(HOLLYWOOD PRESS CORPS) — Los Angeles, CA — (May 18, 2026) – CASA 0101 Theater will present the World Premiere production of Soul Sacrifice, written by Consuelo G. Flores, directed by Kenneth Castillo, starring Carlos Pratts, Myrna Velasco, Karla Ojeda, Martín Morales, Itzel Ocampo and David Flores to be presented for a four-week run at CASA 0101 Theater in the Gloria Molina Auditorium, 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), Los Angeles, CA 90033 from May 29 – June 21, 2026. Learn more at www.casa0101.org
WRITTEN BY CONSUELO G. FLORES
DIRECTED BY KENNETH CASTILLO
STARRING:
CARLOS PRATTS, MYRNA VELASCO, KARLA OJEDA,
MARTÍN MORALES, ITZEL OCAMPO and DAVID FLORES
MAY 29 –JUNE 21, 2026
FOUR-WEEK RUN
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
GLORIA MOLINA AUDITORIUM AT
CASA 0101 THEATER
2102 EAST FIRST STREET,
LOS ANGELES, CA 90033
In Soul Sacrifice tense silences and sudden outbursts fill the East Los Angeles home of nine-year-old Connie as her family begins to fracture beneath the weight of war, activism and grief. Connie’s beloved brother Luie has been drafted to fight on the front lines of Vietnam, leaving a void that ripples through every corner of the household.
Consuelo G. Flores, Playwright of Soul Sacrifice, said: “I began writing Soul Sacrifice as a 10-minute play in 2015, and then set it aside for several years. The play started as a chapter in a memoir that I wrote to better understand what prompted my social justice work. Long ago, someone asked me why my work was so steeped in social justice issues and it prompted me to reflect on my personal experiences, specifically the origins of my understanding of the concept of social justice. The story of my play is about how the Vietnam War, and the protests against it, affected one family in East Los Angeles. The story is based on my real life. My hope is that audiences seeing my play will identify with the resilience, strength and hope this family had, despite the enormous challenges they faced. For this production I will be designing an altar in the inner lobby of the theater, and for the set of the play itself.”
Kenneth Castillo, Director of Soul Sacrifice, said, “In every project I’ve ever directed I’ve been the casting director. I go through great lengths to find actors who put themselves into their work and have the tools to lay a foundation down where the relationships between the characters are genuine. If I’ve done my job right the audience will experience that genuineness. My hope is to create an honest depiction of 1970 and to give the audience an emotional journey that they can connect to.”
Josefina López, Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater said: “I applaud playwright Consuelo G. Flores for telling her truth. Sharing such a personal story about the trauma her family experienced when her brother was drafted into the Vietnam War is heart wrenching. But by doing so, audience members who see Consuelo’s play whom may have experienced similar circumstances in their own families, or friends of their families, will walk away knowing that their loved ones, whether they returned home from the war, or not, are not alone, or forgotten. This play will stand as a living testament and tribute to all who served our country during wartime.”
Emmanuel Deleage, Producer of Soul Sacrifice and Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater, said: “CASA 0101 is very proud to present this brilliant and important testimony-play by Consuelo G. Flores. This play poignantly explores how war, even in a far-away country, changes the lives and the destinies of those at home. This truthful and raw story cuts to the heart of what matters to people, their family, their sense of personal worth, their faith and bonds between one another. In my view this play is in instant classic, delivered by a talented cast that deserves to be seen in theaters throughout the country.”
The cast of the World Premiere Production of Soul Sacrifice includes: Carlos Pratts (of Valencia as Luie Flores); Myrna Velasco (of North Hollywood, CA as Connie Flores); Karla Ojeda (of East Los Angeles, CA as Guadalupe Flores – Mom); Martín Morales (of Silver Lake, CA as Jose Fores – Dad); Itzel Ocampo (of Alhambra, CA as Rachel Flores) and David Flores (of Pico Rivera, CA as Ben Flores).
