The Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble is proud to present “MeXicana”, written and performed by Diana Alvarez. Ever since it was founded back in 2003, Breath of Fire has focused on the lives and stories of Latinas by delivering empowering, shocking, entertaining, and heartfelt performances that not only help represent mujer power, but also Latina/o talent in the OC area.  “MeXicana” follows the Breath of Fire tradition and takes the audience through a journey to be a Mexican woman in this country- exploring the many aspects and wonders, hence the name of the play “MeXicana” (which is pronounced “Me-chicana”).    

Kenya native Peres Owino shares her talent and her life in “Beauty for Ashes”, a dramedy written and performed by Owino and a special appearance by Liliana Cattaneo.  Stage 52 is proud to present the premiere of this play directed by Ayana Cahrr.  In this play, Peres Owino invites the audience to reflect on the past, the present and the future based on her own experiences.  While we must embrace who we are and where we come from, for Owino, the past should not be able to hold us down, yes, it should be a part of ourselves, but not totally define us.  Join Peres Owino on this journey of self discovery.  Although it is a dramedy, the comedy elements are mainly kept at the beginning and then sporadically throughout the play. 

For the third year in a row, Paulina Sahagun and the Center for Celebration Arts bring you this 3-day Día de los Muertos (DDLM) event. While it’s not the only DDLM event, it is perhaps one of the most complete; it’s definitely your ultimate DDLM guide.  It consists of an altar construction in which the audience is strongly and encouraged to participate, a performance, and a visit to the Woodlawn Cemetery. What sets this event at Highways from the rest is the way in which the artists approach this holiday.  There’s a direct and indirect cross-reference between el Día de los Muertos and both national and international politics.

With Halloween right around the corner, it is more than expected to find several art galleries join the festivities and showcase spooky and Halloween-themed exhibits. While there are many daunting exhibits out there, few are as scary as the one at “Drkrm Gallery”.  Even though it’s all made up of photography and a couple of videos, what makes “Seeing Things: Ghost Polaroids” utterly terrifying is the fact that it’s all genuine.  All the photographs being showcased have been studied and are certified to be authentic- zero manipulation, after all, they were taken in the early 90’s when Photoshop and technology where out of this world and virtually impossible to afford for a couple of L.A. residents.