“August 29” Returns to the Stage 55 Years After the Chicano Moratorium

LACC Theatre Academy students in
“August 29” (Photo – Yazlin Juarez)

The Latino Theater Company, in partnership with Los Angeles City College (LACC) Theatre Academy, is bringing history to the stage with a revival of August 29, a powerful theatrical reflection on the 1970 Chicano Moratorium and the death of journalist Ruben Salazar.

By News Desk

This production is part of the company’s broader “IMPACT” community engagement initiative, designed to foster cultural dialogue and artistic opportunity for students at 19 local community colleges.

August 29 takes its name from the date in 1970 when Salazar was killed while covering a massive anti-Vietnam War protest in East Los Angeles. Originally created in 1990 by the Latino Theater Company (then the Latino Theater Lab), the play centers on a university professor who, while writing a book about Salazar, is visited by his spirit. Through this device, the story revisits the Chicano movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, challenging audiences to reflect on activism past and present.

Directed by Ramiro Segovia, the production features a large cast of LACC students, including Jayson Abrego, Michelle Fernandez, and Javier “Javi” Matos, among others. Six Pay-What-You-Choose performances will run August 15–24 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 4:00 pm.

Before each performance, audiences will be shown Requiem 29, a striking short documentary filmed by UCLA students David Garcia and Moctesuma Esparza. The film, now preserved in the National Film Registry, captures the events of the Chicano Moratorium, including the protest, Salazar’s funeral, and courtroom testimony exposing police brutality.

The production’s creative team includes music director Israel Bravo, scenic designer Maureen E. Weiss, lighting designer John A. Garofalo, and sound designer Ramiro Hermosillo, among many others. The project reflects a collaborative spirit of mentorship, with student designers working alongside veteran professionals.

Following its LATC run, August 29 will be performed for free on August 29 at East Los Angeles College in collaboration with the 50th Anniversary Chicano Moratorium Committee, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the original protest. The show will also travel to Mt. San Antonio College for two additional free performances on September 18 and 19.

Performances of August 29 at LATC are Pay-What-You-Choose. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., with validated parking available nearby.

For more information, visit www.thelatc.org.