The World Premiere production team for Soul Sacrifice includes: Josefina López (of Boyle Heights) Founding Artistic Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake, CA) Producer and Executive Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Eddie Padilla (of Boyle Heights) Casting Director; Consuelo G. Flores (of Alhambra) Playwright and Altar Designer; Kenneth Castillo (of East Los Angeles, CA) Director; Angelica Ornelas (of North Hollywood, CA) Stage Manager and Sound Designer; Jazmin Jimenez (of Whittier, CA) Assistant Stage Manager; Audrey Szot(of Pico Robinson, CA) Set Designer; Alejandro Parra (of Burbank, CA) Lighting Designer; Patricia (Mama J) Tripp (of Northridge, CA) Costume Designer; Maia Melendez (of East Los Angeles, CA) Prop Master; Miguel Angel Delgado (of South Gate, CA) CASA 0101 Theater Technical Director; Mark Kraus (of Los Angeles, CA), CASA 0101 Theater Development Director; Itzel Ocampo (of Alhambra, CA) Graphic Designer, Foyer Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Marketing and Operations Manager; Karla Melendez (of East Los Angeles, CA) Foyer Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Program Administrator; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Studio Inc. (of Los Angeles, CA) Program; Jorge Villanueva (of the Boyle Heights) Facilities Manager; Oscar Basulto (of the Boyle Heights) Box Office Manager; Al Aguilar (of Los Angeles) Foyer Designer and Production Assistant; Rudy Torres (of Los Angeles, CA) Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations (of Los Angeles, CA), Press Representative.
CASA 0101 Theater is supported in part by: The State of California, Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, Eastside Arts Initiative, National Latinx Theater Initiative, Herb Alpert Foundation, Perenchio Foundation, The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, U.S. Bank, David Lee Foundation and The Herb Block Foundation.
Tickets for the Four-Week Run of Soul Sacrifice to be presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m., May 29 – June 21, 2026 are $25.00 per person for General Admission; $22.00per person for Students and Seniors 60+ and $20 per person for Boyle Heights Residents, Veterans and Groups of 10 of more. On Sunday, June 7, 2026, the performance of the play will be preceded by a Pre-Show Discussion with the playwright and director led by Emmanuel Deleage, Producer of the play and Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater, which ticket buyers for that performance will be invited to attend without any additional charge. There will be one Discounted Preview Performance presented on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. for $15.00 per person.
Soul Sacrifice deals with mature subject related to war and specifically the Vietnam War. Children under 10 years of age are not permitted. 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
Join the conversation on Facebook @CASA0101Theater; on Instagram @CASA0101 To learn more about CASA 0101, please visit www.casa0101.org
Free Parking is available on several streets surrounding the theater. Limited Free Parking is also available at the Boyle Heights City Hall Parking Lot located at 2130 East First Street (at Chicago Street) by entering the lot from Chicago Street.
Concurrently during the run of the show, Soul Sacrifice, a FREE Art Exhibit will be presented in the Jean Deleage Art Gallery located in the lobby of CASA 0101 Theater entitled “BONNIE LAMBERT: Corazón y Alma, A Retrospective.” This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of the late artist, Bonnie Lambert, February 9, 1950 – November 29, 2025, who, since childhood was mesmerized by spectacular sunsets, the shock of storm skies, long late-afternoon shadows, fog blurring the world and all the dramatic push-pull between nature and the hand-of-man. She is perhaps one of the few artists whose colors themselves cheer and celebrate the color spectrum on canvas. They cheer her mastery of urban landscapes, skyscrapers and city life. Lambert has extended the world of Chicano art by painting it desde su corazón. Curated by Jimmy Centeno, the exhibit can be viewed prior to performances of Soul Sacrifice, and during Art Gallery Hours, which are Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Up Next at CASA 0101 Theater:
Seussical Jr. performed by CASA 0101 Theater youth. Performances will be July 17th though July 26th. For more information and tickets, please visit www.casa0101.org
A One-Person Show Festival of World Premiere new works called Stand in the Light, August 21 – September 20, 2026, conceived by CASA 0101 Theater’s Founding Artistic Director, Josefina López, More details will soon be announced.
