Sourced from the press release: https://www.aboutpd.org/
January 27, 2026 (Los Angeles, California) – About…Productions and the Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Academy (MSTMA) at Roosevelt High School presents a now annual event featuring plays created and performed by educationally underrepresented 9-12th graders in About Production’s Young Theaterworks’ Social Justice Residency at MSTMA in Boyle Heights. This year students conducted interviews with social justice leaders whose work has inspired the creation of three new plays to be performed by the students in a production titled: Seeds of Resistance.
The three social justice leaders students interviewed are:
Odilia Romero, a Zapotec Indigenous rights organizer and co-founder/executive director of Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO). Romero’s work centers on challenging erasure and invisibility for Indigenous people, and reflects a deep commitment to solidarity, community care, and intergenerational justice. Romero comments: “ The youth are the future, and we have to invest in the high schoolers. They have all the power to make changes in the future.”
Dr. Martha Gonzalez, a Chicana academic, artivist, songwriter/musician, and lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning band Quetzal, she is also Associate Professor in the Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at Scripps/Claremont College (more information available HERE). Gonzalez comments on her experience with the students saying “ I think the questions they asked were really insightful and original. Sometimes I think we underestimate young people and what they know and how smart they already are, and I want them to realize their value earlier than they do.”
Moctesuma Esparza, an award-winning film producer (“Selena,” “Requiem 29,” “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez”), entertainment executive, entrepreneur and community activist. An activist starting early in life, Esparza marched with Cesar Chavez while still in high school. He has an extensive background as a national leader in the American Latino community and a strong commitment to social responsibility and philanthropy. He is a member of the Executive Board of the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television. He is the only Mexican American film exhibitor in the United States bringing the premium movie-going experience to Latino audiences and providing a cultural hub for Latino filmmakers and artists (more information available HERE and additional film credits HERE). Esparaza comments on working with the students: “ I really loved their commitment to be there and to be present for my interview. They are alive and awake and interested in their lives and in the world. It’s important they know that they have to be true to themselves and find what makes a difference to them, and how they can make a difference to other people.”
Producing Artistic Director Theresa Chavez says: “We are thrilled to have the participation of this esteemed group of community leaders, each of which has a distinct social justice journey and focus. We are grateful that they have brought their inspiring life stories into the classroom so that students can gain a deeper understanding of their community’s history and how they can play an active role in finding future solutions to intractable community issues. The Social Justice Residency has yielded three short plays that we’re now excited to share with a live audience in this Seeds of Resistance production at the new Roosevelt High Performing Arts Center – the newest arts jewel in Boyle Heights.”
Lead Teaching Artist and Young Theaterworks Program Manager Marlene Beltran says: “ Serving as the lead teaching artist for this intergenerational residency is deeply meaningful to me. This work holds our community’s stories with care and intentionality—honoring the legacies of community leaders that came before while creating space for Eastside youth to imagine who they themselves are becoming. Through social justice–centered creative exploration, we reflect on what has changed, what remains, and how our collective lived histories can guide us toward shaping a more just future.”
EVENT TITLE:
Seeds of Resistance:
Social Justice Plays Written & Performed by Youth Inspired by Community Leaders’ Stories
VENUE:
Roosevelt High School Performing Arts Center
2530 East 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (Boyle Heights)
TYPE OF EVENT:
Theater production.
DATE:
Friday, February 13th, 2026
TIMES:
afternoon performance at 2 p.m (doors at 1:40 p.m.)
evening performance at 6 p.m. start (doors at 5:40 p.m.)
PARKING:
2 p.m. – STREET PARKING ONLY – please arrive at least 15-20 minutes early to secure parking.
6 p.m. – FREE PARKING in Mathews St. lot (5 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
INFORMATION AND TICKETS:
Admission is FREE.
Eventbrite registration required for 2 p.m., and highly recommended for 6 p.m. performance.
Event registration HERE.