“Level Up!” Brings a Trans Tween’s Story to the Stage

“Level Up!” (Photo – LatinoTheaterCo)

The Latino Theater Company presents the world premiere of Level Up!, a visually striking and emotionally rich new play by Gabriel Rivas Gómez, running through May 3 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

By News Desk

Level Up! follows Desi López, a trans tween afraid to come out to her family. While Desi is perceived as a boy in everyday life, she discovers her true identity inside The Proxy, a fantastical virtual world where she becomes a winged warrior on a quest to save her dying dog and reconnect with her mother. Blending live performance with projection and inventive design, the play explores family, transformation and the search for authenticity in an increasingly digital age.

Fourteen‑year‑old Mathias Brinda stars as Desi, joined by Xol Gonzalez, Richard Azurdia, Sol Crespo and Andi René Christensen. The production also features Gene Powell and Wiley Naman Strasser, with Mauricio Marte and Celeste Lanuza as understudies. Scenic design by François‑Pierre Couture, lighting by Xinyuan Li and projections by Hsuan‑Kuang Hsieh bring the play’s dual realities to life.

Playwright Rivas Gómez describes the work as “a multigenerational story that moves between the physical world and a vividly imagined virtual realm,” noting the production’s diverse team and director Fidel Gómez’s vision of the stage as a digital interface.

Co‑commissioned by Latino Theater Company and Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis through the Mellon Foundation–supported Generation Now initiative, Level Up! has been developed through workshops in Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Atlanta.

Performances take place Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets range from $10 to $48, with special pricing for students, seniors and families. Free childcare for ages 4 and up is available during Saturday matinees.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St. in downtown L.A., with validated parking available nearby.