East To West : Hood To Hollywood at The Hudson Theatre

EAST TO WEST: HOOD TO HOLLYWOOD Opens September 18th at The Hudson Theatre

The Hispanic Heritage Month double bill East to West: Hood to Hollywood opens Friday, September 18th for two performances only at The Hudson Theatre (Guild Space) in Hollywood. The evening pairs the world premiere of Richard Velazquez's Dancing with Demons with Yelyna De León in Hollywood Chola, written by Josefina López. Performances are Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.

Two coasts, one question: who decides what a Latino is. De León answers from a Hollywood studio lot. Velazquez answers from the Lower East Side of the 1980s. Each show runs roughly sixty minutes and is followed by a ten-minute talkback with the artist.

HOLLYWOOD CHOLA Written by Josefina López, author of Real Women Have Curves, performed by Yelyna De León and directed by Lindsey Haley. Xochitl Guerrero, a Mexican-American actress typecast into a corner, is ordered into anger management after an altercation with a studio security guard. Los Angeles Magazine called the show "a must see."

DANCING WITH DEMONS Written and performed by Velazquez, directed by Allan Wasserman, with dramaturgy by Christopher Moncayo-Torres, the piece receives its first full presentation at the Hudson. It is built from three works. Just Another Demon sets a Jehovah's Witness childhood against the drug trade outside the door, and the persona a boy invents to survive both. The piece aired nationally on the storytelling podcast RISK! in August 2026. Nancy, the centerpiece, took Best Solo Show, Best Drama, and Top of Festival at the 30 Minutes or Less Festival and a 2026 NAMBA Award of Merit. Mindful Mijo closes the night with Velazquez speaking to the room directly.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

• Dates: Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, 2026
• Curtain: 7:30 p.m.
• Venue: The Hudson Theatre (Guild Space), 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038
• Tickets: $18 at tinyurl.com/hoodtohollywood
• Running order: Dancing with Demons, followed by Hollywood Chola
• Advisory: Mature themes including substance use, self-harm, religious trauma, and adult language. Recommended for ages 18 and over.
• Social: @richardvstory | @YelynadeLeon | @HollywoodChola

CREATIVE TEAM Dancing with Demons: written and performed by Richard Velazquez, directed by Allan Wasserman, dramaturgy by Christopher Moncayo-Torres. Hollywood Chola: written by Josefina López, performed by Yelyna De León, directed by Lindsey Haley. Technical direction and lighting design by Geoff Lloyd. Presented with support from NAMBA Performing Arts Space.