Review: An East L.A. memoir comes to life in ‘Always Running’ at Casa 0101 Theater

“Always running,” the former East Los Angeles gang member Luis says as the first words of his opening monologue, words that also provide the title of the play at Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. “Always running, that’s what my life was about.” True to his word, Luis does spend his youth dodging violence and drugs in “Always Running,” Luis J. Rodriguez and Hector Rodriguez’s stage adaption of Luis’ memoir, “Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.” The Casa 0101 production, which Hector directs, follows a young man as he struggles to distance himself from the gang life that he has been a part of since elementary school. Entertainment & Arts The 17 best theater offerings in L.A. this fall Fall theater season highlights for Los Angeles include a musical version of “Almost Famous,” Bill Irwin in “On Beckett,” a revival of August Wilson’s “Jitney” and a new stand-up show by comic Mike Birbiglia. 'Always Running' Where: Casa 0101 Theater, 2102 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights When: 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 20.