This post was updated Oct. 29 at 8:01 p.m.

At “Encuentro,” artists are becoming the architects of their futures.

The Latino Theater Company’s annual “Encuentro” theater festival is currently underway at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the showcase, performances began Oct. 24 and will continue through Nov. 10. Piloted by Artistic Director José Luis Valenzuela, the troupe’s festival aims to highlight Latino voices within the performing arts. 2024’s theme, “We Are Here: Presente!,” promotes agency among Latinos working in theater.

“A lot has changed, because now we see more and more Latino theater companies, and also there are more Latino actors working in non-Spanish speaking companies,” Victor Salinas, an actor featured in the festival, said. “Those opportunities are growing bigger, but there is still a long road to go.”

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Founded in 1985, the company was established with the mission of providing artistic access to underserved communities across the LA area, with the festival directly serving that exact mission. The production series features 19 theater companies and 165 artists from across the United States and Puerto Rico. Javon Willis, an usher at “Encuentro” and an aspiring actor said working at the festival has exposed him to diverse voices, all with a Latino lens.

“When I see other people do their work and how professional it is, it encourages me to continue to do my thing,” Willis said. “I love being able to watch other stories because it definitely gives you a different perspective on your own life.”

On Sunday, the second performance of “The 22+ Weddings of Hugo Multiple,” a comedy-drama that tells the plight of undocumented immigrants by Venezuelan playwright Gustavo Ott, took place. Largely a Spanish-language play, the narrative follows Hugo Wagner, an unassuming, mild-mannered postal worker. In the opening scene, audiences are introduced to Hugo and his wife, the chatterbox Irene, only moments after their vows. However, the script quickly reveals not only are they in a green-card marriage, but she is one of Hugo’s 18 spouses – 14 wives and four husbands – all of whom he married so they could obtain legal citizenship.

The story unfolds in a non-linear format, jumping between past and present as the audience gains greater clarity behind the serial groom’s origin story. A small ensemble of four comprises the cast, with Carlos Castillo as the titular character and Giselle González, Salinas and Zindia Pino as three of his spouses. Salinas said he and Carlos had formerly collaborated with Ott, working together at the Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington D.C., where the play premiered last month.

Directed by José Zayas, the play is emblematic of multi-camera sitcoms such as “Friends” or “Seinfeld,” with the entire production – designed by Grisele González – taking place in Hugo’s living room. Unlike the aforementioned series, “The 22+ Weddings of Hugo Multiple” dives into topics – xenophobia, immigration policy, classism – that American society largely shies away from. Castillo said he attributes the overt discussions of immigration within the play as what drew him to the project.

”We are talking about not only immigration, but solidarity,” Castillo said. “We are in a very, very special time in this country. This nation is having a conversation about immigration, and we wanted to be part of it.”

After meeting Irene (Pino), the play transitions four months into the past, and viewers are introduced to Wafa (González), Hugo’s self-sufficient, headstrong wife, a mother of two who fled from her home country of Syria. Her costuming, done by Rukiya Henry-Fields, is complete with a slick back ponytail, high-waisted pants, and corporate-style blouses. She is a survivor of persecution, bigotry and misogyny, and yet, she still seeks Hugo’s assistance.

The show flashes back six months as Hugo’s 16th spouse and fourth husband Elmar (Salinas) enters the picture. A young, playful writer from Mexico, Elmar spends much of his conversations with Hugo reciting poetry from the greats, much to Hugo’s dismay and confusion. His whimsical persona exists in stark contrast to the harsh reality of his situation, having left his wife, their young daughter and his boyfriend in Mexico. While at times serving as comedic relief, Elmar’s reminds the audience that deportation is always on the horizon.

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Throughout the play, each time Hugo marries someone else and continues the con, he not only assists them, but their friends, families and anyone they know trying to seek passage into the U.S. To the artists, the story is a form of art as activism, and Salinas said he believes that as the creators of theater, they have the power to change the world, one play at a time.

“When you are an audience (member), you are going to leave the theater as a changed person, because theater has that power,” Castillo added. “That power looks almost exactly like love. Love can change all.”