THE GHOSTS OF LOTE BRAVO Opens At Cal Rep

2018 California Repertory Company begins its 2018-2019 season with The Ghosts of Lote Bravo by Hilary Bettis. The play centers on a mother and daughter who struggle to survive in violent Ciudad Juárez. Guided by La Santa Muerte, Juanda sees her daughter Raquel in a new light, ultimately learning about Raquel's hidden hopes, dreams, and courage. It is a gritty and emotional new work exposing the raw underbelly of The United States' relationship with Mexico and shows the human carnage left in NAFTA's wake.

Ciudad Juárez, also called "the capital of murdered women," is a border town run by drug cartels and US-backed maquiladoras where women often disappear. Ghosts... explores the pain, the violence against women and men, and the systems that perpetuate the oppression. Chair Jeff Janisheski says, "Bettis' characters find hope and redemption through the power of faith but also through the power of storytelling and I hope we can all listen." Ultimately, The Ghosts of Lote Bravo is a play about great hope amid relentless fear, poverty, and grief.

Director Denise Blasor is the Associate Artistic Director at Bilingual Foundation of the Arts and founding member of LAAFO and KOAN at the Odyssey Theater and East LA Classic Theater. She says "Ghosts... is a play about what we as human beings do in order to survive. It's a poetic piece about love and what a mother will do to protect her children."

Playwright Hilary Bettis is the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant and is familiar with the struggles of living in oppressive environments and the culture behind border cities. Through this story Bettis gives voice to thousands of women and shows their courage, fight and strength. "Women haven't survived for eons by being "weak" and "emotional." We've survived by being a hell of a lot tougher and braver than we're given credit for, and I wanted to show that through Raquel's journey in this play."

California Repertory Company is celebrating 30 years of risk-taking theatre. California Repertory Company (Cal Rep) is the producing arm of the Theatre Arts Department at CSULB. Over the past three decades, Cal Rep has a history of creating new work, devised theatre and adaptations of classics. In its 30th season it showcases the work of local artists and brings a range of World, West Coast, and Southern California Premieres to Long Beach. Jeff Janisheski says, "It's a season that celebrates community: those that are already in our orbit, the new voices we champion and the community partners and artists we want to work with. Cal Rep's 30th Anniversary Season is a celebration of what Cal Rep has been over the years: a destination for adventurous, daring theatre. Come join us!"

Tickets: http://web.csulb.edu/colleges/cota/theatre/on-stage-now/index.html. Prices: General Admission $23. Students (w/ID)/ CSULB Faculty & Staff/$18, Seniors (55+)/ Military: $20. Groups: Groups of 10 or more start at $15/ticket. Studio Theater at CSULB, 7th Street and East Campus Drive