[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of CASA 0101’s world premiere production of Soul Sacrifice, written by Consuelo G. Flores, directed by Kenneth Castillo, and running May 29 – June 21, 2026.
CASA 10101 is one of my favourite theatres in Los Angeles. Not just because of the wonderful and hugely varied original theatre and revivals it produces with great care and love, but because it has become the center for creativity and compassion in Boyle Heights and, as the years have passed, the rest of Los Angeles.
Their latest play is yet another world premiere, Consuelo G. Flores’s Soul Sacrifice. The tenderly written and beautifully acted story of an East L.A. family struggling through their beloved eldest son’s sudden drafting into the US Army and to the front lines of the Vietnam War.
The story is filled with the daily dualities of Latino culture and their ever-evolving participation in the American diaspora. The parents are simple people.
They came to the US from Mexico to give their children a better life. But along with those opportunities comes danger, racism, a shrinking income in an expanding economy, and a war that no one wants and that many other neighborhood sons would never return from.
The characters are powerful, funny, and believable.
They move through the story not as passive participants but as driving forces, taking us from moment to moment with all the complexities and needs that any one of us has. There is nothing overly theatrical or contrived about them or their relationships to each other. And while they navigate the unfolding and often terrifying narrative, the stresses and strains of life push and pull them apart.
“Soul Sacrifice takes us deep inside a family trying to heal and doing all they can to stay together.”
Beyond the wonderfully written story and the really excellent performances from these gifted actors, the construction of this play is absolutely brilliant. We follow the eldest son to the war, and the scenes are played out onstage without changing any of the household set. I loved that; it made perfect sense.
Imagining him yearning for his modest home, the kitchen table, surrounded by his two sisters and his younger brother. His father coming home from the bar after a few beers, his mother cooking his favourite meal. It made perfect sense to have these two worlds colliding in such a subtle and meaningful way.
Soul Sacrifice is based on the real story of a regular Mexican-American family and their experiences during this particularly fraught time in American history. But I cannot help but consider how close we are to the same sad possibilities. Servicemen have died very recently halfway around the world with little reason given and with still less assurance that there will be no more. Latinos make up the largest minority group in the armed forces. And are underrepresented in the officer ranks. How many thousands of stories just like this one will never be heard?
Consuelo G. Flores has given us a wonderfully candid and brutally honest glimpse into the lives of a family like any other. Just trying to make ends meet. Trying to be good people and to live a safe life. Peace is all most of us want after all and a little security. So much is out of our control and the world seems run mad right now. Art is what we have to remind us we are all the same, all yearning to be understood and loved and a part of something real.
Soul Sacrifice takes us deep inside a family trying to heal and doing all they can to stay together. It’s a truly remarkable play and I highly recommend it. Bravo!!
Where:
CASA 0101
2102 1st St, Boyle Heights, CA 90033
When:
May 29 – June 21
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets:
https://casa0101.org/?shows=soul-sacrifice
The Cast
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 Soul Sacrifice Team
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.