World premiere explores faith, family, immigration and Chicano life in California’s San Joaquin Valley
Los Angeles – The Latino Theater Company will present the world premiere of Speaking in Tongues, a new play by MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Luis Alfaro that turns its focus to the people, faith and tensions of a small Mexican-American agricultural community in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Commissioned by Latino Theater Company and developed through its Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group, Speaking in Tongues will run October 17 through November 15 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Downtown Los Angeles, with previews October 15 and 16. José Luis Valenzuela directs.
Alfaro draws heavily on the geography and culture of the San Joaquin Valley, incorporating references to real communities, local businesses and regional traditions—from nearby McFarland and Tipton to Taqueria El Sol De Jalisco, La Barca Bakery and the Visalia Mall. Even the region’s distinctive “Tule fog” becomes part of the play’s sense of place.
The setting is particularly personal for Alfaro, a Chicano playwright born and raised in Los Angeles and the son of farmworkers from California’s San Joaquin Valley. His work has frequently explored the intersections of identity, labor, immigration, family and the relationship between people and the land.
Alfaro received a fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, commonly known as the “genius grant,” recognizing exceptional creativity in his field. His extensive body of work includes Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, Mojada, Delano, The Travelers, Body of Faith, Aztlan, Bruja and Straight as a Line. His plays have been produced by theaters throughout the United States, Latin America, Canada and Europe.
He previously served as associate artistic director of Center Theatre Group at the Music Center of Los Angeles County and is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.
Speaking in Tongues continues Alfaro’s ongoing exploration of communities often underrepresented on the American stage, placing a distinctly Chicano experience at the center of a story about faith, power, family and resilience.
Set inside a Pentecostal church on the edge of a cornfield in Earlimart, California, the play follows a congregation navigating faith, family, gender, immigration and a rapidly changing community.
At the center is Hermana Romie, played by Evelina Fernández, whose husband—the church’s pastor—has mysteriously disappeared. For years, Romie has secretly written his sermons while suppressing her own voice and talents to preserve the church’s patriarchal traditions.
As immigration raids threaten the community and Romie’s daughter, played by Esperanza América, prepares to leave for a secular life in Los Angeles, Romie begins to claim her own authority. Alongside Lucy Rodríguez as Hermana Cubby, Sal López as Hermano Mando and Geoffrey Rivas as Hermano Tico, the congregation confronts questions of faith, belonging and collective survival.
The production features scenic design by Prairie T. Trivuth, lighting design by “Lee” Xinyuan Li, sound design by Robert J. Revell, projections by Yee Eun Nam, costumes by Samantha Jo Joffray and choreography by Urbanie Lucero.
Speaking in Tongues opens Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m. and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 15. Preview performances are October 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.
The Latino Theater Company, which operates the City of Los Angeles-owned Los Angeles Theatre Center, has produced hundreds of plays and created thousands of jobs since taking over operations of the Downtown venue in 2006. The City recently extended the company’s lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056.
For tickets and additional information, call (213) 489-0994 or visit Latino Theater Company.