More About The Playwright, Director and Cast of Soul Sacrifice:
Consuelo G. Flores (Playwright) is making her CASA 0101 Theater debut as a writer. A Los Angeles–based multidisciplinary artist, writer, playwright, and cultural practitioner whose work explores memory, grief, identity, and community through a deeply rooted Chicana lens. Raised in East Los Angeles in a large Mexican immigrant family, Flores’s early life was shaped by storytelling, cultural tradition, and the lived realities of working-class life—elements that would later become central to her artistic voice.
As a playwright Flores has written the following full length plays and short one act plays which have stories which focus on social justice and cultural identity: A Visit of Consequence as part of the Brisk 10-Minute Play Festival at the Morgan-Wixson Theater; a staged reading of Soul Sacrifice at the Frida Kahlo Theater for their Staged Reading Series; The Public Servant, for Fierce Backbone Theater Company’s Think & Imagine Festival 2 at the Zephyr Theater; a reading of Soul Sacrifice at The Broadwater Theater for the Fierce Backbone Play Development Reading Series; a production of Imperfect Lives for the Fierce Backbone Theater Company, Think & Imagine Festival at the Zephyr Theater; Adelita’s Thorn produced by Fierce Backbone Theater Company presented as part of the Community Outreach on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) Festival at The Lounge Theater; The Legacy of the San Patricios, Angela, Soul Sacrifice, and Lotería, A Game of Chance, all produced as part of the Frida Kahlo Theater, 10-Minute Play Festival from 2014 through 2017.
For over four decades, Flores has also been a leading figure in the preservation and evolution of Día de los Muertos practices in the United States. Beginning in the early 1980s—before the tradition entered mainstream awareness—she developed a practice as an altarista, creating ofrendas that transcend visual display to function as complex narrative environments. Her altars are not decorative interpretations of tradition but deeply intentional constructions built from personal objects, symbolic materials, and lived histories. Through photographs, clothing, food, candles, and everyday artifacts, she creates immersive spaces where the boundary between the living and the dead becomes porous, allowing memory to operate as an active, sustaining force.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has developed a body of theatrical work that mirrors the emotional and structural complexity of her altars. Her plays often center on Chicano families navigating historical and political forces, with a particular focus on the Vietnam War era and its impact on Mexican American communities. In works such as Soul Sacrifice, Flores examines how large-scale events reverberate within intimate domestic spaces, revealing the emotional fractures, silences, and resilience that define family life under pressure.
Her theatrical style emphasizes atmosphere, subtext, and emotional tension over conventional plot, often incorporating elements of magical realism in subtle, grounded ways. Children and family dynamics frequently serve as narrative anchors, offering perspectives that are both vulnerable and perceptive. As in her visual work, Flores is less interested in resolution than in presence—allowing characters, like the subjects of her altars, to exist in a space where past and present coexist.
At the core of Flores’s altar work is the belief that grief is not something to resolve, but something to engage. Her installations often emerge from both personal and collective loss, honoring family members alongside broader communities affected by war, displacement, illness, and social injustice. In this way, her work expands traditional Día de los Muertos practices into contemporary contexts, transforming the altar into a site of cultural resistance, remembrance, and communal healing. She has consistently challenged the commercialization and superficial adoption of the holiday, emphasizing instead its spiritual, historical, and cultural integrity.
Flores’s work has been exhibited and presented at major cultural institutions throughout Los Angeles and beyond, including museums, universities, and public spaces. She has played a key role in shaping large-scale public Día de los Muertos celebrations, contributing to their growth as meaningful community events rather than mere spectacles. As an educator and lecturer, she has shared her knowledge with audiences across the United States, speaking at universities and leading workshops that emphasize both technical practice and cultural context. Her work has also extended into consulting for film and media, ensuring accurate and respectful representation of Mexican and Chicano traditions.
