by Sal López, in a space that blurs the lines between reality and memory.

Mercedes’s daughters, Grace and Mary, along with her granddaughter Lulu, grapple with unresolved tensions while searching for solutions to care for her. Their struggle intensifies when ICE immigration raids disrupt their caregiving arrangements. “I want to shed light on and amplify the fact that people in Los Angeles really depend on the undocumented workforce for so many things,” Fernández explained.

The Latino Theater Company’s Artistic Director, Jose Luis Valenzuela, directs the play, which features a predominantly female cast and crew, reflecting an effort to uplift women’s voices on stage and behind the scenes. “Our theater tries to hire as many women as we can,” Fernández remarked proudly.

Presented in both English and Spanish with bilingual subtitles, the play references local landmarks such as Eugene A. Obregón Park and James A. Garfield Senior High School. The production also incorporates photographs from Fernández’s and cast members’ families as projections, enhancing its emotional resonance.

Fernández’s personal journey deeply influences the narrative. “It’s too close to home, too personal because it’s inspired by my mom and what we went through with her illness,” she shared. Her mother, a storyteller, battled dementia for ten years, an experience that Fernández wanted to reflect in her work. “In Latino culture, it’s not an easy decision to put your loved one in a facility… It gets very complicated,” she noted.

The play encapsulates themes of compassion, love, and resilience, as the family navigates their duty towards one another. “I had to send my family an email in all caps that said, ‘This is not about our family,’” Fernández clarified.

With an emotional depth that resonates with audiences, the show has sparked conversations among theatergoers, many of whom have shared their personal caregiving stories after performances. “They say, ‘Oh my God, how did you know my story? This happened to me!’” said Fernández, highlighting the universal nature of the experiences portrayed.

“The Storyteller of East LA”

• When: 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through May 17
• Where: Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 Spring Street, Los Angeles
• Cost: $10 for Thursday performances, $48 for Fridays through Sundays, $24 for students and seniors, $8 parking with box office validation.