Throughout her career, Flores has moved fluidly between disciplines, engaging in performance art, poetry, curation, and community-based practice. Her collaborations with influential Chicano artists and collectives, along with her involvement in theater and literary communities, reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary expression and cultural dialogue.
Underlying all of Flores’s work is a consistent philosophy: that memory is active, that the personal is inseparable from the political, and that art can serve as a space for both individual reflection and collective connection. Her altars invite viewers not only to witness, but to participate—to recognize their own histories within the stories she tells. Her plays similarly draw audiences into intimate emotional landscapes shaped by cultural identity, history, and loss.
Today, Consuelo G. Flores is widely regarded as a vital cultural steward and artistic voice. Her work has helped shape how Día de los Muertos is understood and practiced in Los Angeles and across the United States, bridging traditional Mexican cosmology with contemporary artistic expression. Through her decades-long commitment to honoring the dead, elevating community narratives, and resisting cultural erasure, she has created a body of work that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective—ensuring that memory, in all its complexity, remains present, visible, and alive. Instagram: @consuelog.flores Facebbook: @consuelo.flores.9406
Kenneth Castillo (Director) is making his CASA 0101 Theater directorial debut. Castillo is a Director/Writer who grew up in the shadow of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the small working-class harbor town of Wilmington, CA. He has written and directed seven feature films, all of which focus on the urban Latino experience.
In 2023 Castillo released his latest feature film, Marigold the Matadorunder his new production company Cienfuegos Productions. The film was shot in seven days and won the “Indie Spirit Award” at the 2018 Idyllwild International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi with more streaming platforms to follow.
Castillo is best known for directing the boxing drama, Counterpunch, a story about a Cuban, bipolar boxer from Miami who gets help from his family as well as his crisis counselor, played by Danny Trejo, playing against type in a good guy role. Counterpunch caught the attention of Lionsgate and was distributed across the world including Canada, Latin America and China. Upon its release it ran on Netflix for three years and continues to stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Tubi.
Castillo’s first three feature films were a series of urban Latino stories that drew from his experiences growing up in the Port of Los Angeles. They were grouped together as The Drive-By Chronicles and are currently dubbed in Spanish and play throughout Mexico and Latin American on CineLatino.
His journey started when he wrote, produced and directed his short film series, The Misadventures of Cholo Chaplín, a series of silent short films shot in the style of the serial shorts of the 20’s and 30’s, set in the world of The Day of the Dead, several of which played at/in film festivals and markets, including The Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner.
Castillo is the author of his filmmaking memoir STEREOTYPICAL: My Filmmaking Journey from the Harbor to Hollywood, which will be released in the winter of 2026. A resident of East Los Angles, he is married to actress, Karla Ojeda, whom he met at Los Angeles Theatre Academy where he was studying acting from which he graduated in 1996. The couple has two children. Instagram: @director_kenneth_castillo
Carlos Pratts (Luie Flores) is making hid debut performance at CASA 0101 Theater. Pratts starred opposite Kevin Costner and Maria Bello in the The Walt Disney Company feature film, McFarland, USA, for which he won an Imagen Award and was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. He also appeared as a lead in Paramount Pictures film, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Other film credits include: Go For It!, Coyote, The Hearts of Me, Counterpunch and Drive By Chronicles. Upcoming films in 2027 include: Live Like That: The Daniel Diaz Story in which Pratts will star opposite Esai Morales and Roselyn Sanchez and Cowboy, where he will star opposite
Ben Foster. Pratts has also appeared on the television shows, “Fatal Attraction,” “Pearson,” “NCIS,” “Dirty John,” “Aquarius,” “Prime Suspect,” “The Bridge” and “Southland,” among others. Instagram: @carlospratts
Myrna Velasco (Connie Flores) was last seen at CASA 0101 Theater in Mujeres On The Verge (Women On The Verge). She has appeared on the television shows “DC Super Girls,” “Star Wars Resistance,” “Elena of Avalor,” “Primos,” (Tater Humphrey Ramirez); “Desperate Housewives,”’ “Modern Family,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Sydney to the Max.” Film credits include: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (Marina Sifuenties), Batman & Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (Wonder Girl), Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (Coco Diablo); Call Me Daddy (Jessica), Confessions of a Gangster (Nicki) and Jessica Darling’s It List (Coach Garcia). Velasco has appeared in the Video Games: Behemoth, Concord, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft; Final Fantasy VII; DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power. And she has been seen in commercials for Coca-Cola alongside Will.i.am, as well as campaigns for major brands such as McDonald’s, Chevy, ARCO, and Dr. Pepper. Instagram: @myrnzilla
Karla Ojeda (Guadalupe Flores – Mom) has appeared in or directed CASA 001 Theater productions of Simply Maria, or The American Dream, Los Vedidos, El Verde (as Frida Kahlo), Corina – From Lapdance To Sundance, En Mí Jardin (In My Garden), Fernandomania, Mujeres On The Verge (Women On The Verge), The Prince of Egypt and A Woman Named Gloria. She also starred as Mom in Santa Doesn’t Live Here Anymore at the Brisk Festival. Ojeda works in theatre and film as an actor, director, and producer. She appeared in Kenneth Castillo’s film Marigold the Matador, which can now be seen on Amazon Prime and Tubi, and was awarded the Jury Award for Best Feature at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival. Ojeda produced and starred in the Imagen Award-winning series The Misadventures of Cholo Chaplin. Karla Ojeda is also the recipient of a Certificate of Completion in 1995 from the prestigious Los Angeles Theatre Academy where she studied Acting, and met her husband, director Kenneth Castillo. Instagram: @vamonos74
Martín Morales (Jesus Flores – Dad) has appeared in CASA 0101 Theater productions of The Pink Chatroom, Brown & Out 1-4, En Mí Jardin (In My Garden), Fernandomania, Santa & the Snowflake and A Woman Named Gloria. Film credits include: Que Suene La Banda, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Here We Are, Papi Chulo, Tijuana, the Movie, Miracle and Managing. Television credits include: “Station 19,” “Speechless,” “Fresh off the Boat” (recurring), “NCIS,” “Modern Family,” “Grandfathered” and “Franklin & Bash.” Other theatrical appearances include: “The Makropulos Case” (Los Angeles Opera); “Ten-Minute Play Festival” (Frida Kahlo Theatre); “In My Father’s House” (Hudson Theatre); “Pedro Paramo” (Bilingual Foundation of the Arts) and “When Elvis Met Che” (Whitefire Theatre). Instragram: @martinmorales9161
Itzel Ocampo (Rachel Flores) returns to CASA 0101 Theater for her third appearance on stage as an actress; previously she has appeared in multiple roles in both En Mí Jardin (In My Garden) and in Fernandomania. Ocampo is an award-winning multifaceted creative professional who co-produced CASA Theater’s first youth musicals, Matilda JR. and Shrek JR.,both to sold-out audiences. Her passion for youth engagement began over a decade ago as a creative consultant and performer for “The Arty Loon Show!” bringing educational shows to schools, libraries, and venues like The Magic Castle. A CSULA alum with a B.A. in Television & Film and Art, she has worked for NBC Universal’s mun2 Network as a Media Coordinator, Video Editor, and Graphic Designer. Outside of CASA 0101 Theater, she has performed in Yellow at the Frida Kahlo Theater. Her play, El Secreto de la Abuela was featured at the Frida Kahlo Theater’s Short Play Festival. In her spare time, she channels her fine art skills as a professional face and body painter at events throughout SoCal, including events for Sprouts, LA Rams, and Disney. She leads face-painting workshops for children at local libraries where she takes the opportunity to introduce and inspire children to one day pursue the arts. As a Graphic Designer, she designs artwork for Casa 0101 Theater’s productions and for independent clients. Instagram: @Itzel_Anahi_Art
David Flores (Ben Flores) is making his acting debut at CASA 0101 Theater in this production. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Flores holds a BFA in Acting, where he trained with actress Svetlana Efremova-Reed. He has appeared in the independent films, California Skate; Always Crying, CRAM; Always in Love; My Little Pet; My Vampire System Omnibus; Back To Bridgewood and Welcome To StreetsTown. In 2027 he will appear in a new film directed by Jeoff Hanser, produced by Marc Anthony Sepulveda and Matt Schwartz entitled Lace. In the film Flores plays the lead character of Rafa, a hustling undocumented delivery rider looking for purpose and connection who finds himself caught between survival, ambition, a dangerous circle, and the hard choices that come with growing up unseen, forcing him to confront who he is — and who he wants to become. Instagram: @david_flowerz
Emmanuel Deleage (Show Producer and Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater) is a graduate of UCLA in World Arts and Cultures. While in college he joined the skid row theater troupe, Los Angeles Poverty Department, founded by performance artist John Malpede. He later became the company’s administrator. In 2001 he formed his own company Courage Productions, and produced Armand Gatti’s Public Song Before Two Electric Chairs at the Los Angeles Theater Center. He also met Josefina López that same year, and merged Courage with the newly formed CASA 0101 Theater. He is currently the Executive Director of CASA 0101. He has overseen the growth of CASA 0101 from an all-volunteer organization running out of a storefront venue, to becoming a leading arts organization in Boyle Heights offering a full season of theater productions, arts education classes and art exhibitions. He also has had the privilege of working with theater directors, Peter Sellars, Gino Zampieri, Pascal Rambert and Armand Gatti. At CASA 0101 Theater, he has directed The Imaginary Life of the Street Sweeper August G by Armand Gatti, Locked Up and You Don’t Know Me by Patricia Zamorano, Nat Turner by Randolph Edmonds and Food for the Dead, by Josefina López. He has co-produced, along with Brown Fist Productions, a critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, as well as the critically acclaimed productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and World Premiere productions of Josefina Lopez’s plays, Queen of the Rumba, A Woman Named Gloria and Eléctrico. He recently produced CASA 0101 Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season, which included Three World Premieres: Mujeres On The Verge (Women On The Verge), Fernandomania, and Eléctrico, as well as productions of Tuesdays With Morrie and DreamWorks – The Prince of Egypt: The Musical. Earlier this year he produced a critically acclaimed six-week run of Josefina López’s signature play, Real Women Have Curves, which opened CASA 0101 Theater’s 26th Anniversary Season. As a writer, his first play was Selma Worth, about homelessness and finding self worth. His second play, which he directed and co-wrote with Lorenzo Alfredo, was An L.A. Journey. Instagram: @EmmanuelDeleage
About CASA 0101 Theater:
CASA 0101 Theater, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded 26 years ago by Founding Artistic Director, Josefina López, author of Real Women Have Curves, in 2000 to fulfill her vision of bringing art and live theater programs to Boyle Heights. From its humble beginnings in a former bridal shop, CASA 0101 Theater has established itself as a leading arts venue for Los Angeles’ East Side, currently offering year round theatrical productions and classes in dramatic writing and acting for youth and adults. CASA 0101 Theater is dedicated to providing vital arts, cultural, and educations programs in theatre, digital filmmaking, art and dance – to Boyle Heights, thereby nurturing the future storytellers of Los Angeles. CASA 0101 is named such, as casa means house of home in Spanish. 0’s and 1’s are the binary language computers use to operate. CASA 0101 Theater was founded at the dawn of the digital age, when digital cameras started appearing and moviemaking became accessible to more people. Early on Josefina López taught digital video classes. Though the organization subsequently focused its energies on theatre and not digital filmmaking, the name stuck. To learn more, please visit www.casa0101.org
